150 MPG

AFS Trinity XH™ Plug-in Hybrid Program – 2008

AFS Trinity Power has developed patent-pending technology that makes it possible for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to achieve 150 MPG, go 40 miles in all-electric mode, and use gasoline for additional unlimited miles in hybrid mode.

In July 2007, in order to very quickly demonstrate all of the key attributes of this technology, the company mounted an effort to build two fully operational XH-150 SUV prototypes using off-the-shelf components. The two vehicles—modified Saturn Vue SUVs—were built in less than six months. They were unveiled on January 13, 2008 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (Press Announcement) and (Salon.com test drive report).





On April 8, 2008, AFS Trinity started a cross country tour to give Americans their first onroad look at what CNN and others suggested may be “the car of the future.” The XH-150 arrived at the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 20, 2008 (Video of Congressional Ride-and-Drives). On May 2, 2008, AFS Trinity and Ricardo announced a joint Extreme Fleet™ program that will slash gasoline and diesel use by car, SUV and truck fleets. (Press Release).


http://www.afstrinity.com/

The Sacramento Bee on plug-in hybrids
The Sacramento Bee ran an article this week on how, “Plug-in hybrids promise more power, greater efficiency.”

This may not seem like a big deal, but remember this is a state led by hydrogen-Hummer-driving Arnold Schwarzenegger, who promised the first statewide “Hydrogen Highway. ” That dream has all but died, as expected, killed largely by the reality of plug-in hybrids (see here).

After many interviews with the newspaper over the years about hydrogen, this was my first one where I wasn’t the one to bring up plug ins. As I told the newspaper:

“Plug-in hybrids are going to be the vehicle story of the next few years,”
said Joseph Romm, an energy policy expert with the Center for American
Progress, a think tank in Washington, D.C.

The full Sac Bee article is below:

http://climateprogress.org/2008/05/24/the-sacramento-bee-on-plug-in-hybrids/#more-2901

Not bad, actually.

But they're not going to sell it for at least three years, and they want to have car makers install it at the factory. I doubt that will happen.