XR3 Motors believes that their three wheeled trike that achieves a claimed 225 mpg could be headed to production soon.
XR3 Motors, led by alternative vehicle veteran of 30 years Robert Q. Riley, has created the XR3, a plug-in hybrid that combines low weight with a diesel engine and a lithium-ion battery pack to achieve excellent gas mileage.
The vehicle can operate in one of several modes. It can use the diesel engine only, the electric motor only, or can use both simultaneously. The user manually selects what setting he or she desires and each mode has different mpg ratings.
When using its 23 hp diesel engine, the XR3 returns up to 125 mpgs. When using the electric motor, it can run 40 miles without using a drop of gas. Through some tricky math, it gives a combined rating of 225 mpgs when half the mileage is covered by the diesel engine and the other half is covered by the electric motor.
Both drivetrains are independent of one another with no mechanical connection. The diesel engine powers the two rear wheels and the electric motor powers the lone front wheel. The vehicle is technically a hybrid through the connection of the two powertains through the asphalt it rolls on.
The vehicle is an example of true simplicity. Indeed it uses no computers throughout the power system and makes do with a simple $10 throttle integrator which is patent pending. According to Riley, "It works better than my wildest dreams."
No production date is set at this point, but the company hopes to bring the XR3 to market.
Source: Edmunds
