Would we ever have expected to hear the words “monster truck” and “100 MPGe” used in the same article, much less describing one vehicle? Apparently this kind of comparison is perfectly fine for Bob Lutz, former General Motors Vice Chairman, and he used it in a video sneaking a peak at the new VIA Motors X-Truck:
Based on similar technology as the Chevy Volt, an extended range electric vehicle [EVer], the X-Truck, or extended-range electric truck [ET?], is a full-size pick-up truck with four-wheel drive and a fully electric drive-train. The gasoline engine kicks in after a certain EV range and charges the system. Electric torque is certainly something that is useful in a truck, and looks to be put to good use in this all-new X-Truck.
The VIA Motors X-Truck will be fully revealed at the North American Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, next week. According to Lutz, it “has the torque of a monster truck,” over 800 hp, and at 100 MPGe, “makes the Toyota Prius look like a gas guzzler.” It will be shown with an Escalade-class EVer with similar power-train specifications, designed to compete directly with large SUVs, but with much better fuel economy.
