Arnold Schwarzenegger Presents Prototype For Electric Hummer H1

Austria's Kreisel Electric has fulfilled Arnold Schwarzenegger dream of an electric-powered Hummer H1. The firm's powertrain gives the gigantic SUV 483 horsepower (360 kilowatts), and the 100 kilowatt-hour battery provides nearly 186 miles (300 kilometers) of driving range.

"Kreisel Electric electrified my G-Class last winter. And now a Hummer. If Kreisel keeps it up at this pace, I will soon be able to fly here from LA in an electric airplane," Schwarzenegger said at the opening of Kreisel Electric's new research and development center in Rainbach, Austria where it showed the SUV.

Kreisel's Hummer is just an off-road prototype for now, but the current vehicle results from just two months of development work. The SUV's powertrain puts an electric motor at the front and rear, and this huge SUV now weighs a hefty 7,275 pounds (3,300 kilograms). Kreisel's tech still lets it reach 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour), though. We look forward to hearing what Schwarzenegger thinks once he can give the beast a proper test.

Kreisel's new development center covers nearly 75,350 square feet (7,000 square meters). The space includes a workshop, and there's room for small-batch manufacturing of vehicles. The site will employ over 200 people by next year.

Even before this electric Hummer, Kreisel worked on some very interesting projects. For example, at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the company's tech was in the Brabus Ultimate E Concept, which made 201 hp (150 kW) and 258 pound-feet (350 Newton-meters) of torque but had just 100 miles (160 kilometers) of range. The firm also placed its electric powertrain into a replica Porsche 910, which gave the vintage-looking coupe 483 hp (360 kW) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque. Schwarzenegger also tested the company's electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class.