Friday, February 5, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

AIRCRUISE: A Zero Emissions Luxury Airship

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 01:22 PM PST

I love blimps and zeppelins. Besides my fascination with steampunk and my hatred of airplanes, there is something just inherently cool about airships. I’ve never gotten a chance to ride on one, but I would jump at such a chance.

Maybe, just maybe, one day I will. And if this AIRCRUISE zero emissions airship ever gets off the ground and past the pretty-picture design stage, it is definitely the airship I would want a ride on.

Nothing more than a creative concept right now, the AIRCRUISE was designed by Korean-based Samsung Construction and Design. The idea is to create a zero emissions airship with lots of luxury in place of a hurried, cramped flight that has become the norm for air travel these days. I cannot emphasize how much I hate flying. It isn’t that I’m afraid of flying… but I’ve got wide shoulders. I don’t fit comfortably into the seats, and I rather dislike the idea of shelling out hundreds of dollars extra just to have a comfortable seat.

The AIRCRUISE does away with such nonsense. Rather than an expedited flight, the AIRCRUISE will take its time getting to its destination; think of it sort of like an airborne cruise liner. The inside would resemble something like a hotel, with multiple levels and attractions during the extended flight. A cruise between London and New York would take about 37 hours, while LA to Hong Kong would take about four days. Which is fine by me; what is the big rush these days anyway?

Power for the AIRCRUISE would come from solar cells and hydrogen fuel cells and it would be held aloft by four hydrogen-filled air bags. Each bag is capable of self-sealing in case of rupture, though how this airship would hold up in detrimental weather could be a deal breaker. With a top speed of just 90 mph, it would be huge, ponderous, and luxurious. I really hope it works.

Samsung hopes to bring the AIRCRUISE to life sometime around 2015. I won’t hold my breath… but I will cross my fingers.

Source:  The Design Blog | Images: Seymourpowell

Ford Transit Connect Electric Van Coming To Chicago Auto Show

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 01:17 PM PST

Commercial vehicle sales are a big part of Ford’s portfolio, and most commercial buyers are looking for two things; efficiency and utility. Knowing this, Ford elected to import its popular Transit Connect light van to America beginning last year. The Transit has already proven rather popular with commercial buyers, selling 2,000 units in the first month. The Transit was even popular with the motoring press, who elected it the 2009 Truck of the Year.

Keeping the momentum, Ford plans to unveil an all-electric version of the Transit Connect at the upcoming Chicago auto show, which should make it the first mass-market electric truck or van to come to the U.S. market.

The Transit Connect Electric should be available some time later this year. Rather than perform the conversions themselves, Ford has elected to hire Azure Dynamics, based in Detroit, to convert them. We won’t know the details surrounding the Transit Connect Electric, but expect a range somewhere between 80-100 miles and a top speed of 70 mph… more than enough for local deliveries. Ford is clearly aiming the TC electric at small business owners with defined routes, so it should be on the affordable side too (under $50,000 if they want to sell any, under $35,000 if they want to sell a lot).

Obviously, with a full payload, the TC electric probably won’t be going 100 miles. But even having the option of buying an electric fleet vehicle goes to show how far we’ve come in just a few short years. All it took was a global recession, skyrocketing gas prices, and the threat of impending climate dooooooooooom. But a bit of a fan club has popped up around these vans, and there is even a forum dedicated to them. The van is cool again!

I wonder it they are going to make a camper version? Hmm…

Source: Ford | Image: Ford

Jaguar Builds Extended Range Electric XJ

Posted: 05 Feb 2010 08:37 AM PST

Well Jag has taken the plunge—making yet another luxury auto maker to jump on the electric bandwagon. It really makes you wonder… what were all these knuckleheads doing five years ago?

Anyway, Jaguar has supposedly come up with an electric version of its new XJ sedan. The rumor mill seems pretty specific as far as rumors go, painting a picture of a car with almost 300 ft-lbs of torque and a supposed range of 600 miles in a luxury-laden sedan that weighs nearly two tons in petrol motor configuration. Since this is supposed to be an extended-range EV, it also has an on-board, petrol-powered generator motor, plus the electric motor, plus battery pack, and all that high tech stuff is gonna suck up a lot of electricity. Needless to say, I’m skeptical.

Don’t get me wrong, it is great that more automakers are throwing their hats into the electric car ring. The more ideas and talent we have, the better, but I’ve learned to temper my expectations until I see some actual proof. Supposedly this electric Jaguar has Lotus’s 47 hp, 1.2 liter three-cylinder hooked up to a lithium ion battery pack and a 145 kw electric motor. Basically, it is a British Volt, where the gas engine recharges a battery pack, and power is put to the ground through an electric motor. And a range of 600 miles mean you can do a whole lot of driving between fill-ups. While diesel Jag’s have been known to get great gas mileage, just like petrol vehicles, it is all about how you drive them. And Jaguars tend to lend themselves to a more “spirited” type of driving than your average Prius.

With the generator going, fuel economy is supposed to be around 57 mpg, while attaining a top speed of 112 mph and maintaining the agility of Jaguars that has made them so desirable in recent years. It all sounds a little too good to be true, and it probably is. Still, if Jaguar can do it, it sounds like a pretty awesome (and expensive) car.

Source: AutoCar | Image: Jaguar
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