Neil Young’s Linc-Volt Hybrid

October 29, 2007

Oct. 29, 2007: Source – New York Times

Neil Young, the iconic musician who helped pave the way for folk rock in the 60’s, is yet another celebrity to join the green parade. He has built himself a hybrid electric car called the Linc-Volt. Here’s the kicker. The car itself is a large-bodied 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV, the quintessential cruiser of yesteryear that’s known for being anything but efficient. Until now, that is.

Mr. Young has converted this finned chariot to run on biodiesel and electricity, the ultimate one-two punch in clean motoring. He says its form and function is the embodiment of “Classic Americana from then, meeting the Americana from now.” The Linc-Volt is expected to achieve up to 100 miles per gallon on the highway.

Mr. Young is taking his new pride and joy on a road trip to the car’s Detroit origins. His goal is to raise awareness of the feasibility of electric cars within the mainstream consciousness. To this end, he’s also shooting a documentary film about the journey.

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  • Jeff

    Rock on Neil.

  • fassauer.ge@att.net

    Cool Neil,Working on a elect,gas,and solar scotter myself and already built a improved heat grabber for my house acouple of years ago. We all can help our selfs help the world. Gmavin

  • david e. lane

    Brilliant Mr. Young! You have legions of fans and admirers backing you on this one. Let’s get all the publicity we can out of this and demonstrate to Detroit how ready the market is for this!

    David E. Lane
    pluginamerica.org

  • Kurt

    Way to go man. I have a 69 that I want to this to but I’m sure I cant’ afford it. How much did it cost?

  • Dave

    Way to go Neil, looking forward to the documentary.

  • richard schumacher

    ‘Nuff said.

  • Crystal

    I love Neil Young. KEEP ON ROCKIN IN THE FUTURE,

  • Gandalf

    Detroit has been hiding behind Bush’s skirts(soon to be removed) in order to prevent CAFE MPG increases. With the GOP removed from office, Detroit will have to do what it should have done a decade ago – respond to the inevitable rises in fossil fuel costs and the ever greater pollution from burning them.

  • Mary

    What a beautiful car. My first husband and I owned a Lincoln Continental Town Car at one time, and it was the most comfortable car we ever had. But it was not fuel efficient.

  • James

    …to a late 50s Jeep Willys Pickup; now that would be hot – in both form and function. SWEET

  • Bill

    Gotta love living in the south. They fry every thing here. This means free gas for me. I converted my f-250 to burn WVO. I don’t care that diesel is 3.20 a gallon.

  • conradw

    Other stories on this said Neil has spent over $120,000 on this project.

  • mickale103

    Kick ass! Just shows that one person can make a difference. I’ve never been a big Neil Young fan, but I will be watching his documentary when it is completed.

    This does raise a question for me though, why can’t automakers (who unlike Mr. Neil) have been in the business of making cars for years and have the research teams, facilities and extensive knowledge of automobiles and their parts do this???

    I suppose they just needed Mr. Neil to show them how it’s done. I sure hope he makes the plans for his hybrid car public knowledge or licenses them under creative commons so others can continue to build off of all the hard work he’s done and perhaps make some even more impressive automobiles for the future. It would be a shame for all that technological progress to be limited to just one vehicle.

  • Jim LovellFord

    I just watched you on Charlie Rose. I was at your concert in Auburn WA. I have been one of your fans forever – not just because I like your sound – I love your message. Man – you are a very decent person who cares deeply – my thoughts are with you. I am just a math teacher – but if there is something I can do – tell me and I will be there. I would love to turn my RAV into an EV….I have been looking into it for quite some time. Is there some way that we can get our government or somebody to help create an infrastructure that will make it easier for people to convert to EVs?

    I like your prayer – “Respect the Source – be open to the source” God Bless – a man married for 29 years. Congrats on your 30th.

  • BillDuncan

    Kick ‘em in the ass some more Neil with your new engine. But be careful… The last inventor to produce an engine to run on hydrogen from water was just murdered. The US government needs high oil prices so the arabs can rape us at the pump and then have the money to bailout US banks and our economy when called upon.

    Its a complex issue. Rock on!

  • Michael Germaine

    I am sending this e-mail response personally to Neil Young. I recently saw him on the David Letterman Show and he was talking about his Linc-Volt Hybrid 1959 Lincolon that he helped convert to electric powered. He also stated that “Ordinary People” might have “Ideas” about how to help change this World for the Better.
    Well I am an “Ordinary People” that is also an Independent Inventor in the Alternate Energy Field. He also stated he wanted away to make a motor vehicle create its own fuel as it drives.
    I have Invented a way to convert vehicles to Create their own Fuel as they Drive!
    “Cooperative Energy-Pioneers In People Power”!
    I would like to talk to the correct people ASAP. You can also write me at Cooperative Energy P.O.Box 113 Middletown,CT06457 or call me at (860) 681-3589 thank You, Michael Germaine

  • idratherhaveabuick

    Great efforts, Neil!!

    I love the Buick grille in your web page.

    what other cars do you have, Neil?

    But I have to be a lone voice of dissent. it is sacrilege to remove the 430 engine from the unibody lincoln. those are very rare cars, and i’d LOVE to have the 430 V-8 that was pulled from it

  • Satu

    Yesh, I wanna see that road movie.
    Go ahead punk.

  • Walter Bartel

    I am intersted in this conversion job. I am wondering what the cost of the project was? Is there some place that has plans and materials to convert other vehicles?

    Thanks

  • Keith

    If america is to bail out the US automakers why can’t we mandate that a portion of the money needs to be used to design semi-automated factories to reduce installation and cost to perform these retrofits on their past designs?

    A gov. rebate to convert older cars could be viewed as a Homeland security investment.

    End the oil cartels grip on america!

    Rock on Neil!!!

  • Fernando von Albern de la Rosa Mañana

    We need good standardized conversion equipment – recycle those old and not so old cars.

  • Larry Baraniuk

    I just saw the new concept electric jaguar that uses a jet turbine
    engine that has electric motors driving the wheels and I immediately related it to the electric car that Neil Young and his team are working on.
    I’m a big time user and believer of the “Lithium Iron Phosphate” battery or “A123″ battery technology and I really think that these types of batteries are another key component to be utilized in future electric cars.

  • Larry Baraniuk

    I Just read the article of the LincVolts latest road trip and the part of the article that I really could relate to is the quite sound of the ride. My A123 Electric Giant Stiletto chopper bicycle (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=899701) rides so quite that I really think that I’m riding a witches broom

  • Floyd Burger

    It would seem that this car is the cause of a warehouse fire that destroyed over 1 million dollars worth of Mr. Young’s memoribilia.

    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/neil_young_hybrid_car_blamed_for_3oM51zTNen61BxSlBNEgqM

  • David

    Definitely can’t wait to see the doc if he’s shooting one. 100mpg is amazing!

  • daniell

    i am impress! the car is beautiful, thin and build with taste. other Headlights, another color and i will take it. i like that it is a hybrid and if it is also ecological friendly, then it will be my favorite car.

  • Larry Baraniuk

    The latest improvenent to battery technology is the use of “vanadium” ,so now we’re talking about “Lithium Vanadium Phosphate Batteries”. This new technology will improve the performance by 20% over the normal Lithium Phosphate batteries and increase the lifespan of a battery pack.
    http://green.autoblog.com/2010/09/15/gs-yuasa-develops-vanadium-phosphate-cathode-for-li-ion-batterie/2
    Just checked out a review about the Chevy Volt being tested in cold weather and it has a problem with heating up the interior of the car.
    Also the battery range is only 23 miles instead of 40 miles.
    I think the use of the capstone turbine in the Lincvolt would better
    suite cold weather conditions because the turbine is a good heat
    source.

  • toddy

    Hybrids are more appealing at the moment, they run cheap they are green and they are the next steep into the future. For this reason i`m considering getting one for myself, and i`m thinking that if i would do something like this i should also think about auto donations or selling my very old car. Come to think about it, i do more harm with it then i would consider, seeing your lovely car.

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