The prototype has been developed by Austrian startup Kreisel Electric, and has been custom built for Schwarzenegger.
In our quest to discover revolutionary automobile technology, we often come across some rather unusual existences in the world of mobility. But, with every passing day, nothing really seems truly unusual any more. Take for instance what we have at hand today – an all-electric Hummer H1.
Of all cars to be powered by an electric powertrain and be concerned about the environment and its rising pollution levels, the Hummer is probably the last one that you could have imagined to have fit the bill. That is exactly what has been achieved, by Austrian startup Kreisel Electric. Founded by three brothers – Markus, Philipp and Johann, Kreisel Electric worked its way out of a small garage to now fend for notable personalities by building customised, all-electric powertrains that can be used to power production cars and replace their combustion engines. Their latest project involved electrifying a Hummer H1, for none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Hummer H1 off-road prototype was built by Kreisel Electric in just about two months. The car has been equipped by high performance, 100kWh batteries custom built by Kreisel Electric and paired with two electric motors on the front and rear axles. The entire setup produces a total of 490 horses worth of power, weighs a whopping 3.3 tons, and is marked with peak speed of 120kph and maximum range of 300 kilometers. While this is certainly not going to make it to everyday production, it still exhibits a very necessary piece of technology going forward – customisable electric powertrains that can replace conventional combustion engines, reduce running costs of abysmal fuel economy from powerful engines, and majorly cut down on pollution levels.
The Kreisel brothers have previously electrified Schwarzenegger’s Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV, and has now followed up with the 2006 Hummer H1. Alongside, they have also inaugurated a new manufacturing and assembly facility that will produce 8,000 high performance battery packs each year. These batteries can be used to build car prototypes similar to Mr. Schwarzenegger’s Hummer, and also be used in other industries such as aviation and home power utilisation.
With the automobile industry leaning towards electric powertrains, Kreisel Electric’s technology can prove to be pivotal in building long range electric batteries for mainstream, less powerful and more commonplace cars, which is what all car companies are aiming to do right now.
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Souvik Das
The one that switches between BMWs and Harbour Line Second Class. View Full Profile
