The AFS Trinity Power Corp. of Seattle filed a patent application Thursday disclosing the company's new technology for its Extreme Hybrid car.
The company says the automobile will run more than 250 miles on a single gallon of gasoline or ethanol. In addition, it will plug into a house's electrical current overnight to run without gasoline or ethanol for 40 miles -- the average daily U.S. commute.
For longer trips, the vehicle will operate as a conventional hybrid that efficiently burns gasoline or ethanol.
"The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates the average American drives 300 miles per week," AFS Trinity CEO Edward Furia said.
Most days Americans drive 40 miles or fewer. At $3 a gallon, this costs about $48 a week for a conventional 20 mpg car and $36 if the car can get 25 mpg.
"The most efficient conventional hybrids get about 50 mpg, which means $19 a week," Furia added. "By comparison, the Extreme Hybrid will use less than $8 per week total for fuel and electricity."
AFS Trinity says with sufficient funding the car could be licensed for mass production by car makers within three years.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
