The good news with Raser Technologies' full size SUV plug-in hybrid which will be revealed at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit (April 20-23, 2009), is that it promises to deliver an estimated 100mpg. The bad news is that Raser Technologies doesn't exactly explain how it came up with this impressive fuel economy figure for its four-wheel drive Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV).In fact, the only piece of information that the Utah-based company handed out to the press is that the E-REV has been designed to achieve over 100 mpg in "typical local daily driving" with near zero emissions by going up to 40 miles per day in all-electric mode.
Raser Technologies' hybrid drivetrain is similar to the one fitted on the Chevrolet Volt, meaning that it combines an electric motor with a fuel efficient four-cylinder combustion engine. The vehicle is propelled solely by the 200kW electric motor with the combustion engine used only to generate electricity to recharge the lithium-ion battery when needed.
Up until now, we've seen Raser Technologies' E-REV system being used on a prototype Hummer, but we're not sure if this will be the vehicle that will be unveiled at the SAE Congress in Detroit.
"We are excited to be able to demonstrate an electric powertrain for larger vehicles such as trucks and SUVs," said James Spellman, Vice President, of Transportation for Raser Technologies. "These are the best selling vehicles in America and can benefit the most from increased fuel economy and reduced emissions. We are also pleased to be exhibiting with our development partner FEV."
