Arnold Schwarzenegger's love affair with Hummers is well documented, with the action star-turned politician acquiring several of the gas-guzzling military vehicles for his personal collection, even converting them to run on hydrogen and biofuel. Battery specialist Kreisel Electric has now unveiled a conversion truly befitting the so-called green governor, with the man himself on hand to present the an all-electric Hummer H1 at the company's new headquarters in Austria.
This isn't the first time Schwarzenegger and Kreisel Electric have joined forces. In fact, the former bodybuilder has become something of an ambassador for the electric motor company, acting as a spokesman at the unveiling of an electrified Mercedes-Benz G-Class in January of this year, and working alongside Kreisel's engineers in California on its ongoing testing and development.
This time around, Kreisel Electric has tackled an even hulkier vehicle in the Hummer H1. It says the standard version of this iconic off-roader drinks up to 24 liters of fuel per 100 km (9.8 mpg) and emits up to 470 g of C02 per km.
Kreisel Electric says the conversion took around two months, in which time they fitted the H1 with batteries with 100 kWh of capacity, along with a pair of electric motors for an output of 360 kW (483 hp). The finished product weighs 3,300 kg (7,275 lb), has a top speed of 120 km/h (74 mph) and a range of around 300 km (186 mi).
"Kreisel Electric electrified my G-class last winter," said Schwarzenegger. "And now a Hummer. If Kreisel keeps it up at this pace, I will soon be able to fly here from LA in an electric airplane."
While Kreisel indeed has grand plans, it has no ambition of selling its electrified Hummer, noting that it is simply a one-off prototype intended to demonstrate the capabilities of its technology. The unveiling marked the opening of its brand new research and development center in Rainbach, Austria, where it will use a prototype workshop and automated battery manufacturing equipment to ramp up operations.
"With our electrified prototypes, we want to show what is possible using Kreisel technology" says Kreisel Electric co-founder Markus Kreisel. "We will certainly not mass-produce these models. But our Hummer is a powerhouse in wolf's clothing, one that drives so quietly even the sheep are not disturbed."
Source: Kreisel Electric
