Antonov makes it hum

Antonov Automotive Technologies’ 2-speed supercharger drive system has recently made the transition from technical concept to initial low volume manufacture and is currently being demonstrated to prospective customers in a Chevrolet Lacetti, Ford Mustang and Hummer H3.

Since announcing its latest Hummer H3 demonstrator last year, Antonov has obtained measurements for the vehicle’s 0-100kph time, which has been virtually halved from 13.6 to 7.3 seconds compared with the base vehicle.

On/off road performance, which is an important characteristic for this class of vehicle, shows an impressive reduction in the time required for a hill climb, which has been reduced from 15 to 10 seconds.

The difference in the Hummer’s terminal speed at the hill summit has increased from 52 to 82 kph when comparing the base vehicle with the 2-speed supercharger.

‘There is a dramatic improvement in the driveability of the Hummer when equipped with a 2-speed supercharger with little effect on fuel economy,’ said Antonov chief executive John Moore. ‘This results from the significantly improved low speed engine torque, which we have similarly demonstrated in our Chevrolet Lacetti and Ford Mustang demonstrators.’