How come Raser Tech and FEV can build a 100mpg Hummer and GM can't?

Have you seen this new 100mpg Hummer H3? Holy crap. It accelerates 0-60 faster than its gas counterpart and gets 4-5x the mileage. Rasertech and FEV,  an established auto design and manufacturing company has built a hybrid vehicle platform that can be used in most larger SUV type vehicles up to and including their test vehicle, the Hummer H3 from GM.

Their somewhat dodgy claim is that the vehicle “achieves 100mpg in daily driving.” The reason for that is that they know that most drivers drive less than 65 miles per day and that in that case, this vehicle drives the first 40 of those from the batteries and then kicks in the gas engine beyond that. But marketing jedi mind tricks aside, it’s still pretty damned cool. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger loves it and he’s one of the greenest politicians the U.S. has these days.

What vehicle would YOU want if you knew that it could get 100-120 mpg? Hmmmm, Hummers are still too ugly. But how about a Nissan XTerra Hybrid? Or aToyota Forerunner hybrid?

It is these sorts of discontinuous leaps that will be critical to addressing the automotive industry’s 100+ year old thinking. Congrats to the Raser and FEV teams.