Apr 8 2008
The 150 MPG Extreme Hybrid SUV, the XH-150 introduced in January by AFS Trinity Power Corporation, starts a cross country tour here today to give Americans their first on-road look at what CNN and others suggested may be "the car of the future" as the XH-150 works its way to Earth Day on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 20, 2008.
Halfway through the cross country trip, the XH-150 will be demonstrated on April 11 for Austin Energy, a large municipal utility as well as for the leadership of Plug-in Partners, an Austin headquartered consortium of electric utilities and others supporting the development and introduction of new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technologies.
AFS Trinity intends to make the XH-150 available for selected test drives in several communities from coast to coast.
According to tests recently conducted at the Michelin Proving Grounds in South Carolina, proprietary new power and control electronics and other advances allow the Extreme Hybrid to plug into house current and store sufficient power to run a 200 horsepower electric motor at speeds up to 86 miles per hour. Mileage estimates are based on average driving patterns set by USEPA and will vary depending on how people drive.
"With the XH-150, most Americans would use no gasoline at all most days and electricity is a small fraction of the cost of gasoline," said AFS Trinity CEO Edward W. Furia. "We expect the fuel cost savings will pay back the additional cost of the Extreme Hybrid system in 2 to 3 years . . . or much faster with government incentives."
The new, patent pending AFS Trinity system gives the driver a choice of Extreme Hybrid, all-electric mode at 200 horsepower where no gasoline is used for the first 40 miles -- more than the great majority of Americans drive most days -- or, with a push of a single button, access to all 370 horsepower by empowering both the electric and gasoline engines in parallel for towing or emergency vehicle applications.
Road test data, schematics of the drive train and extensive technical detail are available at HYPERLINK "http://www.afstrinity.com" http://www.afstrinity.com.
AFS Trinity CEO Edward W. Furia said the company is now in discussions with carmakers regarding licensing of the technology and with investment bankers regarding possible direct manufacturing. He said he expects the first Extreme Hybrid SUV drive trains to be available for purchase in two to three years.