New posts from Gas 2.0!

Video: Electric Dune Buggy to Enter Dakar Rally
Caption Contest: Write Something Funny, Win a Hollywood Electrics T-Shirt
Tiny by Design
Florida’s $2 billion for High Speed Rail Goes Elsewhere

Video: Electric Dune Buggy to Enter Dakar Rally

Posted: 10 May 2011 04:37 PM PDT

The Dakar Rally is probably the most brutal automotive race in all the world (and its on my bucket list!) That isn't stopping Alister McRae and his team from entering an all-electric dune buggy into the Dakar next year.

This will be the second electrified vehicle to enter the grueling 5,500 mile race, as a Latvian team plans to enter a hybrid-electric truck in the series come 2012. But the McRae buggy will be 100% electric, with a 54 kWh battery and a robust 200 kW motor, which is just slightly better on both fronts than the $109,000 Tesla Roadster. The EV system will be based on a McRae ProDakar buggy body, which has successfully finished the Dakar Rally twice in as many years (which is an accomplishment in and of itself; 2/3 of contestants don’t finish the race.)

Of course, finding a place to plug into in the middle of the desolate Argentinean, Chilean, and Peruvian wilderness isn't exactly simple, so a support team with quick-chargers will be on hand should the buggy run out of juice. Led by Alister McRae, brother of famed rally racer Colin McRae, this team has a ton of Dakar experience that will prove instrumental in bringing the buggy across the finish line. Veteran driver Tim Coronel will pilot this pugnacious EV in the Dakar, which starts January 1st, 2012.

The electrification of motorsports is well under way, and while I don't expect either the buggy nor the hybrid truck to take the win, there are some inherent benefits to using an electric vehicle across rough terrain. For one, the motor doesn't need to take in air, meaning there is no air filter to choke. Nor does one have to worry about busting open a gas tank or overheating the radiator. In fact, the sheer simplicity and the electric motor could hand EV's a distinct advantage in races like the Dakar, once battery technology manages to catch up that is. I can't wait to see these guys in action. Not one, but two EV's in Dakar? Who'd have thunk it?

Source: McRae Buggy

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.

Caption Contest: Write Something Funny, Win a Hollywood Electrics T-Shirt

Posted: 10 May 2011 10:37 AM PDT

It’s a crazy, crazy world out there, and while the subject of alternative fuels is very serious…we can have some fun with it too. And while we’re at it, why not give away from free t-shirts?

We all love free stuff, so here's your chance to win a free Hollywood Electrics t-shirt. Just go to Gas 2.0′s Facebook page, post your funniest caption for this "green" car, and you could win one of these sweet t-shirts. And while you’re at it, head on over to Hollywood Electric’s Facebook page too to stay abreast with all the latest electric motorcycle and scooter news.

So on to the picture. I know this golf course Skoda isn't the "traditional" definition of a green car, but as I often say, the greenest car is already on the road. All that fake grass would probably have ended up in a landfill instead of on this car anyway, so its recyclable too!

So if you haven't already liked Gas 2.0 and Hollywood Electrics on Facebook, do so now and give us your best caption for this green curiosity.

Tiny by Design

Posted: 10 May 2011 07:54 AM PDT

The concept of tiny homes is not new- hello, yurt! But the small house movement has been more of a subculture, until, we hope, now. “Mainstream” construction company D.R. Horton’s introduction of 29 microhomes to Portland’s Division 43. D.R. Horton is taking advantage of an opening in the “nichest” of niche markets, Portland, OR, to bring micro-homes (think, in some cases, less than 400 sq. ft) to the corner of SE 43rd Ave. and Division St.

The new development of 29 microhomes is built to maximize urban space and be sustainable (think, smaller home, smaller carbon footprint). D. R. Horton claims it will be using reclaimed materials in the construction of these homes and there has been quite a bit of interest in tiny homes as people reel from the recession and look to downsize their lives. The homes are being nestled on 15,000 sq. ft of city space, after all, and seem to be optimal for people who rely mostly on bikes for transportation.

The little community will have an eco-village feel, with a shared small community garden and parking for bikes. It will fit perfectly with Portland’s uber-progressive bike culture (Portland has at least twenty miles of bike boulevards, and is the jewel of bike-friendly infrastructure and bike culture in the country). More homes without garages will encourage bike riding, but requires this bike-friendly infrastructure. Building homes with bicyclists in mind goes a long way towards this though, and eliminates oft-wasted garage space.

Studios range from 634 to 687 feet, with one to two bedroom homes hitting just under 700 square feet. Prices ranged from $120,000 to over $180,000- reportedly cheap for Portland’s market. Cheap enough for native Portlandians to afford those lust-worthy, handcrafted, custom bicycles, or perhaps even a Carroll Shelby bike? Maybe.

Source: Treehugger

Florida’s $2 billion for High Speed Rail Goes Elsewhere

Posted: 10 May 2011 04:18 AM PDT

It’s all over for high-speed rail in Florida.

The Tampa to Orlando line had the backing of everyone from business to the state’s Republican legislators; but Rick Scott, the new Tea Party-backed governor, blocked it as a “big government boondoggle”. Today the Transportation Department announced that the money will go elsewhere.

Scott had claimed that even though the Federal Government was fully funding the project to the tune of $2 billion dollars, the state couldn’t afford what he called “huge operating costs” – this despite the fact that investor groups had guaranteed to cover any overruns or deficits.

What became clear was that this wasn’t about economics, but about ideology - just as in New Jersey and Wisconsin, where Republican governors blocked equally necessary rail programs out of opposition to “big government”.

Florida’s Tampa to Orlando line would have been the first high-speed rail line to be put into operation, and the run from the Orlando airport to the Disney resorts would have guaranteed passengers… but having a successful showpiece was the last thing the anti-rail ideologues wanted. So that’s that.

Instead, the $2 billion will go to parts of the country that are more amenable to rail: The Northeast, the Midwest, and California. And while he was probably disappointed with Florida, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he’s thrilled to be moving forward the long-term goal of connecting 80 percent of Americans to high-speed rail within 25 years.

“Today we are advancing President Obama’s historic high-speed rail blueprint,” LaHood said, “through 22 carefully selected projects that will create jobs, boost manufacturing, and spur development while laying the foundation for our future economic competitiveness. We are providing two billion dollars to 15 states and Amtrak to help build out America’s high-speed rail network, enabling people and goods to travel more quickly, safely and energy-efficiently than ever before.”

LaHood added that this new infrastructure is critical if we’re going to continue America’s growth, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign imports.

“If I sound excited about the prospect of American high-speed rail,” said LaHood, “it’s because I am. High-speed intercity passenger rail offers real, practical benefits–benefits we cannot afford to ignore. Jobs, manufacturing, economic development, reduced dependence on foreign oil, and a future economy that can truly serve our population–today’s awards bring those benefits one step closer.”

Where the money’s going:

Northeast Corridor (NEC) – $795 million to upgrade some of the most heavily-used sections of the corridor. The investments will increase speeds from 135 to 160 miles per hour on critical segments.

Midwest - $404.1 for new segments of 110-mph track between Detroit and Chicago that will save 30 minutes in travel time (and create nearly 1,000 new construction jobs). There will also be upgrades to the Chicago to St. Louis corridor.

California - 300 million to extend the Central Valley project, the backbone of the Los Angeles to San Francisco corridor that will ultimately be the nation's first 220-mph high-speed rail system.

Rail Cars – $336.2 million to boost U.S. manufacturing of state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars for California and the Midwest.