Raser To Unveil 100 MPG SUV At SAE World Congress In Detroit

Raser Technologies ^ | Wednesday 8th, April 2009 | company news

[Pete-R-Bilt]

E-REV Powertrain by Raser Technologies Allows Full Size SUVs & Light Trucks to Achieve over 100 mpg. Demonstration Vehicle now in Road Testing.

PROVO, UT, April 8, 2009 — Raser Technologies, Inc. announced today it will unveil a 100+ mpg SUV at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress in Detroit, Michigan April 20-23, 2009. The Vehicle is powered by Raser’s E-REV powertrain and was developed in conjunction with Raser’s integration partner, FEV and a global automaker. The full-size SUV is a four-wheel drive Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) designed to achieve over 100 mpg in typical local daily driving with near zero emissions by driving up to 40 miles per day in all-electric mode.

Just one year ago, at the SAE World Congress, Raser announced it was developing an E-REV powertrain for use in full size SUVs and light trucks and had teamed with a leading OEM to build a demonstration SUV. This highly anticipated vehicle, featuring Raser’s electric powertrain, is now in road testing and will be unveiled and on display at this year’s show in FEV’s booth. In addition to SUVs, the powertrain is sized for application in many popular light trucks.

The SAE World Congress is the largest annual gathering of automotive engineers and typically highlights innovative automotive developments that often are incorporated in future production vehicles. The four-day Congress in Detroit is expected to host over 30,000 industry specialists, engineers and business leaders.

“We are excited to be able to demonstrate an electric powertrain for larger vehicles such as trucks and SUVs,” said James Spellman, Vice President, of Transportation for Raser Technologies. “These are the best selling vehicles in America and can benefit the most from increased fuel economy and reduced emissions. We are also pleased to be exhibiting with our development partner FEV.”

“We are pleased to support Raser in the development of this exciting project. Our goal in exhibiting this breakthrough vehicle is to demonstrate that electric vehicle technology is a viable solution for a variety of vehicle platforms,” said Gary Rogers, president and CEO of FEV. “Needs of consumers will continue to vary, and this full-sized SUV range-extended electric vehicle shows that fuel economy does not necessarily mean sacrificing power and utility.”

About Raser Technologies

Raser is an environmental Energy Technology company focused on geothermal power development and technology licensing. Raser’s Power Systems segment is seeking to develop clean, renewable geothermal electric power plants and bottom-cycling operations, incorporating licensed heat transfer technology and Raser’s SymetronTM technology developed internally by its Transportation and Industrial segment. Raser’s Transportation & Industrial segment focuses on extended-range plug-in-hybrid vehicle solutions and using Raser’s award-winning SymetronTM technology to improve the torque density and efficiency of the electric motors and drive systems used in electric and hybrid-electric vehicle powertrains and industrial applications. Further information on Raser may be found at: www.rasertech.com.


About FEV, Inc.

The FEV Group is an internationally recognized powertrain and vehicle engineering company that supplies the global transportation industry. FEV offers a complete range of engineering services, providing support across the globe to customers in the design, analysis, prototyping, powertrain and transmission development, as well as vehicle integration, calibration and homologation for advanced internal combustion gasoline-, diesel-, and alternative-fueled powertrains. FEV also designs, develops and prototypes advanced vehicle / powertrain electronic control systems and hybrid-electric engine concepts that address future emission and fuel economy standards. The FEV Test Systems division is a global supplier of advanced test cell, instrumentation and test equipment. The FEV Group employs a staff of over 1,800 highly skilled specialists at advanced technical centers on three continents. FEV, Inc. employs approximately 300 personnel at FEV’s North American Technical Center in Auburn Hills, MI.


Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: our beliefs about the performance and market applicability of our products; our beliefs about the status and enforceability of the Company’s intellectual property; our beliefs about the strength of our existing and potential business relations in the motor industry; our beliefs about the strength and enforceability of our agreements, our beliefs about the performance capabilities of our technology; our beliefs about the capabilities, expertise and intentions of our partners; our ability to hire, train and retain key personnel; our ability to successfully complete field testing of SymetronTM technologies. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ, including, without limitation, the competitive environment and our ability to compete in the industry; the strength of our intellectual property; our inability to attract, train and retain key personnel; and such other risks as identified in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and all subsequent filings. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

But what will we do about the $4.00 a gallon fuel a O B wants?

[Pete-R-Bilt]

electric ping

[pleasenoobama]

True, but if we are able to go 40 miles without even refilling, gas prices will barely matter for daily commuting.

[FlingWingFlyer]

You know the Cap ‘n’ Traders are licking their chops at the thought that, someday, we’re all going to be driving electric vehicles.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

The biggest difference here is that this could be a usable “work” vehicle...

not a Yugo pop can

[barb-tex]

Stupid me, I always thought Electricity was measured in KW, I must have dozed off when they said gallons. we still have to contend with all those laws of Physics passed by that bunch of dead white men.
barbra ann

[Pete-R-Bilt]

ok fopaux or semantics, that must make it bunk...

[Mariner]

Bunch of silly folks in CA think this is their "savior"...the electric car.

Dumb commies better allow more electricity production.

[ChicagahAl]

IMHO, Electric Autos today, are where computers were in the early 80’s. So in another twenty-five years or so, they will be amazing. In maybe ten or fifteen years, they will be usable.

For now, they are a novelty, and probably a pain to operate and maintain.

[Myrddin]

It says nothing about being a hybrid or how gasoline has anything to do with creating the electricity that moves it 40 miles in "all electric mode". As an owner of a 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, I have a few experiences that may be relevant. The vehicle switches from "all electric" to running the internal combustion engine (ICE) around 20 MPH. If you happen to be running the heater or air conditioning in other than "ECO" mode, the ICE stays on all the time. That means winter or summer, you're not getting much time in electric mode. Spring and Fall are "fair weather" periods that permit operation without heating or cooling. Even so, the "all electric" mode only applies until you reach 20 MPH. My city streets are 25 - 40 MPH. Only the "school" zones and select residential zones are marked for 20 MPH.

Some early Prius owners tried to optimize their time in "all electric" on dedicated HOV lanes in Southern California. These are single lane, no passing sections of road. The drivers purposely slowed down to force the vehicle into electric mode. That earned them the ire of the traffic jam they left in their wake.

A vehicle with a 40 mile range is useless when the nearest city is 20 miles or more down the freeway. You can't make a round trip without an extended recharge unless it is a true hybrid. Battery only is a loser.

[dalebert]

Im interested in anything that gets better mpg.

[Vince Ferrer]

I have seen a video of them on the web, and the SUV they were using was a Hummer. This company is positioning their product to cause environmentalists’s heads to explode. On the one hand, its a working plug in hybrid, but on the other, its a Hummer.

[Vince Ferrer]

Raser

[ApplegateRanch]

Is it "full sized" in order to accomodate the batteries andother junk?

Is it "the powertrain is sized for application in many popular light trucks" that don't need to actually haul anything heavier or bulkier than two sacks of groceries and a fresh coat of wax?

You love it now, but will you still love it after Obambi's cap & trade quadruples electric rates "to put coal plants out of business"?

[Myrddin]

I read through some more of their literature. They propose to use a 2.0 liter engine connected to a generator that only recharges the batteries to extend the range. It's a plug-in electric vehicle with a 700 volt lithium-ion battery. The emergency services folks are going to love the high voltage battery in an accident. It's not a hybrid in the sense that the ICE can not be mechanically coupled to the transmission. It is pure electric traction motor drive. Not great when you're powering up a mountain pass and need the ICE and the battery pushing lots of power into the drive to get you up the mountain. Been there....often. Especially on the pass between Jackson Hole, WY and Driggs, ID. See Raser flyer (PDF).

[eclecticEel]

If they’re making a 100+ mpg SUV, why don’t we already have 150+ MPG cars? There seems to be a touch of wishful thinking going on here.

[Vince Ferrer]

This is the same configuration as the Chevy Volt. Relax, its a Hummer. Those are southern California vehicles, nobody would drive them in Wyoming or Idaho.

[babygene]

The problem with an electric (anything) is that if your burning anything to make the power your limited to about 40% efficiency in the initial conversion, and then you loose at least 60% of that 40 in the distribution grid.

For nuclear, hydro and wind, you just loose the 60% in grid losses, making it about as efficient as a gas engine.

[Myrddin]

I watched the YouTube video. I agree with the comments. That test needs to be on a dyno. Spinning the wheels on a rack and claiming the vehicle can achieve 90 MPH is wishful thinking. Put in on a real highway with rolling resistance, wind resistance (steady, parasitic and gusty) and make it do some serious hill climbs...all with a normal load of passengers/cargo. Running the ICE (100 KW generator...134 horsepower based on 746 watts/hp) is going to be feeding the battery AND traction motors if you're in motion. Under full load (passenger and pushing 75 MPH...up a hill), will the charging system remain in a safe zone i.e. not overheat the ICE, generator or interconnections? Raser admits they don't have the control systems done yet. It's really early to be making claims about actual efficiency.

[Myrddin]

Relax, its a Hummer. Those are southern California vehicles, nobody would drive them in Wyoming or Idaho.

Hummers are real common in my neighborhood in Idaho. There are two cadmium yellow Hummers parked within 500 ft of my front door. The local reservation is full of Hummers as well. Those big settlement checks went right straight to the car dealers. The example in the video was an H3. H1 or H2 is most common here.