2013 Hummer H3 Electric by Prindiville

Review

Specifications:

make:

Hummer

Model:

H3

price:

€25000

Engine:

72-Volt Electric Drive

Transmission:

Direct Drive

MPG(Cty):

600

Top Speed:

40 mph

Electric cars are certainly beginning to take flight lately, with Tesla becoming the unlikely leader of the whole revolution. Okay, maybe it’s not quite a revolution yet, but it’s at least starting to gain a little more traction. It has gained enough traction to garner the attention of UK coach builder, Prindiville.

Prindiville, being the creative company that it is, couldn’t just make any run-of-the-mill EV. Nope, its engineers and designers came up with a near mock up of the latest Hummer H3 – you know, one of the many defunct GM brands – only miniaturize and electric driven. What a concept!
Prindiville has now begun production and released a slew of specifications, so we felt it was time to give it the appropriate TopSpeed once over via a full review. So is this new custom EV in a shrunk-down Hummer body a good buy for the average driver?

Exterior

If you had nothing around Prindiville’s Hummer H3 to make a relative size comparison, this EV version of the hummer is nearly identical to the full-size model when looking at its front end. It boasts the trademark Hummer grille and the wide, flat hood with the raised center section. Even the wheel arches on the front and rear fenders are pretty close to the H3.
When you get to the side of the Prindiville Hummer, it is obvious that you are working with a mockup. First, it is a 2-door model, as opposed to the 4-door design of the real Hummer H3. Also, instead of having a boxed-in rear end, it boasts a sloped rear end and a triangular rear window.
The ultimate goal, however, is met, as Prindiville wanted to make a vehicle inspired by the Hummer, not an exact copy.
The Hummer H3 by Prindiville measures in at 3.0 meters (118.1 inches) long x 1.4 meters (55 inches) wide x 1.4 meters (55 inches) tall and has a 2.1-meter (81.7-inch) wheel base. This makes is 69.4 inches shorter, 19.6 inches thinner, and 18.2 inches shorter than the 2010 Hummer H3.
On the outside, it boasts 15-inch Hummer alloy wheels, a front and rear trunk, shark fin antenna, and LED lighting. You only have two color choices with this EV Hummer: metallic black with silver or flat white. To supplement this lack of standard colors, Prindiville does offer a wide range of optional colors for a fee.
The outside is really cool looking, but a little bit out of proportion.

Interior

The inside of the Prindiville Hummer H3 is nothing like the vehicle that inspired it. It boasts a pair of adjustable heated sports seats, two cup holders, Hummer floor mats, a Pioneer CD player, and a digital dashboard that shows distance, speed, battery voltage, time, temperature, and amps. In addition, the speedometer can switch between km/h to mph.
Overall, the interior is pretty much “blah.” There’s no real substance to it and it looks as if they threw a basic car interior into the inside of a golf cart and called it a day. Eh, at least it has a radio.

Motor and Drivetrain

The motor is a AC brushless system with nine 8-volt batteries, creating the 72 volts needed to power this Hummer. The motor goes through a direct-drive system – no gears – and straight to the rear wheels. This system allows the Hummer to hit a top speed of just 40 mph, making it a true “city car.” Its range is also pretty small, as it can only travel 40 miles on a single charge.
When you charge the batteries off of peak hours, you will see a mileage equivalent of 600 mpg from this electrified Hummer. You can charge the batteries via a standard 13-amp indoor or outdoor plug, but Prindiville recommends having an electrician install a 16-amp outlet.

Optional Equipment

There is plenty of optional equipment to help you personalize this EV Hummer. These options include:

• Carbon Fiber Roof
• Carbon Fiber Wing Mirrors
• Carbon Fiber Wheel Arches
• Carbon Fiber Side Skirts
• Carbon Fiber Bonnet
• Carbon Fiber Rear Spare Wheel Cover
• Complete Interior Leather re Trim
• DVD Upgrade system
• Hands Free telephony system
• Air Conditioning
• Customized Leather Seats
• Sun Roof
• 15”/20” Chrome Alloy Wheels
• 15”/20” Matt Black Alloy Wheels
• Spare Wheel Box with Puncture Repair Solution
• Customized Paint
• Customized Graphics Package (Marketing)
• Full Body Vinyl Wrap (Marketing)
• 10-meter (33-foot) Charge Cable
• Alarm Immobilizer
• AGM Battery upgrade – Standard Batteries Only
• Single Point Filling System – Standard Batteries Only
• Lithium Battery Pack
• Tinted Windows

Warranty

As with all electric cars, the warranty is a huge deal. Prindiville only offers a 2-year or 10,000-mile warranty on all parts and labor plus a year of roadside assistance. Batteries are covered by the typical pro rated warranty, but Prindiville only prorates the batteries for a year.

Pricing and Availability

The Prindiville Hummer H3 will be priced at ₤25,000 ($39,480 at the current rates) and will only have a total of 25 examples built, so it may be a collector’s item one day.

Conclusion

Well, the lack of a long warranty, use of lead-acid batteries, and the pretty boring interior all discourage us a little. However, its cool styling and awesome MPGe make us smile, so we’ll call it a wash. Add in the fact that you can opt for lithium ion batteries, which brings its range up to 60 miles, for just ₤8,000 ($12,633 at the current rates) and numerous other options, and you have a good buy all together.