Emissions-free on land and in water -- the sQuba

OK, so we weren't quite prepared for the Rinspeed sQuba. I mean...we were excited enough about the Lotus-bodied, all-electric, speed-demon Tesla Roadster. But Rinspeed has taken another, soggier, James Bond-inspired step.

That's right, the Rinspeed sQuba is a zero-emissions, all-electric, Lotus-bodied, speed demon, submersible. And, yeah, that picture (and the dozen or so after the jump) are not fakes...that's actually a man and a woman strapped into a roofless sports car powering around under water.

The sQuba is powered by three electric motors. One runs the wheels, one runs the propellers in back, and one runs the water jets in front that control the orientation of the car. Of course, this vehicle would be impossible with an internal combustion engine (combustion requires air...right?) so they had to go all-electric. Lithium ion batteries power the motors.

The car's entire drive train is watertight up to 10 meters (we assume probably a bit below that as well), and there are compressed air tanks built into the car so, whenever you want to go for a swim, you just drive into the water and put in your mouthpiece. Apparently the roofless design is as much a safety feature as a design statement. Easy escape is always best...

Keep reading for a ton of high-res pictures as well as a video of the sQuba in action.

Via MotorAuthority