The Hummer brand seems to be going down kicking and streaming. Just days after it was reported that General Motors informed its dealers that it was closing out Hummer this month, a new name has popped up as a potential bidder: Raser Technologies. Raser has been covered here previously for its development of an extended range electric drivetrain that was installed into a Hummer H3. The system is similar, in principle, to the Voltec system used in the Volt

According to a report on The Car Connection, Raser actually put in a bid for Hummer in mid-2009 before GM struck a deal with Sichuan Tengzhong that ultimately fell apart. Since the Chinese deal collapsed, Raser has again expressed its interest and has apparently been rebuffed.

Raser reportedly wants to transform Hummer into a green brand with its powertrain technology. However, it seems unlikely that GM will make a deal since that would likely mean it would have to continue building the vehicles for Raser for some time. The Shreveport, LA factory that builds the H3 and the Chevrolet Colorado is likely to close in the coming years, and GM most likely just wants to end the whole affair.

Unless a buyer for Hummer materializes in the next few months, General Motors will continue to wind-down its environmental group dart board. The slow death of Hummer has actually been in process since before The General announced that the sale of the brand to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery fell through, as the company’s Shreveport, LA facility stopped making H3 and H3T models in January.

But while Shreveport has been down for two months, it looks like the plant could dust off the H3 tooling to fill one more big order. Brandcentric site Hummerguy.net is reporting that GM is ramping up production of the H3 from April 12 to May 13 to fill a 849 unit order. The General reportedly didn’t announce the purchaser of the reported mega Hummer order, but the Detroit, MI-based automaker did say that the order was not related to the brand’s wind-down or sale.

We’re thinking this news won’t stop Hummer from off-roading into the sunset, but it does at least prove that there are still people that like Hummers. Now all GM needs is a Hummer lover with a spare $150 million laying around the compound to step up and buy the withering brand.

Zero South, a company that popped up at SEMA in 2008, is back again with its Biodiesel Electric Hummer. The heavily modified H1 rides on tracks at all four corners – a necessary modification, since this Hummer is designed for an expedition to the South Pole.

The trip is going to be documented by Chris Paine, who’s best known for the film Who Killed the Electric Car? It was reported back in 2008 that the vehicle was going to be driven by Buzz Aldrin and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. The film is called Drive Around the World and was shot in 3D. Drive Around the World is also the name of an organization that works to inspire an urge to explore while raising money for various charities. The H1 shown above is Zero South’s vehicle for participating in these expeditions.

The Zero South Biodiesel Electric Hummer was originally setup to run on B99 fuel, but Jay Leno joined the team and modified the powertrain so that a four-cylinder diesel Volkswagen engine would act as a generator to four electric motors. Each motor would then provide power to the individual track it’s coupled to.

Are your shortcomings more than a Hummer H1 or a Ford Expedition can overcome? There just might be a cure. Information on the Ukrainian-made VEPR Commander is scarce, but here’s what we could find out through Google translations. The massive vehicle is 16.4 feet long, 6.5 feet tall, and weighs over 3 tons. One site claims it can carry 15 passengers, while another says 21 passengers. That probably means 15 adults or 21 pint-sized little league players. Judging by its badging, the beast is probably motivated by a 4.0 liter turbodiesel, but then, you can’t judge a car’s performance by its cover any more. Price? Well, again, there’s some disparity. One figure we found was as low as $20,000 another said $70,000, though what currency wasn’t specified.

It would appear the designers took styling cues mostly from the A-Team van, but with modern updates from the PT Cruiser, the Buick Lucerne, various Japanese full-sized SUVs and Brak.

Rugged. Functional. Uncompromising. Off road. Confidence. Power. Those are just a few of the adjectives and words that would describe the Hummer H1. Hummer, the brand, claims that this truck could be quite considered to be a whole new vehicle itself. For years, it has undergone various changes to make it bigger, better, and perform greater.
hummer h1

Michael C. DiGiovanni, the general manager of Hummer, says, “The H1 is what started it all for Hummer. It’s the vehicle that drew the interest of adventurous consumers across the nation, as well as the interest of General Motors. It offers superior off road capabilities rugged enough for Baja and power presence on road. There’s really not another vehicle that is in the H1′s league.”

The H3 features a two-speed, electronically controlled full-time four-wheel drive system that is suitable for both on-road and off-road driving in all conditions, with electronic locking front and rear differentials optionally available. Like its larger sibling the Hummer H2, the H3 can ford 24 inches (610 mm) of water (tested in depths up to 31 in/790 mm) at a speed of 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) and 16 inches (410 mm) of water at a speed of 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). Standard ground clearance is measured at 9.7 inches (250 mm) while the approach, departure, and breakover angles are measured at 37.4°, 34.7°, and 22.1° respectively, allowing the H3 to scale a 16-inch (410 mm) vertical wall and negotiate grades of 60% and side slopes of 40%. Though fore and aft recovery hooks are standard, a trailer hitch and wiring harness are optional.

Under revised EPA testing standards when equipped with either transmission this straight-5 engine achieves 14 mpg-US (17 l/100 km) in the city and 18 mpg-US (13 l/100 km) on the highway with a combined average of 15 mpg-US (16 l/100 km). Available solely with the automatic transmission, a 5.3 liter LH8 V8 producing 300 hp (220 kW) and 320 ft·lbf (430 N·m) of torque was added in 2008 for the Alpha model of the H3 and returns slightly lower fuel economy estimated at 13 mpg-US (18 l/100 km) in the city, 16 mpg-US (15 l/100 km) on the highway, with a combined average of 14 mpg-US (17 l/100 km).

This is a 1998 AM General Hummer (H1) bought new in 1999. This, like most custom autos, started off bone stock and within a few years and over $50,000 turned out as it is now. A very unique, one-of-a-kind, Hummer that is in class all of it’s own. You will not find another H1 like this in any of the 5 surrounding states.

Originally designed strictly for military use, this absolutely massive four-wheel-drive utility vehicle earned its 15 minutes of fame as a civilian conveyance when it became the ride of choice among Hollywood celebrities and professional athletes. Boasting 16 inches (40 cm) of ground clearance as well as super-aggressive approach and departure angles, the Humvee could clamber over a 22-inch (56 cm) high obstacle, handle a 60 percent grade and wade through up to 30 inches (76 cm) of water.

The Hummer H1 is a civilian off-road vehicle based on the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (or Humvee), which was created by AM General. The vehicle was produced from 1992 through 2006, and was the first of what became the Hummer line. It was initially known only as the “Hummer”; however, in 1999 in a joint venture between General Motors and AM General, GM began marketing the Hummer H2, which was built on the Chevrolet Tahoe chassis. It was at this point that the original Hummer was given the H1 designation. For collectors, the most desirable model is the H1 Alpha, produced in the final model year of 2006. It had the most powerful engine and the best fuel mileage of the H1 vehicles. Overall, the H1 was a very limited production vehicle.

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