The TV reporting is hype.
Consider the company's PDF: http://www.rasertech.com/download/14/
Excerpts:
4WD Performance Criteria
Electric H3
Simulation Results
Acceleration: 0 Â 60 mph (seconds) : 8.8
Electric Range: 40 miles
Combined Range: 400 (11 gal tank)
Fuel Economy: 100 mpg at a distance of 65 Miles
Things to note:
1) It's a simulated result. It's not yet a real mileage number.
2) 400 miles / 11 gallons = 36 mpg. This thing only gets "100 mpg" if it uses a fraction of its range.
3) Any car can get high mpg for short distances if driven *very* carefully. They'll only get 40 electric miles out of this thing if it's driven *very* carefully.
http://www.caranddri...oadster_road_test
More:
V-8 Engine Versus 2.0 Liter Engine
Most SUVs and trucks of this size require a large V-8 combustion engine. In RaserÂs plug-in series hybrid architecture, the combustion engine is only used occasionally to recharge the batteries. A much smaller, more efficient 1 to 2 liter combustion engine can replace the stock 5-6-liter engines. The combustion engine is connected only to the electric generator and is not connected to the drive system. The engine is used only generate electricity and recharge the batteries when the vehicle drives beyond its 40 mile battery range.
And when driving beyond battery range, a vehicle using RaserÂs electric drive system should get twice the highway gas fuel economy over the base vehicle. This is primarily achieved by operating the engine only at its peak efficiency of about 30% to recharge batteries, rather than at the average of 15% efficiency when accelerating the vehicle.
Also note that the total range numbers in the PDF are alternatively 360, 380 or 400 miles. It's not a good sign when they can't keep their story straight in 2 pages.
The Prius has a 59 kW (80 HP) electric motor. The Raser claims to use a 200 kW (272 HP) electric motor. (The $111k Tesla Roadster motor is 248 HP and takes 8-10 hours to charge at 240V, 37 hours at 120V, according to the C/D link.) Yet it will be charged by a 1-2 liter gas engine driving a generator and give 320-360 miles of range? And only cost $12k-$15k more than a Hummer H2?
Yeah, right.
It may be an interesting engineering exercise, but it looks like there are too many loose ends to have faith in this ever being a real product.
Cheers,
Scott.
