Hummer Goes from Mean to Green

Utah-based Raser Technologies is dragging the Hummer - kicking and screaming if necessary – into the Obama Era. The company just unveiled its hybrid version of the H3, a range-extended eco vehicle good for a gob-stopping 100 mpg and a range of 40 miles with a 200 kW electric motor and a 100 kW gasoline-powered engine. With a 90 mph top speed, off-road capability and a lithium ion-battery you can recharge in as little as three hours (a full charge takes 10), the SUV maintains its acceleration, towing and off-road capacities.

Especially with its smaller fuel tank of 11 gallons instead of 22, there’s plenty of room in the Raser H3 for the battery packs, which have a combined capacity of 40 kilowatt hours and weigh a whopping 600 pounds. The company claims other trucks can install the drivetrain and says it hopes to convert 2,000 vehicles by 2010. Its Hybrid Master Controller software that manages the engine, generator, motor and batteries flawlessly, or so they hope. With all the improvements Raser says its H3 is even greener than a Prius – but isn’t the whole point of a Hummer that it’s not eco-friendly?

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Tags: Hummer, Hybrid, Raser Technologies

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 9:43 am and is filed under Cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.