United States Congressmen and Senators Take Earth Day Drives in AFS Trinity's 150 MPG SUVs

AFS Trinity says its Extreme Hybrid PHEV technology means that most Americans 'would use no gasoline at all on most days'

WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Members of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate are scheduled today and tomorrow to be the first elected officials to drive the 150 MPG Extreme Hybrid SUV developed by AFS Trinity Power Corporation.

are part of Earth Day observances in Washington, D.C. The SUVs were developed by AFS Trinity in cooperation with the leading global automotive engineering firm, Ricardo.

"Driving the XH-150 demonstrates that we have the technology to significantly reduce Americans weekly driving costs, dramatically reduce U.S. dependence on oil, and cut greenhouse gas and other vehicular emissions," said AFS Trinity CEO Edward W. Furia. "The XH150 is not a concept car. These are fully operational prototypes that demonstrate a technology that can be licensed to many companies for use in many kinds of cars, SUVs and trucks."

Furia said, "The 150 mile per gallon calculation is based on a 340 mile week of combined urban/highway driving, most of which will be in all-electric mode as the XH150 can go 40 miles per day on a single overnight charge and most Americans drive less than 40 miles a day, meaning that, on most days, most Americans will use no gasoline at all."

EESI public notice for XH-150's role in national Earth Day is attached. Congressional ride and drive demonstrations are taking place today on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. with members and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives and will continue with U.S. Senators and their staffs tomorrow. Public drives that were scheduled for Sunday had to be cancelled due to electrical storms and tornado warnings.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to view and ride in a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) on the Capitol Mall during the Earth Day festivities. Flexible-fuel PHEVs offer a promising opportunity to reduce dependence on imported oil, decrease greenhouse gas and other transportation emissions, revitalize local economies, and lower fuel costs. The single largest contributor to America's foreign oil dependence is the transportation sector, which accounts for two-thirds of US oil consumption. Moreover, the transportation sector is 97 percent dependent on petroleum.

The vehicle, an XH-150, was developed by the Bellevue, Washington-based AFS Trinity Corp. and is a modified 2007 Saturn Vue Greenline SUV that gets up to 150 miles-per-gallon. Its energy storage system combines lithium-ion batteries with ultracapacitors. Adding ultracapacitors allows the vehicle to achieve top speeds and rapid acceleration in electric-only mode equal to a conventional hybrid. For a typical daily commute of 40 miles round trip, the vehicle does not use its internal combustion engine at all. The XH-150 was unveiled in January at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. Look for the AFS Trinity Truck on the Mall.

A September 2007 Harris National Study found that more than one quarter of vehicle owners would consider purchasing a PHEV for their next vehicle purchase. On January 31, GM's vice president for global program management, Jonathan Lauckner, said GM plans to build "tens of thousands" Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid electric cars by 2011. A shift to manufacturing flexible-fuel PHEVs could be central to revitalization of the American auto industry by positioning domestic automakers as leaders in this emerging technology. Plug-in hybrids can be recharged in standard electric sockets, then driven 20 to 60 miles without the use of gasoline. This means the commute of millions of Americans could be completed with the use of little, if any, gasoline. Such savings are critical in these tight economic times.

Federal and state support of this technology can accelerate commercial deployment. More than 45 bills have been introduced in the 110th Congress that include provisions for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. A national campaign to raise awareness of PHEVs has received tremendous response from state and local governments, businesses, utilities, as well as national security, environmental and public interest groups. More than 630 entities have joined the National Plug-In Partners Campaign (spearheaded by Austin Energy), including a number of the nation's largest cities including Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. In addition, the campaign has now surpassed 8,000 fleet orders, helping to prove to automakers that if they build plug-in vehicles, Americans will buy them.

For more information, please contact Fred Beck at 202-662-1892 or or Laurie Herrick Westdahl of AFS Trinity Power Corp., 425-454-1818.

About Environmental and Energy Study Institute

EESI is a national nonprofit that works to advance a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path. EESI was established in 1984 by a bipartisan group of Congressional environmental and energy leaders to meet the critical need for rigorous, informed debate, independent analysis and innovative policy development related to energy and environmental issues.