Russian Self Made Hummer

From: http://englishrussia.com/

Recently we had a Russian guy from Kazakhstan who has built a Rolls Royce Phantom at home out of old Mercedes car. Seems that this trend is getting stronger. Now meet a Hummer car clone.

It can’t be called full replica as it is more likely a Russian approach for the Big Agressive Car that can be used to climb mountains, to sow and plough thru the fields, to clean snow and mud and even to… drive underwater.

“I have only one oxygen mask that can be used while you are driving by the bottom of the lake/river. Once we were crossing some lake and the car got stuck in the bottom mud. My passenger didn’t have a mask so he had to swim out to the surface to get some air and get back down to me to help releasing it.”, says the owner.

And yes, it can drive through the fire too! And now the pictures:

Rendered Speculation: Hummer HB compact off-roader

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed)

From: http://www.autoblog.com/

Hummer HB Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

With Hummer's future seemingly in the hands of China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Ltd, questions naturally turn to the automaker's barren product cupboard. How will Tengzhong replace Hummer's current crop of SUVs? With the news that the Chinese automaker would like to focus on more environmentally friendly models, a Romanian designer by the name of Andrus Ciprian envisions something along the lines of the compact HB concept you see above.

A Hummer wouldn't be a Hummer without significant off-road capability, and Ciprian suggests that the HB would retain a body-on-frame design in lieu of a lighter unibody, though hewn from aluminum and carbon fiber instead of steel. Under the comely concept's hood sits a biofuel-capable V6 engine. But those aren't the most interesting bits of the concept, the stance and general proportions of which would look perfect on the front of a Traxxas RTR box.

Ciprian included two separate windshield designs, one of which sees the screen sectioned into thirds with a slew of cameras relaying additional information to the pilot. We'd go with the more production-likely single-piece glass. In any case, see the stunning high-res renderings in our gallery below and let us know what you think.

Gallery: Hummer HB Concept

[Source: Diseno Art via Carscoop]

GM's Hummer brand may be sold to Chinese company

GM has reached a tentative agreement with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Terms of the deal, which could save 3,000 jobs, are not disclosed.

By Jerry Hirsch and Ken Bensinger
June 3, 2009

Jerry Hirsch Reporting From Los Angeles Reporting From New York -- A Chinese heavy-equipment maker's move to acquire General Motors Corp.'s Hummer brand has its executives and dealers excited about the possibility of overseas sales growth and more fuel-efficient models.

A day after filing for bankruptcy protection, GM said Tuesday that it had reached a preliminary agreement to sell the sport utility vehicle brand to Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Terms weren't disclosed.

Tengzhong said it was looking to increase Hummer's presence in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in China, now largely an untapped market for Hummer.

The brand "is synonymous with adventure, freedom and exhilaration, and we plan to continue that heritage by investing in the business," Yang Yi, chief executive of Tengzhong, said in a statement.

He said Tengzhong planned to invest in research and development to create new Hummer-branded products, including more fuel-efficient vehicles for the U.S. market.

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Hummer executives concur that the unit, known for outsized, gas-guzzling SUVs inspired by the U.S. military's Humvee transport, has tremendous growth potential in several countries if the brand could spend more on product development and marketing.

"We have distribution in Hummer-friendly and gas-friendly markets like the Middle East and Russia, but to be blunt the amount of marketing attention the brand got as part of a much larger company was quite small," said James Taylor, Hummer's CEO. "With some marketing money we can see some quick upside."

Taylor sees "great" growth potential in China for Hummer, which in effect would become a local brand if acquired by privately owned Tengzhong.

But with oil prices once again surging and stricter fuel efficiency and environmental standards planned in the United States, Taylor said, Tengzhong would have to be prepared to spend on developing new Hummer vehicles.

"We need to ramp up a product development program right way. We need smaller and more fuel-efficient powertrains and have to get mileage into at least the 20s per gallon from the teens," Taylor said.

How much money the Chinese are willing to spend on product development and where Hummer vehicles would be manufactured will be among the topics discussed when Hummer officials meet with Tengzhong executives this week, he said.

Tengzhong, based in the province of Sichuan, said it planned to retain Hummer's senior management and keep in place the auto company's existing dealer agreements. It also signaled that it wanted to reach a long-term accord for GM to continue to supply and assemble Hummers. GM said such a contract would secure more than 3,000 U.S. jobs, but cautioned that the deal -- which the companies said they expected to complete in the third quarter -- remained subject to final negotiations.

Hummer dealers also were upbeat about Tengzhong's bid.

Chris Leggio, vice president of Mark Christopher Hummer in Ontario, called news of the deal a relief.

"This is someone who will be committed to the brand and who wants to bring out more models -- vehicles that will be fuel-efficient and inviting to the public," Leggio said. "This is a very iconic brand, known worldwide, but we need new models and fresh ideas."

There's no reason Hummer can't thrive, said Bob Martin, a senior consultant at CarLab, a consulting firm in Orange.

"The overseas demand hadn't been tapped to its fullest, and that's a key to the total global volume potential to make the numbers work," he said.

Closer to home, Martin said, the company needs to stop positioning its vehicles as something a "cool soccer mom" would want to be seen in dropping off the kids off at school.

Instead, he said, the Hummer should be aimed at those who "need or want the most capable off-road vehicles in the world. There are more of those people than you might suspect. These core owners remain utterly in love with the brand and the product, but haven't had a reason to repurchase since GM didn't do anything to keep the product fresh."

The Hummer brand, once a cash cow for GM, came to represent a symbol of the company's misdirected priorities and lack of balance as gasoline prices spiked at more than $4 a gallon nationwide a year ago and activists vandalized Hummer dealerships.

GM has been trying to sell the Hummer brand for a year. It disclosed this spring that it was in negotiations with three prospective buyers.

"I'm confident that Hummer will thrive globally under its new ownership," said Troy Clarke, GM's head of North American operations.

jerry.hirsch@latimes.com

ken.bensinger@latimes.com

The Ten Coolest American Military Land Vehicles

By Matt Hardigree

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Is there a better way to honor those who served than honoring the vehicles they served in? Probably. But there's no more Jalopnik way of doing it than with a list of fierce olive American metal.

Deuce-And-A-Half
Capable of towing over 7,000 pounds while simultaneously transporting a dozen NATO troops, the M35 "deuce-and-a-half" is one mean machine. There are numerous varieties of this vehicle, but they typically include a small cab, large covered bed and some form of turbocharged multi-fuel engine. And by multi-fuel we mean you can put just about anything in the tank and it'll run, including but not limited to: diesel, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel and vodka.
Photo Credit: B&B

Sherman Tank
The most successful American tank of WWII, the M4 Sherman was a powerful, quick, and reliable military machine capable of going toe-to-toe with most German armaments. Fitted with a variety of guns and engines, the M4 wasn't always the best tank, but the ability to produce and field them cheaply and quickly was good enough to overwhelm the enemy. USA! USA! USA!
Photo Credit: FourFold

DPV Fast Attack Vehicle
Like it sounds, the DPV Fast Attack Vehicle is capable of speeds over 80 MPH on desert terrain, launching a grenade, and traveling over 1,000 miles. Powered by a 200 HP VW engine, the vehicles have found use primarily by special forces and were a major part of the Desert Storm operations.

Bradley Fighting Vehicle
The M2 Bradley is a fast armored fighting vehicle quick enough to keep up with the M1 Abrams tank and, equipped with a 25 mm chain gun and a pair of TOW missiles, surprisingly deadly given its smaller armaments. The platform is so capable and easy-to-produce it's been modified into an amphibious vehicle, fire support vehicle, and air defense vehicle.
Photo Credit: LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images

HUMVEE
Despite being developed in the late 1970s, the Humvee is the go-to vehicle for nearly every job the military has. Humvee is short for HMMWV which stands for high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle. With four-wheel drive, disc brakes, and an independent suspension the Hummer is worlds better than the Jeep. More than any other vehicle, it's the mechanical representation of the modern U.S. military. Photo Credit: OCINE ZAOURAR/AFP/Getty Images

Willys MB Jeep
With WWII around the corner, and the U.S. lacking anything better than a Model T or a bunch of horses, a vehicle was needed for European warfare. There were three versions of the original Jeep produced by different companies, but the Willys MB variant would prove to be the most enduring. The distinctive slotted-steel grille with embedded headlights is a design still used on Jeeps today.

M1 Abrams
Powered by a 1,500 HP gas-turbine engine and pure superiority, the M1 Abrams is more than 60 tons of badass rolling up to 45 MPH through wherever it wants. Equipped with composite armor and a 120 mm gun that can fire multiple times while in motion, the Abrams is a fearsome weapon in any theater.
Photo Credit: LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images

DUKW
Though relegated primarily to tourist boat duty, the DUKW or "duck," amphibious six-wheel truck was part GMC truck and part yacht, capable of speeds up to 55 MPH on land and 7 MPH in the water. The story of its commissioning involves being considered too risky for military service before saving a group of stranded Coast Guardsman. Both because of its practicality and its strange look, we love the "truck that can swim."

Dodge M37 Power Wagon
The Dodge Power Wagon, a four-wheel drive 3/4-ton truck, is the basis for the modern four-wheel drive pickup. But before it found its way into the hearts of civilian truck owners, the Power Wagon was the marine truck of choice for most jobs during the Korean War. Whether carrying troops, wounded, or weapons, the M37 was a rock solid truck for Americans fighting on less-than-solid turf.

M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched BridgeThe M60A1 armored vehicle launched bridge (ALVB) is exactly what it sounds like: a mobile, armored bridge. There's not always time to wait around for engineers to erect a crossing, so the AVLB carries on its back a 60-foot bridge strong enough and wide enough to support just about every land vehicle in the arsenal — including itself.

Raser Technologies Shows Off 100-MPG Hummer on Capitol Hill

Posted by Victor T. Barrera

A Hummer that gets 100 miles to the gallon is virtually unheard of, but Raser Technologies along with Sen. Hatch from Utah displayed a GM H3 that will hopefully push the development of plug-in hybrid technology towards the realm of consumer affordability.

Sen. Hatch showing off the candy apple red H3 to the media.

Given Barack Obama’s recent fuel efficiency standards, vehicle manufacturing companies are putting forth more of an outspoken effort to develop technologies that are cleaner, more efficient, but more importantly, affordable to the common consumer. Alongside the car companies themselves are a multitude of different, more independent groups finding ways to turn current market vehicles into some of the most fuel efficient machines on the road.

Normally when you think of fuel efficient vehicles, GM’s Hummer doesn’t exactly come to mind. But yesterday, Raser Technologies showcased its 100 mile per gallon Hummer with the help of Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Capitol Hill was filled with cameras and journalists as Sen. Hatch test drove the candy apple red H3 plug-in hybrid; the vehicle boasted a little over a 400 mile range without either a charge or a fill-up. Hatch invited his fellow politicians to try out the technology for themselves; he noted how indispensable the development of plug-in hybrids are to weaning the Unites States off of oil while keeping the development of such important technology at home.

Hatch’s personal plea amongst his fellow politicians culminated into a direct appeal to Barack Obama that such technology needs to be fostered, both in the context of short and long term goals in our energy policy. Hatch, who’s been an outspoken advocate of hybrid technology, has high hopes that it’ll become more affordable so that the average hybrid vehicle sold won’t cost much more than its non-hybrid counterpart.

Currently, the GM restructuring plan involves seeing the Hummer brand sold off in China. Hatch urged Obama to prevent the selling of the well known gas-guzzling behemoths, especially since he believes “the US is on the cusp of integrating environmentally friendly and affordable hybrid technologies” into these normally environmentally disastrous vehicles.

Kraig Higginson, chairman of Raser, said that although the current trend is to turn smaller, more compact vehicles into hybrids, there is still little done to address the fact that it’s the utility of SUVs and trucks that some citizens could never live without. Offering a cleaner, more fuel efficient hybrid alternative to the vehicles some Americans need the most may be a key turnaround point within the whole scheme of the plug-in hybrid revolution.

People such as farmers, parents, and business owners aren’t driving gas guzzlers just cause, they’re holding onto them because hybrid technology has yet to make its debut in an affordable manner on the vehicles they need. Hopefully, companies like Raser and politicians like Sen. Hatch can open up some eyes in Washington, D.C. and make vehicles like this a market reality.

Hummer H3 Plugin Hybrid Gets 100 MPG, Kicks Prius Butt

Written by Jerry James Stone

11
votesBuzz up!

While we wait to see if General Motors will go banko come June 1, Raser Technologies is hoping to change our minds about one of GM’s most iconic offerings: the Humvee.

During the upcoming 2009 SAE World Congress (Detroit, April 20 - 24) the company plans to unveil a Hummer H3 Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (ReEV) prototype. The vehicle is designed, first and foremost, as a purely electric vehicle with a drive train similar to the Voltec system in the Chevrolet Volt.

“We are resurrecting the Hummer,” David West, vice president of marketing for Raser Technologies said, adding that “It’s like a Volt on steroids.”

• » See also: Holy Honda Mod, Batman! Hawk 3-Wheeler looks like Batmobile Meets Rocket
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So far, this zombie Hummer pretty sweet. The modded Hummer gets 268 hp, has a 40 mile all-electric range, and a fuel-efficiency of over 100 mpg.

“We’ve taken the worst environmental offender on the road and made it greener than a Prius,” West told Wired.com.

Seriously, can it really out-green the Toyota Prius?

“Yes,” explains West. “We took the challenge and here it is. The average driver starts off with a full charged battery with a 40 mile battery range. 75-percent of consumers live within that range and drive less than 40 a miles a day. So most people will never hear the gas engine come on.”

GM probably hopes so. GM was topdog for over 70 years until 2007 when they were surpassed by Toyota as the world’s No. 1 automaker.

“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.” He went on to say, “Unlike the Prius, which is a mild hybrid vehicle, an eco-friendly SUV will get people’s attention.”

The vehicle is propelled by a 200 kW Symetron Enhanced AC induction motor hooked directly to the transmission, which is still connected to the all-wheel-drive system. According to Raser, it’s one of the most powerful passenger vehicle electric motors offered today and the whole system has near zero emissions. Also, the traction motor will support regenerative braking.

“If we put this powertrain in smaller vehicles down the road,” West said, “you could expect about 400 miles per gallon for the average (city) consumer.”

The V-8 combustion engine has been replaced by a small stand-alone 4 cylinder 2.0L engine which is only connected to the 100 kW Symetron PM Synchronous generator, and not the drive system. The engine is used only generate electricity and recharge the batteries when the vehicle drives beyond its 40 mile battery range and the lithium ion batteries are spent.

Three liquid cooled lithium ion battery packs are mounted between the frame rails and can be charged with a standard 110-volt household outlet. For a quicker charging 220-volt outlets are also supported. A full charge will take between 3 and 10 hours.

This plugin hybrid drive-system was designed by Raser Technologies, but developed by FEV, Inc. But is a 100 mpg Hummer enough to change the minds of the 30,000 industry specialists, engineers and business leaders who will be attending SAE?

No gas is used up to 40 miles. At 50 miles a day, the vehicle would still get 185 miles to the gallon. For 60 it’s 100 miles per gallon and over 200 miles the miles per gallon goes down to 33.

“Our goal in exhibiting this particular vehicle is to demonstrate that electric vehicle technology is a viable solution for a variety of vehicle platforms,” said Gary Rogers, FEV, Inc. president and CEO. “Needs of consumers will continue to vary, and the Hummer range-extended electric vehicle shows that fuel economy does not necessarily mean sacrificing power and utility.”

As of yet, there has been no talk of funding but I suspect that will come up during SAE. Raser hopes to have 2,000 of these things on the road by the end of 2010. Wired.com reports that Pacific Gas & Electric has already requested two of them.

Hey, only 1,998 more to go!