Necessity is the mother of invention. Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door. Re-invent the wheel. These are all phrases associated with the development of new technologies. However, the bottom line is, will the new technology pay for itself.
AFS Trinity, which develops energy storage units, has come up with a hybrid vehicle that also features ultra-capacitors, devices that store power until it is needed then surges it or flashes it into action.
Called XH for Extreme Hybrid, the company converted a 2007 Saturn VUE Green Line SUV to include lithium-ion batteries and ultra-capacitors. In tests, the car ran from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds! Yet even on batteries, the XH-modified crossover did well, going from 0-60 in 11.6 seconds versus the regular 12.6.
AFS Trinity plans to license the technology to carmakers. The company also intends to raise funds so that it can convert existing hybrids or manufacture its own high-mileage crossovers and cars. CEO of the company, Edward Furia, expects to have models available for purchase in three years.
Our take? We sometimes wonder if there's a conspiracy that major automakers like GM or Toyota don't snap up companies like AFS the same way it's routinely done in the software industry. Is it licensing? Quality control? Or simple cash? We won't be surprise if AFS and similar companies continue to make headlines as gas prices stabilize at $3 in the future, or climbe even higher.