Bellevue, Washington-based AFS Trinity Power Corporation has big ideas for hybrid power. The company's XH-150 Saturn Vue-based gasoline-electric sport-utility vehicle set off this week from San Francisco on a cross-country tour that, after various media meet-and-greet events along the way, will see it arrive in the District of Columbia on April 20th — Earth Day.
Despite its thoroughly unremarkable exterior, the XH-150 (for Xtreme Hybrid 150-mpg) hides some pretty innovative technology. A lithium-ion battery pack charged by a standard household outlet provides juice to a 200-horsepower electric motor.
AFS claims the XH-150 will run for up to 40 miles at 87 mph in pure-electric mode, and a set of ultracapacitors serve to protect the batteries during acceleration, ostensibly prolonging their lifespan.
Considering that some 80 percent of Americans' daily commute is less than 40 miles, there exists in the XH-150 the distinct possibility that its owner will never visit a gas station at all.
Should the charge eventually deplete, however, a gasoline-electric hybrid system comes on line with a total of 370 horsepower (enough for a 6.9-second sprint to 60 mph).
The company hopes to have the XH system commercially available in two to three years, and expects the hardware to add about $8700 to the bottom line of a new vehicle. But with fuel economy of 150 mpg or better, AFS sees the hardware paying for itself within three to five years.
More photos after the break, courtesy of AFS Trinity Power Corporation.
