The Huge Giant Hummer HX at British Motor Show 2008
July 27, 2008 – 10:41 am by Izack
The Hummer HX made its British debut at the British International Motor Show in London, jostling for attention with a couple of dozen other “green cars” of assorted shapes and sizes. The model on display at the show is a “concept”, giving the public an idea of what will eventually appear in showrooms.
It will run on biodiesel – a fuel already used in thousands of Saabs and Ford Focuses.The manufacturers insist this is far more environmentally-friendly than using conventional petrol.The Hummer HX does only 12 miles to the gallon when driven in town but as yet no fuel consumption figures have been released for the HX.
Compared to the conventional Hummers alongside, the HX seemed almost modest in size, while it is also lighter.The conventional Hummer is made of solid steel but the HX is built out of carbon fibre and aluminium.
Aluminium is also used for the engine, rather than cast iron and LED lights have been fitted rather than conventional bulbs.Even the seats are made of recyclable fibre, in another nod towards saving the planet.
“The concept of producing a ‘green’ Hummer is to appeal to people who are environmentally conscious while wanting to maintain their street-credibility,” explained Simon Prior, the product manager.
“This is for the younger age group, probably city dwellers. They will be looking for something environmentally friendly in town but which they can use to play hard at weekends.”
At the other end of the scale there were an array of electric vehicles, many of which appeared little bigger than a bubble car.They included the Think, which will cost about £14,000 when it goes on sale in Britain next summer.With a top speed of 65 mph, the car can go 126 miles without needing to be recharged. Already charging points are being placed in cities around the country by a Brighton-based company,Electromotive.Users can buy a tag for £75, which enables them to plug in their car for a year.
These cars are seen as the way of the future and the use of the plug-in car was given an endorsement by Gordon Brown, when the Prime Minister, visited the show.”This has opened up a huge opportunity for technological innovation. It is a once in a generation opportunity,” he said.
Mr Brown pledged that the Government would spend £90 million over the next five years to promote their use.In theory motorists can save money by plugging in their cars at night and driving them the next morning.Some observers believe that energy companies may be less enthusiastic about offering cheap electricity at night should demand soar.
