Recent Comments:
Wrightspeed "SR-71" will deliver 0-60 in 2.5 seconds {Autoblog Green}
May 24th 2008 8:30AM
But ? ... Hallo ... ?
It's A DEMONSTRATION !
Not "a race" ( who came up with that phrase ? ).
A race has to be fair, per definition, but a demonstration doesn't.
I think it's great w demonstrations like this, that
SHOWS THE PUBLIC THAT EVs ARE VERY POTENT ALTERNATIVES, and NOT just
ridiculous golf-carts.
To beat the horrible Bugatti would
a) prove a point, and
b) provide an interesting approach for reporters to compare the
environmental aspects of the two.
The real 'Race' seems to be within the EV world, re. who will be first to get going any
significant rate of production ?
Volt pricing and timing takes another twist: under $30 grand by 2010? {Autoblog Green}
May 23rd 2008 10:09PM > "fnc"
Preach it brother ! :) =D
Great post ! Bullseye !
Also like to give
CRED TO Jeremy Korzeniewski FOR THIS ARTICLE ! Thnx !
Honda passes the 60 million Cub mark {Autoblog Green}
May 23rd 2008 9:44AM Everything with that one is right !
Simplicity made right can't be beat.
Doesn't need changing - stands to the test of time.
( Did I hear "221 mpg" ? )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLjnqkXNWJs
Palestinian fuel shortage births electric car {Autoblog Green}
May 23rd 2008 8:47AM Bet those guys could sell their "know-how"
to GM for a couple of zillion bucks ! !
> #3 ("meme")
GREAT post !!! =D
American electric car companies prefer Project Fastr Blastr to Project Better Place {Autoblog Green}
May 21st 2008 6:51PM Oh .
Clearify my earlier post :
by "EVs" , I'm talking of Electrical Vehicles IN GENERAL.
Regarding the motor principle (electric), I referred to the vehicles as "EV".
( I thought "pure battery powered vehicles" were going to be called "BEVs" ? )
Bit of an abbrevation confusion :-) ?
American electric car companies prefer Project Fastr Blastr to Project Better Place {Autoblog Green}
May 21st 2008 5:40PM Just like to humbly point out that it seems smarter to not rule out any one alternative.
There are strong undisputable arguments for an exchange system, as well as there are for fast charging.
The important thing is to get EVs produced & used !
What is to say there's a conflict between these lines of system - I'm sure they could develop in co-existance.
To get EVs within price-range QUICKLY, the option to buy the car without the [ present ] gruesome cost for the battery pack, could be decisive for average people.
Also, with time, as technology improves, and prices go down, the choice of renting/leasing a battery pack might turn out the winner.
Small car manufacturers might have an easier task producing their EVs for a standardized battery pack.
- Obviously the Big Boys wouldn't want independents to participate : they'd want it ALL "in-house" ( in THEIR house ).
Finally, I wouldn't want to think ALL THIS TALK of a system with fast charging stations is just a smoke-screen to delay actual production of EVs. - Hm . We'll see ( future will tell ).
What's more polluted? The air outside your car or the air inside your car? {Autoblog Green}
May 21st 2008 1:38PM One PICTURE says more than a thousand words.
- Oh GOD, how did we get here !?
How did we go so astray ?
" And so, the dream of freedom, vannishes away in the haze of exhaust fumes on the congested highways "
Highway To Hell...
Hyundai to join Indian cheap car derby with $3,500 entry {Autoblog Green}
May 21st 2008 11:59AM Agree w #1 ( "Kevin Nugent" )
quote : "The more people have cheap ways of moving around using fossil fuel the worse the pollution gets"
Exactly.
I don't like budget/ultra budget vehicles wherever they come from, whatever the price
AS LONG AS THEY'RE BUILT TO WORK ON FOSSIL FUEL !!
They're REALLY a trap !
Talk abou getting painted into a corner !
We have to QUIT BURNING THINGS to get power !!!!
X Prize contender update: Electric Raceabout debuts on the web {Autoblog Green}
May 20th 2008 9:49PM > #4 ("Joseph")
That's an interesting question.
You have to re-think a lot of issues when the vehicle
is electric.
I certainly don't have all the answers, but in this case there's probably no gearboxes or 'transaxles' :
Quote :
"The carbon fiber body is moved by four electric in-wheel motors."
a) Being built and constructed in Finland, with lots of snow & ice, the choice of 4wd is easy to understand.
b) This car will most certain be a "study project" , as #3 ("Wave54") points out.
Adding a)+ b), you'd expect this concept to include a traction control system.
For a BEV you'd also need a re-generative function.
In my head, this adds up to a quite intricate control system for the four individual motors.
Now back to the original question:
Does it take more energy to propel the vehicle by 4wd than by 2wd ?
I'm not sure it does take more energy in this case.
If there's no mechannical transmission losses, there's just the electronic power regulator, and that should have pretty good efficiency. in any case it wouldn't act any different if it was applied in a 2wd configuration.
Anyone w knowledge to enlighten us here ?
- - -
Just wanna comment on the looks:
The half-matte satin grey in some of those computer
images I could live with - Absolutely smashing ! to
put it another way.
The design itself looks unharmonic though.
Cheers ! :-)
Free green tune-up advice during BMW EfficientDynamics Open Weekend {Autoblog Green}
May 17th 2008 7:13PM After a checkup of what in the world
"Regenerative braking" could mean
- since I couldn't quite picture prestigeous
BMW to go for rubber bands -
it turned out to be a quite intricate
system of easing the alternator load
- a bit - by using inertia to help out.
As far as I know, the alternator load on
an I.C.E. is just around 1 - 2 % IN TOTAL.
No figure was found on what reduction this
system provide, but I doubt it to be over 30%.
I'm not arrogant ; every right step count ,
but 30% of 1% - 2% ( 0.3 - 0.6 %) is just
about offensive.
Summary :
Car makers seem hellbent on continuing w.
combustion engines.
This system calls for lot of technology to achieve
very modest gain, but will certainly create a lot
of (sales)talk.
You'd wish this kind of effort would go into
development of electric propulsion !
Efficiency would improve over 300 % !
The silent, zero emission electric motor would
provide "start/stop" per definition, and
regenerative breaking comes "automacally" :-)
No oil changes ! No spark plugs !
Let's STOP burning things to get power.
