Remember those Hummers your neighbors (or maybe you!) drove heedlessly around town, burning through barrels of gasoline but rarely finding those off-road challenges for which these vehicles were created?

With the downturn in the economy and the uptick in carbon emissions, they became a symbol of SUV excess.

But don’t count them out.

Raser Technologies, Inc. has been testing electric Hummer H3Es and reported this week that they recently ran a successful all-electric 50-mile drive. That’s significant because battery-operated vehicles have been curtailed by short ranges of around 40 miles. New models under development are aiming for more than that in hopes of alleviating anticipated consumer concerns over EV range.

“I am very proud of our team and their work to reach this important milestone,” said Jim Spellman, Raser’s Vice President of Business Development, in a statement. “Battery range of this innovative vehicle was more than sufficient to exceed our performance target of 40 miles in all-electric mode. In fact the H3E drove over 50 miles using only approximately 60% of the battery pack.”

Said Raser Technologies chairman Kraig Higginson: “The Hummer performed beautifully with better than expected fuel economy and great acceleration. Most importantly, it did all this with zero direct emissions running entirely on electricity.”

The Hummer H3E, like other electric vehicles in development, relies mainly on the battery, but has a small gasoline engine that functions as an “extender” that is used to recharge the batteries. The H3E road tests indicate that it could manage a 400 mile round-trip, using the battery and extender.

Raser, an energy tech company based in Provo, wants its electric road power to be competitive with GM’s mid-size Chevy Volt, expected out late next year. But its powertrain will serve SUVs and trucks.

“The positive results from this test indicate that we can downsize our battery pack, reducing cost and weight of the vehicle, and still achieve the 40 mile all-electric range needed for optimized typical driving,” Spellman said.

Because these vehicles use such small amounts of gasoline, their mileage is expected to exceed 100 mpg; however, that number doesn’t factor in their total energy consumption. Still, auto experts say these types of electric vehicles, recharged at home using a renewable energy electrical service, can be nearly emissions free.

To see more on the Hummer test drive, visit the Raser website.  Raser, a public company, is known for its work on geothermal energy solutions.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

From Green Right Now Reports

In what could be the ultimate makeover, Raser Technologies, Inc. today unveiled a 100-plus mpg Hummer H3 powered by Raser’s plug-in hybrid technology. The modified Hummer was shown at the 2009 SAE International World Congress at Cobo Center in Detroit.

But don’t rush down to the dealer showroom just yet. The Hummer conversion was a high profile test to show that electric vehicle technology is a viable solution for even full-sized SUVs that provides fuel economy without sacrificing power and utility.

Raser developed the electric H3 demonstration vehicle in cooperation with Hummer. The plug-in electric Hummer H3 has a range of about 400 miles, driving its first 40 miles exclusively on batteries before turning on its combustion generator. Because most vehicles drive fewer than 40 miles a day, Raser says most drivers would rarely use gas and average more than 100 mpg in gas fuel economy over time.

At the 2008 SAE World Congress, Raser and its development partner FEV Inc., of Auburn Hills, Mich., a leading automotive integrator, introduced Raser’s E-REV power train, similar in function to the Chevy Volt but designed for use in a variety of larger full-sized SUVs and light trucks. The vehicle was developed in association with the Plug-in Hybrid Development Consortium, whose members include leading electric utilities, lithium ion battery companies and other automotive technology companies.

“The technology in this electric-powered Hummer is a leap ahead for U.S. Automakers. It could make the nation’s popular light trucks and SUVs greener than a Prius,” Raser CEO Brent M. Cook said in a statement.

Raser’s E-REV power train was designed for most full-sized 4WD SUVs and light trucks, which represent nearly half of the vehicles on U.S. roads today because of their versatility and wide application in fleets.

“We chose the Hummer H3 and H3T as demonstration vehicles because trucks and SUVs are the best-selling vehicles in America and can benefit the most from increased fuel economy and reduced emissions,” Cook said.

Related link:

Video of the 100+mpg H3

Anaheim, Ca., will become a leader in renewable energy when geothermal power operations begin as soon as this week.

Anaheim Public Utilities has teamed with Raser Technologies, a producer of geothermal power, to purchase 11 megawatts of geothermal power, enough electricity to supply about 10,000 homes in Anaheim, a city of about 345,000 residents.

The power will be transmitted to Anaheim from a new power plant in the south central desert of Utah. The plant, the first of its type, allows the electricity to be generated using steam from low to medium heat that is then mixed with a liquid substance. One the substance reaches a boiling point and converts to steam, it is channeled through a turbine to generate the power.

“Geothermal energy best meets the needs of the Utility,” said Marcie Edwards, general manager of Anaheim Public Utilities. “It’s cost-effective, reliable, abundant, and very importantly, produces zero emissions.”

While geothermal power isn’t new, this system is unique because it is able to produce power at a heated temperature of about 220 degrees as opposed to 450 degrees, which is the standard for most geothermal power systems, according to Raser Technologies officials. The low to medium temperature heat source -  from thousands of feet below ground – is more widely available than the higher heat source.

Unlike wind and solar power, this type of geothermal power can be produced 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“These types of green power are taking the place of fossil fuel plants that release emissions into the environment,” said Cameron Donahue, a spokesman for Hayden IR, an investment partner of Raser Technologies. “This also helps the city of Anaheim and the state of California — meet its goal of 20 percent renewable energy by 2015.”

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media