AFS Trinity Files Patent on Extreme Hybrid Plug-in Technology

Source: AFS Trinity
[May 06, 2006]

AFS Trinity Power Corporation today filed its patent application disclosing the company's new technology for an Extreme Hybrid(TM) car capable of carrying the average American motorist more than 250 miles on a single gallon of gasoline or ethanol.

The Extreme Hybrid(TM) will plug into a house's electrical current overnight to run without gasoline or ethanol for the 40 miles that the average American drives each day. For longer trips, the vehicle will operate as a conventional hybrid that efficiently burns gasoline or ethanol.

"The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the average American drives 300 miles per week," AFS Trinity CEO Edward W. Furia said. "Most days Americans drive 40 miles or less. 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. By comparison, the Extreme Hybrid(TM) will use less than $8 per week total for fuel and electricity."

Ricardo to help with XH(TM) drive train

AFS Trinity plans to build the XH(TM) drive train with the help of Ricardo, a leading supplier of automotive design and engineering to the world's major carmakers. AFS Trinity and Ricardo have signed a mutually exclusive Technology Partnership Agreement to work together to develop plug-in hybrid technology. With sufficient funding they expect that XH(TM) demonstration vehicles could be in the hands of fleet owners in two years and could be licensed for mass production by car makers in three years.

The Patent and the Technology

The AFS Trinity patent filing discloses that Fast Energy Storage(TM) technology, including ultracapacitors, controllers and power electronics, will enable the Extreme Hybrid(TM) to overcome the limitations of the energy storage components of conventional hybrids and other plug-in designs.

"This technology will permit a car to travel the entire 40 miles of an average American's daily driving in all-electric mode, without giving up rapid acceleration or the ability to travel at highway speeds, all without burning a drop of gasoline," Furia said.

The patent filing also discloses that idle XH(TM) vehicles will be capable of sending power back into the grid through a vehicle to grid -- V2G -- subsystem, which will help stabilize the power grid and reduce XH(TM) owners' cost of electricity.

Ownership Costs

"The Extreme Hybrid(TM) won't only cost less to operate on a daily basis, it will also be the first hybrid that will save enough money from reduced operating costs to more than offset the higher purchase price of the car," added Furia. "In fact, over five years, we estimate that the XH(TM) owner will be $11,000 ahead and, over 10 years, $22,000 ahead."

Filling up once every 10 weeks

"The advantages to the environment and our independence from foreign oil are obvious, but the reason we believe consumers will want this car is because they will save money and because the performance of the XH(TM) will be no different than that of conventional cars," Furia said.

"To recharge the Extreme Hybrid(TM) for your daily driving you will need to plug in your car to house current every night, but the average American will only have to fill up with gasoline or ethanol once every 10 weeks or so unless they take a longer trip."

About Ricardo

With its North American headquarters in Van Buren Twp., Mich., Ricardo has been a world-leading vehicle system and powertrain technology provider for automotive manufacturers, heavy-duty manufacturers and tier one suppliers since 1915.

Ricardo is the premium global deep-content engineering and management consulting partner for automotive, commercial vehicle and related industry sectors. The company provides complete engineering services from strategy through product concept, design release and validation, and all phases of the product lifecycle. Ricardo technical expertise lies in powertrain and driveline, vehicle engineering, hybrid and fuel cell technologies, controls and electronics, niche volume manufacturing and advanced simulation software.

Ricardo is committed to excellence and industry leadership in people, technology and knowledge. A public company based in the U.K., Ricardo plc posted sales of $272 million in fiscal year 2005 and is a part of the FTSE techMark 100 index -- a group of innovative technology companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit http://www.ricardo.com .

More about AFS Trinity Power

AFS Trinity was formed through the merger of American Flywheel Systems, Inc. and Trinity Flywheel Power in 2000. The company is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. with an Engineering Center in Livermore, California. AFS Trinity's research and development has been funded mostly by private sources, but also through contracts with NASA, U.S. DOT, U.S. DOE, as well as Army, Navy and Air Force prime contractors.

For more information: http://www.afstrinity.com

Some statements in this news release are forward-looking. These statements may be identified by the use of words such as "will," "expects," "believes," "targets," "intends," and words of similar import. Actual results may vary depending on circumstances both within and outside the control of the Company including market acceptance of products, technology development cycles and other risk factors. AFS Trinity Power Corporation takes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking statements made in this release.

Extreme Hybrid(TM), XH(TM), Fast Energy(TM), and Fast Energy Storage(TM) are trademarks pending of AFS Trinity Power Corporation.