Raser Technologies, based in Provo, UT, is a company I’ve been keeping my eye on for a couple years. They caught my attention because they have been working on some uber-cool technologies that have huge potential. They have held my attention because they are so close to where I grew up. A couple of my family members even bought a few shares of Rasor stock (RZ).
Until last week the company was not very well known. That all changed this week when they debuted a 100mpg Hummer H3. It is a 700 volt electric vehicle with a 4 cylinder gasoline engine that acts as a “range extender.” The gas engine has no mechanical connection to the wheels. All it does is turn a generator that charges the batteries, powers the electric motor, or even provides power for off-vehicle electric devices (should be nice for construction workers).
Check it out:
I love cutting edge technology. Stuff like this is paving the way for a whole new generation of automobiles. I do however, have to throw in a warning. Don’t expect to be able to afford one of these, at least not for a few years. This Hummer has 3 large (and expensive) lithium ion battery packs. Even if the Raser components (motor, generator, and controller) can be cost effective when mass produced, the batteries are not—at least not yet. Mobile devices (mostly cell phones) have pushed battery technology to a point never before seen, but it still has further to go. I wonder how far away we are from having vehicles like this in our driveways. 3 years? Maybe 5? Maybe more? I’m excited to see.
