[chicodude]

i bought it and took it home! its parking space is, uh, my living room. it fits through the front door just barely, but fit it does. (a door that opens to the street/alley is one of the reasons i chose my apartment.)

domesticated scooter - april 21, 2009

So are you going road trip that badboi to New York?

 

[Toshi]

So are you going road trip that badboi to New York?

i'd have some awesome core conditioning after holding myself up into the wind for all those hours! but no: it's going to make the trip on a palette in the back of the moving truck. i'm going to fly as i have all of 2 days off between my last day here in seattle and my first in new york. eventually i want to tour around the five boroughs on the scooter but will need to get much more comfortable with east coast traffic in the 'burbs before that happens! seattle drivers are polite to a fault, for the most part…

 

[jimmydean]

So are you going road trip that badboi to New York?

If it don't fit on the bike, you don't need it.

 

[Toshi]

If it don't fit on the bike, you don't need it.

i wonder if the tilt-lock mechanism would still work at stoplights with jessica's piano strapped to the pillion seat, hmm

 

[dan-o]

i wonder if the tilt-lock mechanism would still work at stoplights with jessica's piano strapped to the pillion seat, hmm

Isn't on casters? Nothing a tow strap and wide load banner couldn't handle.

 

[Westy]

Nice ride Toshi. May you get asmany real miles out of it as you have gotten internet miles.

 

[stevew]

i wasn't quick enough with my phone camera......i saw a bio diesel mercedes the other day....the luxury boat class....

 

[DaveW]

Hey looks like Germany is jumping on the band wagon on scrap your old wheels and get a discount towards a new ride!

Germany's scrapping bonus for old cars has proved so popular that the city of Mannheim is offering it for old bicycles.

Cool!

 

[Toshi]

Nice ride Toshi. May you get asmany real miles out of it as you have gotten internet miles.

nicely played

 

[Toshi]

in honor of earth day, seven cycles has released a limited edition commuter bike. for $5900 USD.

<gags>

"The timing happened to coincide with Earth Day, so we designed the bike to promote sustainability and responsible resource use on a daily basis. We're trying to add value for the rider who seeks not only fitness and convenience, but is environmentally conscious."

Seven start with their straight-gauge titanium Muse frame, using sandblasted graphics on the frame rather than traditional adhesive decals, in order to limit resource use. In addition to the standard graphics, each frame includes a sandblasted Earth Graphic on the front of the head tube.

According to Crowe, Seven have increased their strict standards for energy and resource reduction in the making of these bikes.

"Many processes that require significant power usage will be performed using manual labor. This creates a 25 percent reduction in energy costs,” Crowe explained. "A team of Seven artisans who commute exclusively by bike will handle all design and fabrication. When ready, the bikes will ship via FedEx Ground in a reused box and packing materials."

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/seven-cycles-offers-earth-day-commuter-model-21080

as bike snob nyc rightly points out this seems more an exercise in self-congratulation than anything else.

 

[syadasti]

Most of the time consuming/buying new goods to save resources is realistically a selfish (less effort/time/money) non-eco friendly choice compared to just maintaining/retrofitting what you already have until it is run in to the ground or recycling something already out there. Lots of articles/TV shows/etc miss that point but then again they would not get much commercial funding otherwise

 

[Toshi]

Most of the time consuming/buying new goods to save resources is realistically a selfish (less effort/time/money) non-eco friendly choice compared to just maintaining/retrofitting what you already have until it is run in to the ground or recycling something already out there. Lots of articles/TV shows/etc miss that point but then again they would not get much commercial funding otherwise

the problem with this argument is that not everyone can, say, buy used cars. (where would used cars come from if no one bought new?) when making an individual choice please do consider used. but it's unfair to compare a used car with a new one outside of this context.

speaking of new cars and eco-friendly, toyota announced that the 2010 Prius will have a base MSRP of $21,000, or only $1200 more than the 2010 Honda Insight.

i sense a rumble in the marketplace… more signs that competition is a good thing.

 

[CBJ]

The reviews are good and looks like a really nice update to the Prius. The solar cells cooling system in the roof I just don't understand why it has not been introduced before. Even if it was not to save energy it would be nice to step into a car that is not a finish sauna.

 

[syadasti]

the problem with this argument is that not everyone can, say, buy used cars. (where would used cars come from if no one bought new?) when making an individual choice please do consider used. but it's unfair to compare a used car with a new one outside of this context.

I did not mean only cars. Also many goods are on upsizing trends, things are engineered to fail/not built as well, and people often upgrade early which use more resources even when people buy the green choice - cars, homes, mass adoption of bigger TVs and high powered home stereos, monitors, desktop computer (today's high-end PSUs are rated for 2-3 times compared to a few generations ago), etc.

Its a fact though that cars are some of the most recycled machines on earth too.

 

[Toshi]

first review that i've seen of the Zero S:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/23/engadget-shreds-on-the-zero-s-all-electric-motorcycle-with-video/

$10,000 USD. available for purchase. curb weight of 225 lbs, 80 lbs of which is lithium. 31 hp but 62.5 ft.-lbs. of torque at 0 rpm. top speed limited to 60 mph. 60 mile max range.

By far the biggest drawback of this bike is its cost. At just shy of $10,000 it's nearly $4,000 more than a comparable 250cc supermoto, and while $.40 fill-ups from any 110 or 220 volt outlet sounds fantastic, given the 70+ mpg figures from the gas-powered competition in this class you'd have to drive hundreds of thousands of miles to make up the difference. Factor in reduced maintenance costs (no oil to change, coolant to flush, carbs to clean, valves to adjust, etc.) and that horizon gets a little closer, but the decision to buy one of these right now is not going to be based on economics.

You'll have to be the sort who wants to change the planet, be on the cutting edge of the future of transportation, or simply ride something that's different. Most of all you'll have to not want to go anywhere further than 60 miles round-trip, because that's as far you're going to get on a charge. Given the skinny, moto-style seat here you probably wouldn't want to sit on it for much longer than that anyhow.

It's a great bike, a real bike, and while it has more than a few shortcomings and a price that places it well into the "want" category and far from the "need," it's hugely fun to ride and, given that it makes no noise, legal to take to places where noise regulations would otherwise prohibit. Oh, and did we mention it's good for the environment? Yeah, that too.

 

[jimmydean]

That's why I am waiting on the KTM. I expect the KTM to com in around $8k. Still not "cheap" but in line with the KTM gassers. $10k is too rich for my blood, still.

 

[Toshi]

That's why I am waiting on the KTM. I expect the KTM to com in around $8k. Still not "cheap" but in line with the KTM gassers. $10k is too rich for my blood, still.

no word on price but the latest scuttlebutt is that the electric moto will be coming in 2011:

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/Breaking+News/KTM-Cuts-Staff-Plans-Decreased-Production/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/594989?contextCategoryId=2704

two interesting bits in there. the first, on the electric moto:

…the development of an electric powered off-road bike… to be offered in the 2011 model year.

the second is on a truly oddball beast, should it ever see production:

KTM says co-development with Bajaj will continue on other models and vehicles featuring “alternative drive concepts” for off-road and urban use. As Dealernews previously reported, KTM has filed a patent application for a two-wheel drive motorcycle whereby the front wheel is driven by an electric motor and the rear wheel is driven by an internal combustion engine.

 

[jimmydean]

A 2wd moto isn't entirely new, but a gas/electric certainly is. Could be interesting, for sure.

 

[Toshi]

think the parallelogram front suspension system on the MP3 is too froufrou? apparently this guy did:

two non-tilting wheels up front. a golden motor hubmotor out back. and, uh, it tilts&#8230; in that he rides it in corners with the outside wheel lifted up off the ground!

http://trahantering.se/ebike/video/ <-- go about halfway into it

 

[Toshi]

Jeremy Clarkson reviews the Vespa GTV Navy 125:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article4963194.ece

Recently, various newspapers ran a photograph of me on a small motorcycle. They all pointed out that I hate motorbikes and that by riding one I had exposed myself as a hypocrite who should commit suicide immediately.

Hmmm. Had I been photographed riding the local postmistress, then, yes, I’d have been shamed into making some kind of apology. But it was a motorcycle. And I don’t think it even remotely peculiar that a motoring journalist should ride such a thing. Not when there is a problem with the economy and many people are wondering if they should make a switch from four wheels to two.

Unfortunately, you cannot make this switch on a whim, because this is Britain and there are rules. Which means that before climbing on board you must go to a car park, put on a high-visibility jacket and spend the morning driving round some cones while a man called Dave — all motorcycle instructors are called Dave — explains which lever does what.

Afterwards, you will be taken on the road, where you will drive about for several hours in a state of abject fear and misery, and then you will go home and vow never to get on a motorcycle ever again.

This is called compulsory basic training and it allows you to ride any bike up to 125cc. If you want to ride something bigger, you must take a proper test. But, of course, being human, you will not want a bigger bike, because then you will be killed immediately while wearing clothing from the Ann Summers “Dungeon” range.

Right, first things first. The motorbike is not like a car. It will not stand up when left to its own devices. So, when you are not riding it, it must be leant against a wall or a fence. I’m told some bikes come with footstools which can be lowered to keep them upright. But then you have to lift the bike onto this footstool, and that’s like trying to lift up an American.

Next: the controls. Unlike with a car, there seems to be no standardisation in the world of motorcycling. Some have gearlevers on the steering wheel. Some have them on the floor, which means you have to shift with your feet — how stupid is that? — and some are automatic.

Then we get to the brakes. Because bikes are designed by bikers — and bikers, as we all know, are extremely dim — they haven’t worked out how the front and back brake can be applied at the same time. So, to stop the front wheel, you pull a lever on the steering wheel, and to stop the one at the back, you press on a lever with one of your feet.

A word of warning, though. If you use only the front brake, you will fly over the steering wheel and be killed. If you try to use the back one, you will use the wrong foot and change into third gear instead of stopping. So you’ll hit the obstacle you were trying to avoid, and you’ll be killed.

Then there is the steering. The steering wheel comes in the shape of what can only be described as handlebars, but if you turn them — even slightly — while riding along, you will fall off and be killed. What you have to do is lean into the corner, fix your gaze on the course you wish to follow, and then you will fall off and be killed.

As far as the minor controls are concerned, well . . . you get a horn and lights and indicators, all of which are operated by various switches and buttons on the steering wheel, but if you look down to see which one does what, a truck will hit you and you will be killed. Oh, and for some extraordinary reason, the indicators do not self-cancel, which means you will drive with one of them on permanently, which will lead following traffic to think you are turning right. It will then undertake just as you turn left, and you will be killed.

What I’m trying to say here is that, yes, bikes and cars are both forms of transport, but they have nothing in common. Imagining that you can ride a bike because you can drive a car is like imagining you can swallow-dive off a 90ft cliff because you can play table tennis.

However, many people are making the switch because they imagine that having a small motorcycle will be cheap. It isn’t. Sure, the 125cc Vespa I tried can be bought for £3,499, but then you will need a helmet (£300), a jacket (£500), some Freddie Mercury trousers (£100), shoes (£130), a pair of Kevlar gloves (£90), a coffin (£1,000), a headstone (£750), a cremation (£380) and flowers in the church (£200).

In other words, your small 125cc motorcycle, which has no boot, no electric windows, no stereo and no bloody heater even, will end up costing more than a Volkswagen Golf. That said, a bike is much cheaper to run than a car. In fact, it takes only half a litre of fuel to get from your house to the scene of your first fatal accident. Which means that the lifetime cost of running your new bike is just 50p.

So, once you have decided that you would like a bike, the next problem is choosing which one. And the simple answer is that, whatever you select, you will be a laughing stock. Motorbiking has always been a hobby rather than an alternative to proper transport, and as with all hobbies, the people who partake are extremely knowledgeable. It often amazes me that in their short lives bikers manage to learn as much about biking as people who angle, or those who watch trains pull into railway stations.

Whatever. Because they are so knowledgeable, they will know precisely why the bike you select is rubbish and why theirs is superb. Mostly, this has something to do with “getting your knee down”, which is a practice undertaken by bikers moments before the crash that ends their life.

You, of course, being normal, will not be interested in getting your knee down; only in getting to work and most of the way home again before you die. That’s why I chose to test the Vespa, which is much loathed by trainspotting bikers because they say it is a scooter. This is racism. Picking on a machine because it has no crossbar is like picking on a person because he has slitty eyes or brown skin. Frankly, I liked the idea of a bike that has no crossbar, because you can simply walk up to the seat and sit down. Useful if you are Scottish and go about your daily business in a skirt.

I also liked the idea of a Vespa because most bikes are Japanese. This means they are extremely reliable so you cannot avoid a fatal crash by simply breaking down. This is entirely possible on a Vespa because it is made in Italy.

Mind you, there are some drawbacks you might like to consider. The Vespa is not driven by a chain. Instead, the engine is mounted to the side of the rear wheel for reasons that are lost in the mists of time and unimportant anyway. However, it means the bike is wider and fitted with bodywork like a car, to shroud the moving hot bits. That makes it extremely heavy. Trying to pick it up after you’ve fallen off it is impossible.

What’s more, because the heavy engine is on the right, the bike likes turning right much more than it likes turning left. This means that in all left-handed bends, you will be killed.

Unless you’ve been blown off by the sheer speed of the thing. At one point I hit 40mph and it was as though my chest was being battered by a freezing-cold hurricane. It was all I could do to keep a grip on the steering wheel with my frostbitten fingers.

I therefore hated my experience of motorcycling and would not recommend it to anyone.

The Clarksometer

If you like misery, climb aboard

 

[IH8Rice]

^^ Clarkson is the man! except towards America

But then you have to lift the bike onto this footstool, and that&#8217;s like trying to lift up an American.

- being able to legally use the HOV lane as a solo motorcyclist is really nice!

how can you use the HOV lane by yourself?

 

[Toshi]

how can you use the HOV lane by yourself?

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freewaymgmt/hovguidance/chapter3.htm#chp3b4

Motorcycles and bicycles - 23 U.S.C. 166(b)(2)

Motorcycles and bicycles must be allowed to use HOV facilities. However, a State may elect to restrict motorcycle or bicycle (or both) use of an HOV facility due to safety concerns. If a State does decide to exclude motorcycles and/or bicycles, a certification stating that their presence creates a safety hazard must be submitted to the FHWA for approval. Prior to acceptance, the FHWA will publish the request in the Federal Register, providing an opportunity for public comment. After the State has addressed the comments received (if any), FHWA will approve the request. States should submit their certifications to the FHWA Division Office.

the bicycles provision relates to bus and carpool lanes on city roads, not on highways where bicycles are disallowed, clearly. the provision for motorcycles applies everywhere, on the other hand: to be eligible for DOT funding all states must allow motorcycles in the HOV lane. bam.

 

[IH8Rice]

wow, never knew that. i dont even recall ever seeing bikes in HOV lanes, but then again, NJ stopped using HOV lanes years ago

 

[jimmydean]

Aero-X. 100% Ethanol

 

[DaveW]

Thats HOT!!!!!!

 

[IH8Rice]

saab lthumbsdown:

 

[jimmydean]

saab lthumbsdown:

It could be made by Yugo and I still wouldn't care, it's still hot! They just did a feature on it on Planet Green.

 

[Toshi]

1) video of a GM spokesdrone talking about the Volt mules. no new information but sums up the current information pretty well. high-def if you click through.

2) the Nikkei Shinbun reports that honda and toyota make $3100 per hybrid sold. this in contrast to some right wing-nuts who claim that toyota loses money on each prius.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/28/honda-toyota-make-3-100-profit-on-each-hybrid-sold/

According to the Japanese newspaper Nikkei (via Green Car Congress), each hybrid that Honda and Toyota sell earns the respective company about $3,100 in profit. Of course, Toyota also sells the Lexus hybrids, which bumps up the average, and the numbers are calculated using 2008 sales of the second-generation Prius, but this is still good news for the Japanese automakers. In fact, Green Car Congress says that the companies make as much money on each hybrid as they do on each small, gasoline-engined vehicle they sell.

3) Nissan-Renault and the city of Seattle announce a zero-emissions vehicle alliance.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/28/nissan-and-seattle-partner-up-for-electric-cars/

Nissan and the City of Seattle share in the belief that electric vehicles offer one of the best solutions to reducing CO2 emissions. ?

In Seattle, power comes from the city's utility, Seattle City Light, the first public utility in the world to be "net zero" for greenhouse gas emissions. ? "Electric-powered transportation is particularly attractive in a city with a carbon-neutral utility, generating clean electricity through hydropower."

As part of the agreement, Nissan and the City of Seattle will develop plans to promote a charging infrastructure for EVs, as well as the deployment, operation and maintenance of a charging network. The partners also will work to coordinate the establishment of policies and help streamline the deployment of an EV infrastructure. Nissan also has agreed to make available a supply of EVs in and around the Seattle metropolitan area.

if this plays out right it might make seattle a more attractive place for jessica and i to move back to in 2014, when i'm due to finish my fellowship after finishing up my residency program in 2013. of course, there are some other very cool places with this, too: portland (iirc), the bay area (of course), and hawaii (!)?

 

[IH8Rice]

oooo 40 miles on a battery...big deal.

i predict now that the Volt with be a large FAIL on GM's part

 

[Toshi]

oooo 40 miles on a battery...big deal.

i predict now that the Volt with be a large FAIL on GM's part

40 miles on a battery with no backup save for a 110V outlet and 8 hours would suck. but 40 miles on a battery with range only limited by finding a gas station every 400 miles is an entirely different proposition.

for those of us living in areas with predominantly renewable electric power—more on this tonight—then a Volt might make sense. people in coal-heavy West Virginia probably would be better suited with a Prius.

 

[IH8Rice]

i can see where youre coming from, but this car is suppose to be GM's big solution to the "car mpg problem," but hell, the Gwhiz has been able to get 48mpg for sometime now or 75 miles for the new Lion battery

 

[Toshi]

for those of us living in areas with predominantly renewable electric power—more on this tonight—then a Volt might make sense. people in coal-heavy West Virginia probably would be better suited with a Prius.

i don't have the coherency of thought at this hour to string together a comprehensive post, but i do have a bunch of disjoint thoughts on this topic, surprise, surprise:

1) http://www.cleanairnet.org/transport/1754/articles-69297_resource_1.pdf is a great paper from the MIT Energy Lab detailing life cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for various car technologies. here's the money shot, so to speak:

2) from the above one might conclude that hybrids are a superior option to battery-electric vehicles since their energy use and GHG emissions are comparable—with lower uncertainty to boot—and their cost is lower. indeed, i came to this conclusion as well many pages back in either this thread or its predecessor, the enertia bike thread: a Prius might make more environmental sense than a Volt or a Tesla.

3) what assumptions underlie the above conclusion, that hybrids have equivalent energy and GHG usage and lower cost than battery-electric vehicles?

the first assumption is of 5.1 cent/kWh offpeak electricity (page 2-12 in the paper). the second assumption is of a mix of 52% coal, 28% natural gas, 10% nuclear, 9% renewables, and 1% petroleum in the generation of this electricity (page 2-11). the third assumption is of a conventional vehicle design for electric cars, albeit with a reduced weight and a Cd of 0.22, with tank-to-wheels efficiency of about 60% (table 3.4, page 3-24). the final assumption is of battery technology essentially equivalent to lithium-ion.

from the above we see that electric cars are really efficient from the point that electricity is supplied to the battery onwards through driving the thing. the electric car falls on its face due to inefficiency in the areas of electrical production and distribution. again, note the 52% coal in the power generation mix assumption! in the authors words, from page 3-31:

While battery electric propulsion systems require the lowest energy input (as electricity) to the vehicle, even with optimistic assumptions about future battery technology, when allowance is made for the efficiency of electricity production and distribution, the total energy input to the electrical system is larger than the gasoline or diesel hybrid (see Chapter 5), and the price is higher, with the battery technology we have considered.

4) do these assumptions and conclusions change based on vehicle type?

the authors make the assumption that the car of the future will be similar to cars of today, just powered by different means. from page 5-2, "we have arbitrarily assumed that the level of amenities, performance, and interior space will remain similar to today’s fleet average car." this isn't necessarily true, however! in particular, the Aptera 2e is a huge departure from the norm:

- it weighs 1800 lbs as opposed to the 3600+ lbs now common in midsize cars
- its CdA (coefficient of drag * frontal area) of 2.11 ft^2 is absolutely tiny compared to a 2004 Prius's figure of 6.24 ft^2 or a Hummer H2's 26.5 ft^2 (! yeah, insane)
- it is designed to use recycled materials, in its interior, for instance, and its carbon shell would be recycled easier, leading to lower energy inputs both in manufacture and eventual disposal
- it is going to average about 96 Watt-hours of electricity usage per mile driven, as compared to 30 Wh/mile that i use on my much smaller, much slower electric bike or about 250 Wh/mile that plug-in Prius conversions tend to use

what do these bits of tech-jargon mean in the big picture? designs like the Aptera can reduce the energy requirements of a car by a factor of 3 compared to a Prius, which in turn is already about twice as efficient as most cars out on the road. multiply those together and you have a vehicle that's nearly an order of magnitude more efficient than some of the gas guzzlers on the road today. (do note that the Aptera design is powertrain agnostic, and indeed might work very well with a catalyzed, small gasoline or diesel engine, not just with a battery pack and electric motor. it'll be offered as an electric only at first, however.)

5) do these assumptions and conclusions change based on region?

NPR published a nice interactive map of the US power grid here: http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2009/apr/electric-grid/ . also on this map is a summary of state by state electrical power generation. recall from the MIT Energy Lab paper that the greatest inefficiencies with battery-electric vehicles lies not in the vehicles or batteries themselves but rather in power generation and distribution. local, renewable energy is a solution to this problem.

a few interesting states:

nationwide assumptions from the MIT Energy Lab study discussed above:
52% coal
28% natural gas
10% nuclear
9% renewables
1% petroleum

washington
71% hydro(electric)
10% coal
8% gas
8% nuclear

california
47% gas
20% hydro
18% nuclear
7% geothermal

texas
49% gas
37% coal
10% nuclear

west virginia
98% coal
2% hydro

new york
29% nuclear
22% gas
17% hydro
16% oil

vermont
71% nuclear
21% hydro
7% biomass

as you can see the states are all over the map! at one end you have states such as vermont (99% renewable) and washington (79% renewable with an option for individuals like myself to buy credits for 100% renewable), and at the other you have states such as west virginia (2% renewable) and texas (10% renewable).

6) Cliffs Notes, or what does this all mean?

from parts 1 and 2 we see that a rigorous study demonstrates that hybrids and battery-electric vehicles are roughly comparable in terms of lifecycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. from parts 3 and 4 we see that radical designs such as the Aptera can reduce energy use by about 60% compared even to a Prius, which is in turn much more efficient than your garden variety car. finally, from part 6 we see that some states have very low rates of renewable power generation while others are very high even today.

in conclusion: whether or not driving an electric car benefits the environment depends on several factors. the first is whether you choose an efficient vehicle—an Aptera 2e instead of an electric Hummer H2, for instance—and the second is where you choose to live. if you live in west virginia chances are that driving a Prius would be a better proposition than stoking your state's coal-fired powerplants all the brighter. if you live in vermont or washington state, on the other hand, going electric might truly be a green proposition indeed.

 

[Toshi]

don't use high biodiesel percentages in your new diesel car or truck with a particulate filter!

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4311498.html

Until two years ago, all diesel engines were B100-compatible (biodiesel cannot run in gasoline engines because it needs an engine that ignites by compression). Then standards set by both the Environment Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board, phased in for 2007, required all passenger vehicles to meet the same, stricter emissions. That meant diesel manufacturers had to reduce emissions of NOX and particulate matter to meet those of gas-powered cars. These standards were created with good intentions&#8212;to look out for our health by improving the air that we breath. (After all, particulate matter is a known carcinogen.) But the way most manufacturers did this created a setback for those of us trying to use biofuels.

...

And here is where the pitfall lies for biodiesel users like myself. Most of the manufactures decided to inject fuel into the cylinders just after the cylinder fires and the exhaust valve opens. At this point, the fuel vaporizes and the vapors move down the exhaust to the DPF and clean it. Because biodiesel is denser than conventional diesel fuel (it has a longer hydrocarbon chain) and has a higher distillation temperature and boiling point, it does not vaporize as easily. Some of the fuel ends up adhering to the cylinder wall and runs past the rings, diluting engine oil.

...

What does this all mean for backyard biodiesel makers? Well, we can no longer brag that B100 will run in any diesel engine: VW, Mercedes, Nissan, Renault, Jeep, Ford Power Stroke, Ford E-series vans, Dodge Rams, Cummins 6.7 and Chevy Duramax will only tolerate small amounts. (For an example of what can happen if you push that limit, check out a biodiesel commercial seller who tried to run B100 in his new 2009 VW.) People in my community would like to see engine manufacturers and biodiesel makers work together to solve the B100 problem while still passing emissions standards&#8212;and selling affordable cars. In the meantime, we'll have to watch which vehicle we fill with our fuel.

 

[IH8Rice]

i wonder how itll effect trucks with uretha filters in them

 

[Toshi]

i wonder how itll effect trucks with uretha filters in them

urea injection or just urea, my good man. urethra is da pee tube

 

[Westy]

What if your car has kidney stones?

 

[IH8Rice]

urea injection or just urea, my good man. urethra is da pee tube

well my new truck will have uretha tubes!

 

[Toshi]

FedEx goes alternative in paris:

on the left is an Urban-Cab. 250W front hub motor, 20 km/hr speed, 40 km/6 hour range, and put to good use:

Apparently, once they are adorned with the famous FedEx logo, they transform into highly productive delivery machines. The global logistics giant has been testing two of the human-electric hybrids and, during the 11 week trial, they delivered over 2,400 documents and small parcels. With an average of 15 stops an hour, the vehicles, which employ a 250 watt motor to keep the pedal pushers from working too hard, proved to be a super-efficient way of getting around this traffic dense part of Paris. The company now plans to acquire three more and try them out in other parts of town.

on the right is a Goupil electric box van. top speed of 15 mph (!) but has a 40 mile range and a 3 cubic meter capacity. i just like how it looks like someone screwed up the aspect ratio on a photo of a normal box van.

 

[DaveW]

Not really alternative transportation, just a paint job...... But still freaking cool!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/8030766.stm

You'd have to view it from just the right angle though.

 

[Toshi]

1) Brudelli Leanster. http://www.brudelitech.com/product_654.htm

$25k USD. ouch. based off of a KTM 690 Supermoto so should ride nicely, however. 45 degree lean angle and a wide track as opposed to the MP3's 40 degree lean angle and comparatively narrow track.

2) Easyglider X6. http://www.gizmag.com/easyglider-x6-electric-transport/8451/

that platform is detachable: it was originally designed by a figure skater to pull himself along while on rollerskates. it only goes 20 km/h, unfortunately.