[RichS]

Texas based Ronn Motor Company (RMC) has unveiled the Scorpion sportscar that runs on a 30-40 percent blend of hydrogen and gasoline, promising reduced emissions and 40 mpg plus efficiency.

Ronn Motor Company is well on its way to proving that efficiency can be delivered to the automobile consumer without giving up performance or styling. The Company unveiled the key to a new generation of “green cars” by revealing the nuts and bolts of what it expects will help drive down consumers’ cost to travel the highways with on demand hydrogen production.

The new car, now in pre-production, is called the “Scorpion,” and the Company plans for it to be available to consumers this fall. The hydrogen delivery system with dual computer processor controls produces hydrogen on demand, and in real time, which will be inducted through the air intake manifold and blended with gasoline at a ratio of 30-40 percent hydrogen, according to Maxwell. The fuel for this system is derived from fracturing water molecules drawn from a small on board water tank, and will not require a high pressure, on board hydrogen storage tank or hydrogen fueling station.

“What we are revealing today is an innovation in the automotive industry and demonstrates American ingenuity at a time of real need,“ says Ronn Motor Company’s Chief Executive Officer Ronn Maxwell. “We’re designing and building cars with performance components and unique styling with the objective of making the new environmentally friendly vehicle stand out with never before seen style and approximately 40 mpg plus efficiency,” he adds.

Most of the hydrogen powered vehicles use fuel cells. Hydrogen is pumped into a tank in the car, just as gasoline. The hydrogen gas is then fed into the fuel cell where it is electrochemically converted into electricity--with no combustion, no moving parts and no emissions other than water vapor. The electricity is used to power the vehicle.

The Scorpion takes another approach – known as hydrogen internal combustion engine (Hydrogen ICE). Hydrogen ICE vehicles use a regular combustion engine modified to use gaseous hydrogen instead of liquid gasoline (much like a natural gas vehicle is modified). They burn hydrogen or a combination of gasoline and hydrogen, but since there is no carbon in hydrogen, there are no or almost no CO2 emissions and only trace amounts of NOx (oxides of nitrogen). Hydrogen ICE vehicles are typically about 30-50% more efficient than comparable gasoline vehicles.

The Scorpion is powered by an Acura V-Tech, V-6, Type S, 3.5 Liter power-plant with a close ratio six-speed transmission. RMC plans to offer the Scorpion with a 6-speed manual, with a 6-speed automatic coming available in 2009.

For the on-board hydrogen system RMC has partnered with Hydrorunner.

Ronn Motor Company, located in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, was founded by Maxwell and former Dell, Inc. Executive Adrian Pylypec of Austin, who is Vice President for the Company.