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Barbaton

Turbo Monkey
May 11, 2002
1,477
0
suburban hell
In the world of somewhat less exotics, here's some info on the TDI AUDI TT from Jalopnik:

It's strongly rumored the diesel version of the Audi TT could find its way stateside. With that in mind, the boys over at Popular Mechanics packed their bags and boarded a midnight plane to Blighty to try one out. In a cable back to their New York HQ, they report the oil-burning 2008 Audi TT 2.0 TDI is smooth, refined and makes overtaking easy as a wiggle of your big toe. Exclusively available in the UK with a 6-speed manual, they calculated their average fuel economy during a mix of city and highway driving to be 39.1 MPG (US). That's while making 258 lb-ft and reaching a top speed of 140 MPH, mind you. Please, god of cars, bring us this beautiful torque-heavy 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Please!


39 MPG for a sports car sounds pretty good to me. :)

Article and photos here:
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/industry/bipartisan-group-proposes-84-billion-auto-package/

A group of 10 U.S. Senators representing both the Republican and Democrat parties have proposed an $84 billion package that aims to drastically change the current automotive landscape of America.

Around $20 billion of the package would go to a project to “support the goal of transitioning 85 percent of America’s new motor vehicles to non-petroleum-based fuels within 20 years.”

The package comes in the wake of stunning losses sustained by the Detroit 3 and general concern about America’s automotive future. The package itself consists of several key ideas, including $7.5 billion to encourage the development of alternative fuel vehicles, as well as another $7.5 billion to allow manufacturers to “re-tool and re-equip” in order to make alternative fuel vehicles.

In addition to this, tax incentives would also be provided to the tune of $7,500 for every consumer purchasing a vehicle that primarily runs on non-petroleum fuel, as well as $2,500 to those who modify their current vehicles to run on alternative fuels. Other tax incentives have also been proposed in order to encourage the growth of necessary infrastructure to support alternative fuel vehicles.

There will also be a $500 million grant for innovations that improve fuel efficiency in areas other than powertrains, such as lighter materials, as well as $2.5 billion component for researching biofuels and implementing the necessary infrastructure to make them viable.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
Awesome.



1977 Chevrolet Corvette
6.5L Diesel
May 2002

I live in Cranbrook, British Columbia Canada and drive a diesel GMC Jimmy, a Chevy diesel conversion van and a 1977 Chevrolet Corvette powered by a 6.5L diesel. Some may wonder why I did this - install a 6.5 in a Corvette. To put it simply - fuel economy. Not many cars can handle the weight, is streamlined, won't rust, yet retains its value, and is a sporty - fun car to drive. The Chevrolet Corvette offers all these things. The engine and transmission were installed without any chassis or body modifications.

I installed the engine in May of 2001, and have driven it about 3000 miles since then. We average about 48-mpg Canadian (40-mpg US), and have seen a high of 55-mpg (46-mpg US). We're using a TH700R4 automatic with a manually controlled converter lock-up. I also removed the EGR valve.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
i want this. some day.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/the-company-cla.html





Plug and Fly: The Battery-Powered Plane Makes Its Debut
By Dave Demerjian August 05, 2008 | 10:05:28 AMCategories: Air Travel, Batteries, Electric Vehicles

Take your everyday metal moni motoglider, trick it out with a custom battery pack and you've got the ElectraFlyer C, a small electric airplane that debuted at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, last week.
The plane, which received its airworthiness certificate in April, features a 5.6 kWh lithium battery with a projected life cycle (the number of times it can be depleted and recharged) of 1,000 cycles. The battery has a max weight of 78 pounds and can be custom-built to fit the available space in an airplane. It provides juice for a motor driving a 45-inch superlight PowerFin propeller made of a foam core surrounded by an outer shell of carbon fiber and glass fabric.
Once in the air, the ElectraFlyer C cruises at 70 miles per hour. Top speed is 90 mph and the stall speed is 45. The plane can fly for 90 to 120 minutes before the battery needs recharging. When the battery winds down, just plug it into a 110V outlet -- your house is full of them -- and you're good to go in just more than six hours. Bump the voltage to 220 and you're flying again in two hours.
The people at Electric Aircraft Corporation say the small plane carries some big benefits. The motor is nearly silent, which means no earplugs for pilots, and brings the potential for flying into new sites. And then there's the a dramatic improvement in what the company calls "neighbor relations" -- no droning engines to drive them nuts. Electric motors don't produce a lot of soot or pollution, and overhauls are a snap. And by combining this motor with the ElectraFlyer's slow turning propeller, you've got a flight that is practically vibration free.
But the most compelling sell is an economic one: The company estimates that "refueling" the plane with a full charge of the battery will cost, on average, a whopping sixty cents.
Photos courtesy Electric Aircraft Corporation
more photos at the link.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
It's all fun and games till you crash it
the cool thing is that it's a glider that happens to have an electric motor. although i'm sure its glide ratio isn't as good as a dedicated glider it still should be able to be landed sans power.

:)
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
the cool thing is that it's a glider that happens to have an electric motor. although i'm sure its glide ratio isn't as good as a dedicated glider it still should be able to be landed sans power.

:)
It's all fun and games until a wing falls off. :crazy:
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
the cool thing is that it's a glider that happens to have an electric motor. although i'm sure its glide ratio isn't as good as a dedicated glider it still should be able to be landed sans power.

:)
glider or plane, you can still fly it into the ground
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
Sweet.



Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Automotive, says the car's sleek design is "a direct result of our breakthrough chassis which carries the battery pack at the center of the vehicle between the two axles." He went on to say the car's design will enable it to achieve "industry standard performance figures within this car class." Those claimed figures include 50 miles on a pure electric charge as well as 100 mpg when combined with the car's gasoline or diesel engine.

The starting price will be $80,000 when initial deliveries begin toward the end of 2009 — Fisker is predicting annual production of up to 15,000 cars.
 

aeffertz

Monkey
Jun 12, 2008
441
0
Ladysmith, WI
Here's what I've been using a lot lately.

It isn't street legal, but I still go down the road. I take a little back road to the railroad tracks and ride on the gravel next to them that go through town to get where ever I want.
It's quite nice, except it being so cheaply made, everything rattles off (vibration) and stuff brakes. Last week the chain snapped got a new one, and now this week the tire decided to explode. haha. $30 and she'll be good to go.
It does around 30 mph, and get's about 20 miles to a tank; so about 60 miles to the gallon!
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
I just sent my resume to http://www.brammo.com for Linux Admin. Not my forte, but it would be a sweet company to work for!

In case people forget what they make:

sweet. i'm still seriously considering picking an Enertia up when they finally come to market, and if you could get me employee pricing... :biggrin:
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
sweet. i'm still seriously considering picking an Enertia up when they finally come to market, and if you could get me employee pricing... :biggrin:
I haven't heard back, but I hope to soon. I would for sure hook you up, but you should know that much.

I want an EV Atom :D
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
http://www.nextautos.com/tesla-working-with-other-manufacturers-on-electrics



Tesla plans on launching all-electric city cars in 2010 in collaboration with several manufacturers, reports the UK’s Car Online. The experience and know-how Tesla gathered from the development of its Roadster (seen above) is playing out well in its mission to become more than just an independent car company—in fact, it appears Tesla will become something more like a Tier 1 supplier as well as a manufacturer.

The small city vehicles likely won’t be sold under the Tesla name, but will appear badged by those manufacturers with which the company has a partnership. It’s likely we’ll hear about Tesla’s role in the development of these vehicles, or perhaps see badging to that effect somewhere on them (or inside them). CAR reports that this new platform of small cars will have less in the way of range than Tesla’s own Roadster—227 miles when fully charged—and will be priced at a premium to other small vehicles.

It’s a busy time at Tesla. In addition to the recent launch of their Roadster, the company is hard at work on their “Model S ,” which has been described as either a sports sedan or a five-door hatchback.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
I test drove one of these on Saturday!



2003 C230 Kompressor Sport Coupe (supercharged 4cyl). Not a big fan of the hatchback, but damn it was nice inside. 21-29 per www.fueleconomy.gov and as much as 34mpg on the freeway from actual drivers.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
i test drove a used CLK230 about two years ago... funny car: sporty styling, cool retractable hardtop, but a steering wheel and ratio seemingly straight out of the 1980s mercedes-benz lineup. pulled decently with the supercharger, even with a slushbox.

in a related note the entry page for the peoples'-republic-to-vegas-on-alternative-fuels race has some cool vehicles: http://www.escapefromberkeley.com/?page_id=14 . lotus 7 clone with a Kubota (?!) diesel, anyone?
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
sneaky mazda:

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/mazda-building.html



Autocar quotes unnamed "senior sources" saying Mazda is testing an electric car that uses a Wankel rotary engine to charge the battery. It's the same approach GM is taking with the Volt, which will feature a 1.4-liter gasoline engine and lithium-ion battery. Things are going so well for Mazda that it's got a prototype -- a modified a Mazda MPV -- undergoing road tests. Mazda's brass hats are inclined to produce the car but won't make a firm decision until battery costs come down. GM, on the other hand, is willing to lose its shirt on the Volt.
a mini-review of the ZeroX e-mx bike. street version next year, supposedly:

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/two-wheels-zero.html

 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
good article listing the urban planning challenges preventing more widespread adoption of bike commuting that the US, Australia, and Britain have not overcome. the mention of an automated, robotic bike rack in japan is quite cool, too... PDX gets an honorable mention at the end, although it's interesting to note that Berlin's bike use is manifold that of even "green" PDX.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008149178_bicycles31.html


also, the Chevy Volt has been spied on the set of Transformers 2:

http://transformers.moviechronicles.com/2008-08/footage-of-purple-chevy-volt/
 
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valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
good article listing the urban planning challenges preventing more widespread adoption of bike commuting that the US, Australia, and Britain have not overcome. the mention of an automated, robotic bike rack in japan is quite cool, too... PDX gets an honorable mention at the end, although it's interesting to note that Berlin's bike use is manifold that of even "green" PDX.
It was really noticeable when I was in London last month how many more people are riding than when I was there in 2005.
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I can't figure out how GM was able to make the EV1 20 years ago. A car that worked well, was all electric, and was user friendly enough that they had to tear it out of the owners hands to destoy them. 20 years are millions of $$$ in research and they can't make a car that good for under $40k? But Toyota can? For $22k?
The US gov needs to let GM go under so Toyota can build more cars here.


edit: I just saw the pictures of the real Volt. Way to F it up! I was stoked for the concept, but I wouldn't give that car a 2nd look.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
Well, good effort, though.

There is still no REAL incentive for the big 3 to build a solid EV. Maybe that will change in November, maybe not.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
13,130
4,929
Copenhagen, Denmark
No links to the news about the Honda Insight 2. generation hybrid. I like that they talked about experience has enabled them to build a better and cheaper car - that is pretty good news. The car so far looks good too.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
No links to the news about the Honda Insight 2. generation hybrid. I like that they talked about experience has enabled them to build a better and cheaper car - that is pretty good news. The car so far looks good too.
The spy photos I saw looked exactly like the Prius
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
No links to the news about the Honda Insight 2. generation hybrid. I like that they talked about experience has enabled them to build a better and cheaper car - that is pretty good news. The car so far looks good too.
The spy photos I saw looked exactly like the Prius
plus it's a "mild hybrid" a la the current civic hybrid. can't run on electric juice alone for any distance. sad, even if it will be a good performer especially if it comes in at $18k.

and fwiw i thought the concept volt was ugly and unpractical, not to mention Bob Lutz's comment that it probably would have been more aerodynamic if they ran it backwards in the wind tunnel.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,973
15,049
Portland, OR
Why won't America embrace diesel?

The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have

Automakers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have predicted for years that a technology called "clean diesel" would overcome many Americans' antipathy to a fuel still often thought of as the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers. Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient.

Yet while half of all cars sold in Europe last year ran on diesel, the U.S. market remains relatively unfriendly to the fuel. Taxes aimed at commercial trucks mean diesel costs anywhere from 40 cents to $1 more per gallon than gasoline. Add to this the success of the Toyota Prius, and you can see why only 3% of cars in the U.S. use diesel. "Americans see hybrids as the darling," says Global Insight auto analyst Philip Gott, "and diesel as old-tech."
Not bad looking for a F@rd, either.