New posts from Gas 2.0!

TREXA Shows Off Production Enertube Prototype
Video: Chip Yates Goes 190 MPH on Electric Motorcycle
Masdar City UAE to Ban Cars, Welcome Pod People (video)

TREXA Shows Off Production Enertube Prototype

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 11:14 AM PDT

When we last heard from TREXA, their concept for an all-purpose undercarriage for a variety of different electric vehicles was just some CGI sketches. Now though, its an actual working prototype of their patent-pending Enertube system.

The TREXA platform has been designed to be scaled up or down for various vehicular applications, and the heart of this system is the Enertube energy storage system. This battery can hold as little as 7 kWh of power for a small car, or 100 kWh for a big tractor trailer type vehicle.

A lot of concepts like this never come to life, but TREXA has beaten the odds to produce a real working prototype. The Enertube battery system can come unplugged from the platform without removing the vehicle's body, making swapping out for a larger (or smaller) battery that much easier.

Then there is the hotrod potential of the TREXA. There are literally hundreds of kit car companies out there, and TREXA could establish a niche among EV do-it-yourselfers with this platform, offering different body styles and performance parts. The pushrod-style suspension (which is featured in high-end cars like the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT) would certainly lend itself to fast, fun cars, and the TREXA platform can be available in either two-or-four wheel drive applications.

It's good to see TREXA's concept come to life, and I'm truly excited about the performance applications for this platform. Now it all just comes down to price, which we last heard falls between $16,000 and $32,000, and you still have to build your own body. Depending on how the TREXA performs, it could be a veritable bargain, especially if you’re handy with the sheetmetal.

Source: TREXA via Inhabitat

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.

Video: Chip Yates Goes 190 MPH on Electric Motorcycle

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 08:24 AM PDT

Electric vehicles are the new frontier in racing, and Chip Yates is among the leaders of electric motorcycle racing. Over the weekend, Yates went 190.6 mph on his Swigz Pro Racing electric motorcycle.

The Mojave Mile is a racing event where speed demons take their vehicles and try to go as fast as possible from a standing start over a one-mile course. This mile speed events are growing ever more popular among car and motorcycle enthusiasts, and it is not uncommon to see cars top 200 mph in these events. Yates went out with his 241 horsepower electric motorcycle and managed to set a new, unofficial electric motorcycle record of 190.6 mph in one mile. While Yates fell short of his 200 mph goal despite testing that saw the bike go as fast as 227 mph, the effort is still laudable, and proof that electric vehicles have plenty of performance potential.

This top speed run is just one of many events Yates is planning, including the famous Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds. He is a true racing pioneer, a modern day hot rodder, his motorcycle makes a stomp-pulling 341 ft-lbs of torque and the battery pack delivers 500 amps of power. 200 mph is a major milestone, and we're sure Yates can't wait to breach it. He'll have another chance in October when the Mojave Mile returns.

Source: Chip Yates

Masdar City UAE to Ban Cars, Welcome Pod People (video)

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 05:00 AM PDT

On-track to be completed by 2020 in the United Arab Emirates, the Masdar City project’s developers aim to do nothing less than create a 100% carbon-neutral luxury village which – they hope – will change the international image of an entire nation, push the envelope of renewable energy technology, and represent the current state-of-the-art in “green” city planning.

100% carbon neutrality is a lot to ask of any building project – regardless of the budget involved – but Masdar City’s planners have a novel idea to help the reach that goal: they’re going to ban personal automobiles.

Instead of cars, Masdar City’s residents will travel around in autonomous electric pods. Called “Personal Rapid Transit pods”, these vehicles are fully electric, travel underground, and are fully computer controlled. Far from “concepts”, the vehicles are already in use at the Mubadala Company campus (the development firm behind the Masdar City project) and have met with rave reviews from the workers and visitors who’ve experienced them.

Check out the pods in action, below, and let us know if the proliferation of pod people is a perplexing or positive predicament (sorry people, it was either this alliteration or a more “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” jokes … try to enjoy the video anyway).