Triton
So, say that I have a very specific need for a vehicle that’s electric, can seat eight people and has 200 cubic feet of cargo space for all my stuff. What do I buy? The Tesla Model X is too small and a passenger van is too internal-combustion-y.
New Jersey-based Triton Solar released details about its fully electric eight-passenger SUV this week, called the Model H (yep), which the company says can travel upward of 700 miles on a single charge of its 200-kilowatt-hour battery pack. If that sounds overly optimistic, then I’m right there with you.
Triton Solar says the Model H will be sold in two flavors: Standard and Performance. Both will come standard with all-wheel drive derived from four motors — one for each wheel, but not located at the hub — and those will be good for either 1,000 horsepower for the base model or 1,500 hp for the performance model.
Why does it need that much power? Because it’s shaped like a one-third-scale Winnebago crossed with a Ford Excursion — which is to say, it doesn’t look exceptionally aerodynamic. And with that massive, 200-kWh battery pack, Triton says the Model H tips the scales at 5,300 pounds. That said, an Autoblog report puts the Model H at particularly porcine 7,700 pounds, which is Hummer H1 territory.
Triton
Triton also says the Model H will tow either 15,400 pounds or a whopping 26,000 pounds if you go with the more expensive model, which should — in theory, anyway — keep you covered if you gotta get your big ol’ boat down to the shore at the last minute for a pleasure cruise.
The Model H will have a 130-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 224 inches, which puts it at parity with a 2020 Chevy Suburban. Surely all that embiggening must be good for something, right? As previously mentioned, the Model H will offer seating for eight people in addition to 200 cubic-feet of cargo space, though it’s unclear if that cargo capacity includes the seats in their upright or folded positions.
So, how much does it cost and where can you get one? Well, the bad news is that the base model will set you back a not-so-inconsiderable $140,000, and the performance variant will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $180,000. The worse news is that the Model H isn’t technically in production just yet, though Triton Solar says $5,000 secures a reservation.
I’ve asked for more details about the Model H, but a Triton spokesperson has yet to return my request for comment. For now, more details are available on the company’s website.
