Neil Young speech on green performance, Lincvolt coming live from SEMA

The story of Neil Young and his Lincvolt has had its ups and downs. From an idea first made public in 2008 to its SEMA debut in 2010, the 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV convertible was shepherded through a lot of engineering work by the Canadian rocker to become an E85-burning plug-in hybrid. In late 2010, the car caught fire but Young brought it back to life earlier this year. Long may you run, indeed.

In its current incarnation, the Lincvolt has an E85-capable Ford Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine that works with an onboard UQM 145-KW generator to charge the 21.4-kWh battery pack. From a Level 2 wall socket, the pack charges in about six hours, but the cellulosic ethanol in the tank can apparently fill the battery in approximately 60 minutes when the Lincvolt is idling. With a full battery, the car has a range of 50 miles and, thanks to a fuel economy rating of around 23.5 miles per gallon, the Lincvolt can go the distance: 400 miles without stopping.

This week, Young is returning to Las Vegas to give the Green Performance Keynote on the topic of “Repowering the American Dream.” The purpose, according to SEMA PR, is for Young “to inspire a generation by creating a clean automobile propulsion technology that serves the needs of the 21st century and delivers performance that is a reflection of the driver’s spirit.” The speech happens tomorrow, Thursday, November 7, starting at 11 a.m. (Vegas time) and you’ll be able to stream it by watching the video below.