Electric Hummer Combines The Best Of Two Worlds
100 mpg Hummers are now possible thanks to technology being used by Raser Technologies to go where no SUV has gone before.
Forget for a moment that the Toyota Prius is the best selling hybrid vehicle sold in the United States. That car is currently duking it out with the all new Honda Insight for hybrid supremacy, a lottery battle that is being warmly embraced by greenies the world over.
Small Cars, Great Fuel Economy
Inasmuch as the Prius and Insight represent today’s thinking regarding marrying the best of two worlds, i.e. automotive technology and earth friendly motoring, these vehicles are not for everyone. Indeed, if you need storage room, want to haul stuff or simply prefer the ride and feel of a large sport/utility vehicle you’re pretty much out of luck.
True, the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid offers best in class fuel economy delivering 21 mpg city, 22 mpg highway (20/20 with four wheel drive) while also providing lots of storage room and the ability to tow up to 6000 lbs. But, these fuel numbers are still fairly tame compared to what is coming down the pike.
100 MPG Hummer H3
While General Motors is hanging on for dear life and its Hummer division is close to being shut down, a Utah company has decided to take matters into their own hands by redoing the Hummer H3 into a plugin hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). This aftermarket overhaul allows the H3 to achieve incredible fuel economy — 100 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.
Raser Technologies is the company who has repurposed the Hummer H3, recently displaying its product at this year’s SAE International World Congress in Detroit. The electrified H3 runs on a 200 kilowatt induction AC motor paired with high powered lithium ion batteries to achieve its remarkable fuel economy. The 700 Volt H3 is “like a Volt on steroids” according to Raser, referencing the Chevy Volt which is expected to be released late next year by GM.
Fast, Fuel Efficient and Clean
The Raser Technologies H3 can drive 40 miles in all electric mode daily and then up to 600 miles in hybrid mode. The Hummer takes in regular fuel as well as E85 (ethanol blend). The H3 will go from zero to sixty in 8.5 seconds, while the standard H3 takes 10.2 seconds to reach that speed.
Raser says that the hybrid H3 gets the highest fuel economy of any SUV on the market while still offering the ground clearance Hummer fans crave. Emissions on the Raser Hummer is best in class and the vehicle can be recharged at home using either 110v or 220v outlets.
The company is also looking to apply its technology to the Hummer H3T and says that other big pickup trucks including the Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram 1500 can benefit. According to Raser, the converted trucks would continue to offer the same payload while benefiting from fuel economy that is actually better than what the Toyota Prius now delivers.
Raser says that converted work trucks come with a 100 kw onboard generator which can supply electricity at remote sites to power equipment such as electric saws. The company claims that all that mobile power is enough to power your own home and that of six of your neighbors.
Right now, the electrified Hummer is a demonstation vehicle, but production will be according to customer demand. In other words, if a fleet owner wants to convert some of their trucks to hybrid power, Raser can provide that work for them.
Photo courtey of Raser Technologies.
