Electricnick, The EV Revolution

We hope you read our news break on why AFS Trinity wasn’t “allowed” to display the information their SUVs got 150mpg at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2008.  But they made it and we tested the Extreme Hybrids for you.

The gist, AFS Trinity was ironically parked on the other side of the Los Angeles Auto Show’s entrance, in front of the convention center.  We thought this picture taken by them was humorous.  It should be called: “You can’t hide progress”

Humor apart, their Extreme Hybrid technology is very impressive.  We have to admit we are not SUV and pickup truck fans due to their inherently poor performance and handling.  However, AFS’ XH-150, which is a converted and modified stock dealership Saturn Vue SUVs, was very responsive and handled far better than the stock version.

First Impression.  You sit in as you would in any normal SUV.  Upon closer inspection, you will see a few more gauges, mainly 2 amp meters sitting side by side on the dash.  One is for the lithium battery pack, the other for the ultracapacitor pack.  The ignition key knob has three position, off, position 1 is electric only, and 2 is full hybrid.  Turn to the first position and it is as quiet as can be.  We just can’t get enough of it.  The XH-150 is a smart parallel plug-in hybrid, PHEV.  It lets you, the driver, be in control of the vehicle by choosing how you plan to use it.  We felt we were treated maturely by letting you drive the way you want, in electric mode only, with gas or only with the gas engine.  The electric selection will let you drive for drive less than 40 miles.  This is will appeal to many people, since most mainstream manufacturers do not leave any choice to their consumers.  It gave us a sense of freedom.

Driving The XH-150.  The beauty with electric engines is that they instantaneously deliver power, torque while being quiet.  In fact, the 200hp electric engine moves the SUV as a normal gas engine would, except with no noise and no pollution.  What was also impressive about this reworked SUV was how well it behaved.  This completely changed our opinion that SUV are clunky, with vague steering and handling, accompanied by poor breaking capacity.  AFS Trinity engineers have done a lot of serious work on it and it handles closer to the way a Porsche Cayenne would.

Acceleration and Performance.  This is where the XH-150 shines.  In full electric mode, the SUV whizzes along traffic seamlessly.  Press the accelerator harder and you can feel the ultracapacitors kick in, giving that indescribable and typical boost.  The charge gauge shows the ultracaps draining and as soon as you let off, it charges right back up.  This should remove any fears of running out of electricity.  Coupling lithium-ion batteries with ultracapacitors, not only boosts the performance level but also lengthens the life expectancy of the lithium pack.  They are perfect for quick accelerations.

Drive leisurely and you can start the gas engine for an even added boost.  The SUV comes alive with a full potential 370 horse power in this configuration.  And the fuel economy?  Sit down Hummer drivers, this will hurt.  It is estimated at 60mpg full throttle, full engines.  This is truly incredible considering the handling and performance.

Technically Speaking.  The genius behind the XH-150 are the geniuses behind the team.  Think about the technology they manage to put in their XH-150.  By taking a stock Saturn Vue SUV, slap on lithium and ultracapacitors with a powerful 200 horse power electric engine, a controller and managing to synchronize the torque balance between the gas and electric engines, control when the ultracapacitors kick in, when the regenerative brakes recoup that lost energy, all of it seamlessly.  It’s a feast of technology.  The problem with the life of lithium batteries is that it is shortened by the continuous discharge and recharge cycles.  The answer is to couple them to high power density ultracapacitors that extends their life to 10 year, 150,000 mile life in an Extreme Hybrid™ SUV.

The Extreme Hybrid™ Plug-in drive train is composed of five primary subsystems: (1) advanced lithium batteries recharged at night with off-peak power from the grid; (2) Fast Energy Storage™ using ultracapacitors for acceleration and regenerative braking; (3) advanced power electronics and control software; (4) internal combustion engine; and (5) electric traction motor and generator. In miles per petroleum gallon, the XH-150™ plug-in hybrid SUV achieves 150 mpg.

Here is a idea of comparison with what is currently available on the market.

We will let you also see actual cost comparison with other technologies either on the market or about to come with this link.

The XH-150 As An Everyday SUV.  The electric only mode will let you drive 40 miles, which is what 78% of what US drivers do daily.  Not only is it plenty enough, but you don’t need to spend a penny of gas during the week, and use that saved money for longer weekend trips.  Imagine the overall economy and what it would do to tourism?

How Do We Feel About It? If it wasn’t already obvious, we like it!  It is one of those experiences that inspire a deep respect for the team behind the car.  Why haven’t mainstream car companies jumped on AFS Trinity’s technology and make it available to the public?  It’s hard to fathom how these big companies operate or where their interests lie.  One thing is for sure, if Ford’s Escape gets 34mpg, AFS Trinity’s technology is a gigantic leap forward, both in terms of pure gas consumption efficiency and freedom of choice to use the mode you need, when you want it.

Having driven it, we would buy this SUV that gets this sort of mileage and freedom of choice.  We are impressed with the ingenuity of this team which proves that American technology and quality is well and alive.  While some companies insist throw flashy parties, dubious marketing claims, while lobbying Washington, the little guys are truly leading the revolution.

Special thanks Edward Furia for letting us “run lose” with this post and review.  We will continue to keep an eye for you and continue to say it out loud: “Why haven’t big corporate car makers bought your technology yet?”  We liked it.  We are a hard crowd, we can only imagine the commercial success

Source: AFS Trinity.