Hybrid car owners cite price, technology in refusing to buy again May 12, 2012

For a surprising number of U.S. hybrid car owners, the experience is one and done.
According to recent analysis by Polk Automotive, last year just 35 percent chose to buy another hybrid when it came time for a new car. Loyalty dropped even more, to about 33 percent, in eco-conscious cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland.
Despite a desire to help the environment, lighten fuel bills or reduce dependence on foreign oil, hybrid owners’ decision to buy a second one comes down to dollars and cents.
“There are a lot of gasoline-powered vehicles out there that are much more fuel efficient, and cost thousands of dollars less than their hybrid counterparts,” says Lacey Plache, chief economist with Edmunds.com.
Industry expert and UC Berkeley Prof. Harley Shaiken says the payback period for a hybrid often exceeds 6 years– the average time car owners hold on to their vehicle.
“If you take two similar, even identical models, one a hybrid, one not, for the Ford Fusion, for example, you’re paying a $5,000 premium up front, versus a non-hybrid,” explains Shaiken. “Going forward, it could take 8 to10 years to make up that savings. If you only plan to keep the car for 6 or 8 years, you are not going to see it. People are thinking twice about that kind of a decision.”
For Los Angeles resident Bruce Cornelius, the decision was less about the cost, more about the hybrid technology and performance. He says his 2008 Honda Civic hybrid didn’t get close to the promised 45 miles per gallon — more like around 28. Echoing complaints made by scores of other Honda hybrid owners, Bruce says the electric battery system often failed, which meant his green car released carbon emissions just like the Mercedes-Benz he’d given up.
“They weren’t delivering on the gas mileage, and they really weren’t delivering on the green benefits of owning a vehicle like that,” says Cornelius, speaking about Honda.
Some states have also put the brakes on tax credits, use of car pool lanes, and other perks once given to hybrid drivers.
Analysts predict the low repurchase rate will motivate car makers to improve the technology, and dealerships to lower sticker prices. They say it’s either going to take reductions in price, or soaring costs for gas, to bring former hybrid owners back for a second tour.
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1,626 Miles On One Tank? Meet The Taylors & Their VW Passat May 11, 2012

John & Helen Taylor (High Gear Media)

There are many routes to outstanding fuel efficiency, but it’s often diesel that’s chosen to demonstrate the highest mpg numbers and longest distances.

Mileage experts Helen and John Taylor achieved both, to become the world record holders for the longest distance driven on one tank of fuel, using a Volkswagen Passat TDI.

In driving from Houston, Texas to Sterling, Virginia, the Taylors drove 1,626 miles on a single 19.322 gallon fill of clean diesel. That equates to an average economy figure of 84.1 miles per gallon.

The Taylors were determined to make it a proper test too, rather than making it too easy. To that end, all the driving was done during the day in normal traffic conditions, rather than at night. The car was completely standard–a 140hp, 2.0-liter TDI, with a six-speed manual transmission–with 120 pounds of luggage in the trunk. The Taylors took turns at driving, and drove no more than 14 hours per day.

To ensure the test was conducted accurately, the speedometer was correctly calibrated for accuracy, recording parity at 20, 50 and 70 mph. The odometer was reading slightly under, so all figures were corrected to maintain accuracy.

The fuel used was verified by Senior Police Officer Daniel M. Rodriguez in Texas, then sealed and signed. Motel managers along the route also signed to confirm the seal was still intact, before it was finally signed for and removed by Deputy Sheriff Alonzo Perry at the end of the drive.

The Passat’s 84 mpg rating by the end of the drive is nearly double that rated by the EPA, with an official highway figure of 43 mpg. Many Volkswagen diesel drivers have found that the EPA figures for their cars are slightly pessimistic, and average economy figures of more than 40 mpg aren’t uncommon.

The Taylors’ endeavor has earned them a place in the record books, but we wouldn’t put it past the next record being in a Passat TDI too. The previous record-holder, at 1,526.6 miles, was also a Passat–the 1.6 TDI BlueMotion model, sold in Europe.

Source

Seven Awesome DIY Star Wars Vehicles July 15, 2011

Vehicles from the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy were the coolest things in the movies. What’s more exciting than recreating them using recycled and repurposed materials?

The original Star Wars trilogy rules, period. The plot is awesome, the characters so memorable that they’ll stay with you for the rest of your life and the effects still put most CGI wannabes in the shade. Yet, while the story carries along like you’re sat in a Landspeeder, and the human element is undoubtedly entertaining, those movies were visual masterpieces first and foremost, and it was the many amazing vehicles that captured our imaginations as much as anything else.

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Bacterial Breakthrough Could Lead to Cheap, Renewable Bio-Batteries May 24, 2011

Bacteria can 'breathe' many different substances, incluidng oxygen, minerals and human or animal waste -- which could be an alternate source of power. (Thomas Clarke)

You may not think twice about what goes down the drain in your toilet. But soon, what you’re flushing away could turn on the lights in your home.

This unique take on recycling comes from a substantial discovery concerning the way in which bacteria transfer electrical charges — and it could lead to the development of “bio-batteries” or bacteria-fueled electrodes. Eventually, these fuel cells could take human or animal waste and convert it into usable energy.

“The exciting thing is that we really never understood how the electrons were getting on the surface,” Dr. Tom Clarke, one of the lead researchers on the project from the University of East Anglia, told FoxNews.com. “What happens in this process is that bacteria take in organic carbon molecules and ‘chew’ them inside the cell, which then releases electrons.”

The project — funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the U.S. Department of Energy — has revealed how the microscopic molecular structure of bacteria proteins allows for energy transfer.

Multiple layers of proteins inside bacteria essentially act as the cell’s organic power lines, enabling electrons produced within the bacteria to be transferred to the bacteria’s surface. Now that scientists understand what’s happening on the surface, they will be able to produce a cell that can connect to the bacteria.

Then the bacteria can feed off the electrode, and in return, generate electrons.

The process is called iron respiration, but the researchers have colloquially dubbed it “breathing rocks.”

“Bacteria have a whole different arsenal of things to breathe other than just oxygen. They can breathe on mineral oxides, so this process of bacteria sitting on rocks and breathing rocks can be applied to electrodes. Bacteria can breathe on the electrodes and produce electrons.”

There have been attempts to harness electricity on the surface of bacteria before, but lacking the knowledge discovered in this project, only small amounts of energy were able to be obtained. Now sizable amounts of electricity can be put towards practical use.

“It offers a very nice method of getting ecologically sound energy,” Dr. Clarke told FoxNews.com. “You can build these electrodes into places such as waste treatment plants. The bacteria can digest waste material and produce energy.”

Along with running an everyday generator, the discovery could also aid in the cleanup of pollution caused by oil or uranium. And the overall benefit — the bacteria being used for the electrodes — is both plentiful and renewable.

“One of the advantages of the bacteria we’re looking at is they’re found everywhere already,” Dr. Clarke told FoxNews.com. “They actually live in the ground or in very common places. If you look at a lot of the names of what we’re considering, they’re in every single lake already.”

“All we would be doing is changing the surface that they live on,” he said.

Source

Car that runs on nothing but water unveiled in Japan. No gasoline, no battery recharging and no emissions. May 23, 2011

Japanese-made car that runs on NOTHING but water, and NO BATTERIES

Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water. The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car’s tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car.  The electric powered car can run on any type of water (you can even use tea and soda…etc).  The car can run for an hour at about 50 miles per hour  on just a liter of water; about 2 cans of soda worth.  Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.

Unlike other electric cars, the Genepax car does not require that batteries be recharged and has no emission. The water electrical generator is located in the back of the car and when water is poured it is then broken down in order to create electricity to power the car. Imagine what such a generator could do to the oil industry, the nuclear plants and the electrical grid.

That story broke in 2008.  Today Japan is producing hydrogen fueled cars – the Honda FCX Clarity.  Combine the technology of Genepax with the technology of the Honda FCX Clarity and you have a full production vehicle that uses no gasoline.  No gasoline combustion means zero emissions.

In 2010, it is reported that there are a total of 50 FCX Clarity available for lease in the U.S with a target to have 200 available world-wide.

The Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell-electric vehicle has been chosen to be the pace car for the opening race of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series, from 25-27 March 2011.  This is the first-time a hydrogen-powered vehicle will pace an IZOD IndyCar Series race in the United States.

Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in a fuel cell, the FCX Clarity’s only emission is water and its fuel efficiency is three times that of a similar-sized petrol-powered automobile. The FCX Clarity’s performance and acceleration are comparable to a 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder engine with an EPA certified range of 240 miles. The compact and powerful Honda V Flow Fuel Cell Stack allows for unprecedented spaciousness and a futuristically stylish, low-slung design and spacious interior.

Since the vehicle’s unveiling there were nearly 80,000 people around the world who expressed interest in owning a FCX Calrity.  80,000 people who won’t be buying any more gasoline once they take possession.

Source

Indian Students Invent Eco-Friendly Motorbike April 22, 2011

Oxygen Bike

In a bid to promote green energy, engineering students from Palwal City in India’s northern Haryana state, have designed a motorbike that runs on oxygen.

The students say their model is a breakthrough invention for eco-friendly vehicles and will reduce dependency on non-renewable fuels such as gasoline and diesel.

[Pratham Pal, Engineering Student]:
“This bike is different from others because the engine doesn’t burn fuel, nor does the temperature rise. The air is compressed and transferred to the engine without any combustion. The piston reciprocates from the air pressure leading to an up-down movement, making the flywheel run and the bike move.”

Students say the basic concept behind the invention is to achieve an equivalent thrust of blast inside the engine without using any combustion.

The bike can run at a speed of six to 12 miles an hour for up to 370 miles using 100 liters of 300 PSI oxygen.

Eco-friendly vehicles are becoming more popular in India as pollution increases, making the students’ prototype viable.

The students are hoping to get financial assistance to develop their prototype further so that they can reach a wider range of customers.

Source and Video of Oxygen Bike

New engine sends shock waves through auto industry April 15, 2011

Prototype could potentially decrease auto emissions up to 90 percent

An illustration of the Wave Disk Generator.

Despite shifting into higher gear within the consumer’s green conscience, hybrid vehicles are still tethered to the gas pump via a fuel-thirsty 100-year-old invention: the internal combustion engine.

However, researchers at Michigan State University have built a prototype gasoline engine that requires no transmission, crankshaft, pistons, valves, fuel compression, cooling systems or fluids. Their so-called Wave Disk Generator could greatly improve the efficiency of gas-electric hybrid automobiles and potentially decrease auto emissions up to 90 percent when compared with conventional combustion engines.

The engine has a rotor that’s equipped with wave-like channels that trap and mix oxygen and fuel as the rotor spins. These central inlets are blocked off, building pressure within the chamber, causing a shock wave that ignites the compressed air and fuel to transmit energy.

The Wave Disk Generator uses 60 percent of its fuel for propulsion; standard car engines use just 15 percent. As a result, the generator is 3.5 times more fuel efficient than typical combustion engines.

Researchers estimate the new model could shave almost 1,000 pounds off a car’s weight currently taken up by conventional engine systems.

Last week, the prototype was presented to the energy division of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is backing the Michigan State University Engine Research Laboratory with $2.5 million in funding.

Michigan State’s team of engineers hope to have a car-sized 25-kilowatt version of the prototype ready by the end of the year.

Source

NASA Shows Off Planes of the Future January 17, 2011

NASA is looking into advanced aircraft that could enter service within the next 25 years — designs that range from the familiar to the very far out.

Other revolutionary technologies help achieve range, payload and environmental goals

 

See Slideshow

3D printer prints out fully functioning hybrid car November 4, 2010

A full-scale prototype, along with this 1/6 scale finished model of the Urbee will be displayed at the SEMA automotive show in Las Vegas next week. Photo: Kor Ecologic

• 3D printer prints whole car body
• Car is “as green as possible”
• Process uses no tooling or machining

IT didn’t jam the printer but there’s no guarantee it won’t get stuck in traffic.

Two companies in the US have partnered to design and create Urbee – the car built entirely by a 3D printer.

Urbee was made using additive manufacturing processes, which prints layer upon layer of material to create a product.

Many manufacturers, including aeroplane giant Boeing, print their parts, but this is the first time an entire machine prototype has been created using the 3D printing process.

Every exterior component of Urbee, including the windscreen, was made using Dimension 3D printers and Fortus 3D Production Systems by Stratasys, who teamed up with Kor Ecologic to create the energy efficient car.

Jim Kor, president and chief technology officer for Kor Ecologic, said the process eliminated tooling, machining and handwork.

“If you can get to a pilot run without any tooling, you have advantages,” he said.

The electric/petrol hybrid car is extremely fuel efficient, getting approximately 85km/L on the highway.

A standard 4WD uses about 10 times the amount of petrol to go the same distance.

The futuristic looking vehicle can be charged from a regular household power outlet – just plug it in overnight – or can draw power from renewable sources such as sunlight or wind.

This combined with the environmentally friendly production process is part of the manufacturers’ goal of Urbee being “as green as possible”.

There are no current plans to go into mass production but Urbee will be on display in Las Vegas at SEMA 2010 later this month.

Source

Google’s Automated Toyota Prius October 13, 2010

Autodrive Prius

If you’re going to be testing unmarked automated cars in the field, inevitably people will get curious and – because it’s 2010 and all – whip out their video cameras or cellphones to record them in action. If you’re Robert Scoble, you’ll even do it while driving.

Hence the video of Google’s awesome automated Toyota Prius cars we posted earlier (as well as Scoble’s).

But here’s one that was captured last March at the Googleplex, stopping for a red light, giving the guy who recorded the video (hat tip to Van Tucker) the chance to get some close-ups of the car and the sensor that’s mounted on top.

I’m terribly excited about the prospects of automated cars becoming the trend in, say, a decade or so. And you’ll get to brag that you watched one of the first videos of Google testing the technology on the road back in 2010. Unless it flops, of course, in which case you’ll still get to say you watched a video of another thing Google cooked up but never got anywhere.

Still, kudos for the desire to innovate, you Mountain View idealists you.

 

Google Automated Prius at Google Campus – March 2010 from Van Tucker on Vimeo.