New posts from Gas 2.0! |
- Turbine Power: French Ventile Puts “Spinnaz” to Work
- Bolt-On Hybrid Conversion Adds Up To 30% More MPG’s
- Scientists Turn to Unlikely Source for Hydrogen: Urine
- Nissan Leaf’s Backup Warning Signal Too Much for the Brits?
| Turbine Power: French Ventile Puts “Spinnaz” to Work Posted: 16 Mar 2011 01:31 PM PDT
Should I start with the “wheel-within-a-wheel” rims that place an electricity-generating wind turbine at each corner of the car? Keep in mind, this a concept that could be used on electric bikes (below), but also electric scooters or even electric strollers could even use something like this to push power to iPads. Making “spinnaz” useful might not be the cleverest part of the Ventile, though – maybe it’s the under-body fan that smooths out under-body airflow, increases downforce (which helps to compensate of the skinny tires’ low lateral grip during more “spirited” cornering), and uses the usually turbulent air underneath the car to produce even more range-extending electricity? The Ventile is a hybrid car, though – so maybe I should start with its clever use of BMW’s twin-cylinder “boxer” motorcycle engine, which should provide more than enough power to motivate the 350 kg car Ventile to highway speeds. That’s not a typo, either. The Ventile is light as a feather and stiff as a board, using super-thin plastics and metals and other ingenious materials – inflatable seats! – to keep weight down while keeping range and performance up. Can you tell I like it? The Ventile was an entrant in Michelin’s 2011 Design showcase, an annual exhibition of new automotive design talent on the web. The designer is a French artist and school teacher named Thierry Dumaine, who doesn’t seem to have done any of the maths to explain how efficient all the fan-turbines are in practice, but they’re – I think – just too cool to ignore. Great work, Thierry!     Source: Carscoop.
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| Bolt-On Hybrid Conversion Adds Up To 30% More MPG’s Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:00 AM PDT
One of the most popular fleet vehicles in America is the Ford Crown Victoria and its cousin, the Lincoln Town Car, both soon-to-be-discontinued Panther platform cars. These ancient V8 beasts see a lot of work in the city, and return just awful gas mileage. So XL Hybrids developed a bolt-on hybrid conversion system that takes around six-hours to install, maintains the factory warranty, and can improve city gas mileage by as much as 30% on cars that average around 13-15 mpg.
So optimally, we're talking about going from 13 mpg to, at most, 16 mpg. But over many hundreds of thousands of miles, the fuel savings really start to add up, and XL Hybrids say that the system will pay for itself within 24 months. That's a better return than many factory hybrids, and the Town Car shares a lot of components with Ford's trucks and vans, as XL is targeting fleet owners with this technology (which uses off-the-shelf parts.) The only wear-and-tear part is a rubber belt that needs replacing every 50,000 miles or so. Simple, effective technology. I wonder if you couldn't add this application to something like say, a Mustang? Heresy, I know, but I don't see why not… Sounds like the right kind of conversion at the right time. Does this system pique your interest? Source: Wired | XL Hybrids 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.
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| Scientists Turn to Unlikely Source for Hydrogen: Urine Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:00 AM PDT Finally, someone has found a productive end for human urine. Usually when we see the word "pee" and the words "fuel" or "car" in the same sentence something decidedly unproductive has happened, i.e. "I peed in his fuel tank" or "I peed on his car." Rest easy though, because scientists at Ohio University are doing everything in their power to eliminate urine's bad rap. They've developed a process which uses electrolysis to isolate the (whopping?) four hydrogen atoms present in every molecule of pee so they can be extracted for our fueling pleasure. And as it turns out, those atoms are bonded less tightly than the hydrogen found in water molecules, which in layman's terms means that hydrogen derived from urine is actually more cost-effective than hydrogen extracted from water. Who knew? If water is like the "golden boy" of the family – able over the years to do just about anything humanity required of it – urine has always been more like the "red-headed step-child." Let this be a lesson to us all: don't underestimate ANYTHING in this crazy world. What you're pissing away into the toilet today could very well be an indispensable source of energy tomorrow. Think about that the next time you're relieving yourself. Source: inhabitat
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| Nissan Leaf’s Backup Warning Signal Too Much for the Brits? Posted: 16 Mar 2011 05:00 AM PDT When it comes to pedestrian safety versus eliminating noise pollution, the Brits have made their decision pretty clear: the noise has got to go. They feel that the Backup Pedestrian Warning Signal that occurs when the Nissan Leaf is in reverse must be deactivated or altered so that it may be turned off, because it's just too loud. Nissan has slightly delayed delivery to the U.K. because the U.K. law states that such sounds must be able to be turned off between the hours of 11:00 pm and 6:00 am. Meanwhile, deliveries of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid to the US have been delayed because this vehicle has the option of turning off its backup warning system. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are pending rules that prohibit drivers from switching these warning systems off. (Talk about mixed signals – Ed.) Hybrids and electric vehicles with an all-electric drive mode were found to be twice as likely over any other type of vehicle to be involved in pedestrian accidents at intersections and crosswalks according to a 2009 study done by the NHTSA because they are so quiet, and many people are used to hearing traffic as a means to avoid it. Due to this study, Nissan decided that it would equip the Leaf with the pedestrian warning system, which would only be activated when the Leaf is moving at low speeds. So what shall it be? Giving in to a little bit of noise that will ultimately protect pedestrians – or giving drivers the ability to switch off their warning systems when they may not be necessary? Tom Barnard, a Nissan spokesman in the U.K. confirmed that they are disabling the reverse warning systems because of demands from the U.K. government. However, Barnard, points out that they have not yet mentioned the "whoosh"-like sound that the vehicle makes when accelerating. Cars are going to make some noise whether we like it or not, and if they do so in order to protect others, than so be it – I think we can handle it. The British, however, seem a bit too bothered by it. Maybe they’ll change their tune (after Nissan changes theirs.) Source: Edmunds Green Car Advisor
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