Maybe this will help drive the economy forward. (I couldn't resist, sorry). Still, that's pretty awesome, but sounds expensive.

Seriously? 7 miles is "typical" becayse 12-14 was "typical" when the volt was being touted...

also what world are you folks living on where Lith. ions are heavier and bulkier... They are lighter and smaller... and WAY more expensive... There is a reason you find them in laptops, and the tesla roadster... EXPENSIVE, but lots of power for little space and money...

Next time due some research before spouting out non-sense...

Hybrid... BUT, what size tank does this have?

If I have to pay more than $25-$30 for 92 octane gas (at present prices), (what my non-hybrid '03 civic gets at 11 gallons to 400+ miles) then it's not worth it! I realize gas prices will go up and down, but really, who wants to pay for a 50 gallon tank to go 400 miles?

@jerkwad -- Good point, but perhaps we should have been clearer: the comparison (as far as weight and space) was to a regular gas-powered Hummer H3. And even when you fill the tank, it won't be as heavy or bulky as 600 lbs of Li-ion batteries.

I think this is a good start. Leaving an internal combustion engine purely as a power plant for the electric drive system is a great idea. It's the only way to use electric vehicles for long distance traveling where you don't want to wait 6 hours in between the 300 or so mile range unless you've got some good retirement time to work on.

I was actually wondering if anyone was doing a purely electric/generator power system. I had thought that if Diesel-electric trains can pull thousands of tons off of just electric motors, smaller models could be made for commercial vehicles!

As to the ~100 mpg claim, even if we slash it down half way to a modest 50 mpg, getting such gas mileage in an SUV-sized vehicle would be wonderful! Why suffer through good gas mileage in a dinky (and rather unsafe against more massive objects I might add) compact car?

However, I'm a bit confused about the claimed mileage range. 400 miles to a tank at 100 mpg means the vehicle has a 4 gallon gas tank? Even given 50 mpg, a 20 gallon tank would give it a range of 1,000 miles!

I'm sure the whole thing is expensive, as are all early concepts and models. If it is as grand as the company is claiming, we'll be seeing a lot of this technology in the near future! Bring it on!

Let's not forget that this is a heavilly (and no doubt expensively) modified hummer vs. a baseline Prius. That's not a fair comparison. Especially when a Prius can be modded to be all electric. I'm willing to bet it's still cheaper, too. Hummer can eat me.

Wow! That's amazing!

So let's see.. 400 mile range, and "gets 100mpg+" - so it has a four gallon tank?

If you believe this twaddle, you will believe anything.

This is a great idea. I like the bigger vehicles and have you ever tried pulling a horse trailer with a Prius. They have their place but with working trucks this would be great if they could get the price affordable.

I can't believe all the ignorant babble here. The technology will go in any small truck or SUV and 50% or more of US car sales have been in the small truck SUV catagory.

I read that it is estimated to add a 12-15,000 premium to the existing price point of 40,000. Deduct the current tax incentive for this type vehicle and it becomes very competitive.

If the technology is applied to a smaller vehicle the premium might be reduced and the mileage significantly improved.

Trevor seems to have the H3 and H2 reversed. The H3 is the smaller of the two.

What does it matter how big a tank it has if you are filling it up as seldom as a 100+mpg vehicle would need?

peyton makes a good point. There are people that need to haul stuff, and a Prius just can't do that.
Think what that system could do in a car like the Chrysler 300, or a VW Jetta.

Too bad the Hummer is one of the dozens of nameplates and models murdered by Obama.

jerkwad:
"Next time due some research before spouting out non-sense..."

Next time "due some" spell check before posting.

Seriously!!! Where do you think the batteries go? where the gas tank was!! The gas tank is around 5 gallons after you cut it down to fit the batteries in. Less than twenty bucks to go 400 miles! compact cars are not going to drive this technology. It is the trucks and suvs that will get Americans excited about hybrids!

THIS is where the tech should be applied! Prius was an early adopter proof of concept thing--the same car would have already got 30+ mpg without being a hybrid. Incremental improvement.

Taking a 15 mpg vehicle to 100mpg is a big return on the investment, both individually and systemically.

People LIKE SUVs because they are practical. Prius and Smart(stooopid)Cars are niche market vehicles precisely because they are not practical over a range of uses.

The industry did not (and should not have) been trying to force tiny hybrids on the market, because the market does not want tiny cars. The industry SHOULD have been working on hybridized versions of the popular, in-demand vehicles. It seems that they are beginning to get the idea, with the Escape Hybrid, and now this. This kind of thing will sell, will work, and people can go green and still drive their (and other's) kids to school, soccer, fit a week's worth of groceries in the car, and luggage when they head to the airport.

The Prius, Smartcar, etc. are pretentious "statement" vehicles: successfully hybridizing normal vehicles is the truly Green Path.

By looking at Raser Technologies' website (http://www.rasertech.com/media/videos/the-electric-h3), you can calculate the tank it has must be about 11 gallons, because at larger distances the mileage drops to 33 mpg. (400 miles, with the first 40 on electricity leaves 360 miles on petrol, or 11 gallons).

I think the whole 100+ mpg figure is overrated, since that is only achievable by covering max 60 miles (I'm still only quoting their website).

More importantly, however, is that they kind of suggest that the electricity it uses for the first 40 miles doesn't count, as if it were free. Wrong, because the electricity for it probably will be generated by burning some kind of oil derivate. So all this car is really doing is instead of burning it's own fuel is having a power plant do that. I don't know what electricity prices are in the US, but when looking at the entire process I'd say it won't be much cheaper this way.

It would be fairer to say that this is a car that can run on electricity (wherever you may get it), or that can run on petrol for 33 mpg (as claimed by the producers, you'll have to wait what it's mileage is when driving in a normal way).
Not too bad for a Hummer, I admit, but an entirely different figure then 100+ mpg.

I am buying this new H3 Hybrid. I already bought a Tesla and it's too small. This will be a nice balance. GM is making a brave move in the right direction. Putting America blue collar back to work and replacing Unions with law making , removing the burden of employee benefits from corporate costs in the form of Health Insurance would insure competitiveness globally... its time we stand behind our local products with encouragement and support instead of bashing and doubt would be a great patriotic act... keep buying those Toyota Prius and we will see you at the unemployment line too !

Fantastic. I think this car is a real solution for our time. Come to Portugal, we are like California the west side of european market.

Fantastic. I think this car is a real solution for our time. Come to Portugal, we are like California the west side of european market.

OMG, ive always wanted a Hummer but they kill the enviro. (i enviro. freek...) but now i can get 1 wen my 'rents let me (im only 12)