Front end of an aston martin and the rear of a ford mondeo????
old parts bin too close and to tired to start an external design from scratch??
old parts bin too close and to tired to start an external design from scratch??
the alternative personal transportation thread
it looks like a Mondeo because it is the new Mondeo. we just finally get the new version before Yurp does. its keeping with Ford "global platforms" and similar design language.
the Aston front end actually works kinda well with this IMO
Prius C
IBM, always way ahead of the curve:
Air battery to let electric cars outlast gas guzzlers - tech - 06 January 2012 - New Scientist
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lolz
Thanks..... My eyes feel dirty and abused now. 
Imagine if the tables were turned (electric cars were the norm) how hard of a sell gasoline powered cars would be.
"Here's this new motor that has multiple complex mechanical systems that will require frequent maintenance, it suffers from excessive noise and vibration and slow acceleration, will require you to carry around a huge tank of toxic, explosive liquid, needs an enormous and complex infurstructure of drilling, refining, transportation, and storage, and oh yea, it will spew noxious smoke!"
"Here's this new motor that has multiple complex mechanical systems that will require frequent maintenance, it suffers from excessive noise and vibration and slow acceleration, will require you to carry around a huge tank of toxic, explosive liquid, needs an enormous and complex infurstructure of drilling, refining, transportation, and storage, and oh yea, it will spew noxious smoke!"
A Bay Area Experiment in Electric Bike Sharing
The dream of the 90s is still alive in… the Bay Area?!
…
Soon San Franciscans will have a new option for navigating the local terrain without breaking a sweat or resorting to a car, thanks to a pioneering federally financed electric bike share program that will start up this year.
Rather than zigging and zagging to avoid steep inclines, e-bike users will be able to pedal up and over with help from an electric motor. For those hauling cargo, electric bicycle trailers will be available for hourly rentals, too.
The Federal Highway Administration’s Value Pricing Pilot Program awarded $1.5 million for the initiative through the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency, the project’s fiscal sponsor. Ultimately the money will go to the local nonprofit City CarShare, which plans to integrate the e-bikes and trailers with its existing car sharing service, and to the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at University of California, Berkeley, which is responsible for assessing the impact and lessons learned from the project.
In essence, the goal is to find out how many car-share trips will be replaced with electric bicycle trips, and what factors influence the switch. City CarShare will receive $760,000 of the grant money, covering some 40 percent of the costs over three years for 90 e-bikes at about 25 locations.
The organization plans to roll out 45 bikes in the second half of this year and 45 more by the end of 2013, mostly in San Francisco but in Berkeley as well.
…
City CarShare plans to set the hourly e-bike rate 50 to 70 percent below the rate for cars. Today, members paying a $10 monthly service fee can rent cars for as little as $5 per hour. According to Mr. Hutchinson, pricing will be “at the higher end the longer you keep it, and at the lower end for overnight. It should not be a huge financial burden to keep if it’s getting dark.”
Unlike the regional bike share program, which will allow members to pick up a bicycle at one site and return it at another, the City CarShare program will require round trips.
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Close
A bit dissapointed by the mileage tho. My wife's Mini gets 50mpg on the highway (and that is with a bike rack).
I also read somewhere that they are only bringing 10,000 to the states. That number would get sold out before they even get on the boat.
http://www.insideline.com/toyota/prius-c/2012/2012-toyota-prius-c-pricing-announced.html
A bit dissapointed by the mileage tho. My wife's Mini gets 50mpg on the highway (and that is with a bike rack).
I also read somewhere that they are only bringing 10,000 to the states. That number would get sold out before they even get on the boat.
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i guess their press release is wrong?
I guess those doors open automatically, because kids are not going to be able to reach up there.
Wonder if the gull wings are more than, "that looks cool." I see the doors and tailgate being ruined by opening them in a low ceiling garage since they extend quite a bit above the roof!
Wonder if the gull wings are more than, "that looks cool." I see the doors and tailgate being ruined by opening them in a low ceiling garage since they extend quite a bit above the roof!
Long discussions with Ian Wright over the weekend. Secret squirrel... but... Holy Flaming Balls of Awesome... wait to see what he's working on in a wee while. Socks and minds will be blown.
Cool but who the fu*k is Ian Wright??
IIRC he made something called the WrightSpeed X2 or the like, an electric Ariel Atom.
http://www.wrightspeed.com/x1.html
Ok, X1, not X2. Close enough.
http://www.wrightspeed.com/x1.html
Ok, X1, not X2. Close enough.
interesting article about "bricking" a Tesla's battery (and some others)
tldr: dont brick your Tesla or youll have a $40,000 dollar repair bill thats not covered under warranty or insurance
http://jalopnik.com/5887265/tesla-motors-devastating-design-problem
tldr: dont brick your Tesla or youll have a $40,000 dollar repair bill thats not covered under warranty or insurance
http://jalopnik.com/5887265/tesla-motors-devastating-design-problem
I am curious what your combined fuel efficiency is. The Fuel-Economy figures I've seen don't meet that level of efficiency...
50mpg out of a Mini would be very impressive.
A real mini (i.e. old one) = maybe.
One of the new abominations? No chance.
One of the new abominations? No chance.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3251821093688&l=f1c78dfc02
I'll admit its a small sample - only 85 miles. At the end of the 150 trip (NYC-MA. 180 total but I filled up on the way) my average was 47.2.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3251810693428&l=d4ca2094d2
The mileage dropped because the speed limit was 55 for the first half and 65 for the second half reinforcing my belief that for every mph over 60 your mileage will drop 1mpg. A couple years ago I did an all highway test for a whole tank and my average was 44mpg but that was at 65mph with a passenger and luggage. This is why I think the national speed limit should be 60mph and all vehicles should be governed to not go any faster.
I'll admit its a small sample - only 85 miles. At the end of the 150 trip (NYC-MA. 180 total but I filled up on the way) my average was 47.2.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3251810693428&l=d4ca2094d2
The mileage dropped because the speed limit was 55 for the first half and 65 for the second half reinforcing my belief that for every mph over 60 your mileage will drop 1mpg. A couple years ago I did an all highway test for a whole tank and my average was 44mpg but that was at 65mph with a passenger and luggage. This is why I think the national speed limit should be 60mph and all vehicles should be governed to not go any faster.
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Maybe in your mini but I don't think that applies to every vehicle.
My 7400# diesel 4x4 gets 21mpg @ 60 and 18.5 @ 75mph.
I've owned it since new (five years now), 20-25k mi/yr and log mileage for every tank (business write off) so I'm confident my numbers are correct, for my vehicle and my lead foot.
How do ducks affect the mileage?
Blood and feather undercoating seems to have no effect on MPG.
I've also done the test in my '05 CRV (several times), a '06 Mazda 6, and several rental cars. They all come up about 1mpg per mph. I've also seen articles that state the same thing. But yea, I'm sure its not the same with every vehicle. And obviously it must flatten out or nobody would be able to go 100mph. But there is no doubt that most (all?) cars get their best mileage at around 60mph.
So at about 90mph would your economy be 0mpg?
Most cars should get their best mileage at the lowest speed at which they shift into top gear and lockup (for automatics). Cruising along in top gear, lugging the engine* at 35 mph or so, would probably be close to optimal in that limited sense.
* Want to know why? Take a look at the BSFC curves sometime.
* Want to know why? Take a look at the BSFC curves sometime.
Well, I haven't noticed any difference between 55 and 60 in 6th gear. But between 60 and 65 it follows the 1mpg/mph. I can't explain it. I figured engines would be like biking. At a certain rpm I feel like I can spin all day but going faster or even slower is harder.
Gah.......76 mile range. I would LOVE for an electric car to come out with a 100ish mile range....get me to work and back on a single charge.
yeah, the 100 mile mark seems to be elusive for most electric cars
more lulz
http://jalopnik.com/5890072/gm-halts-chevy-volt-production-because-sales-suck
Your commute is awfully long. Mine is between 6 and 9 miles each direction, depending on whether I stick to surface streets or take the parkway, and the vast majority (iirc) of drivers travel less than 40 miles per day in total.
As much as I hate to acknowledge agreeing with Toshi on this, I would definitely get an electric for my normal commuting at this point. The one caveot being that the charging station at my home be synced with my overall electrical usage, so that I don't hit peak time usage. There aren't a lot of good smart systems that don't require a whole set of new appliances though.
47 miles to work, 49 miles home (two different routes to avoid traffic)
My Brothers commute from Roslindale to Northboro MA is 40 miles but takes 2.5 hours. His 8 hour day takes 13 hours to execute. Phug that....
Commute from Hubbardston -> Bedford (current house)..........47 or 49 miles.....:55 to 1:15 depending on traffic
Commute from North Andover -> Bedford (previous apt).......21 or 23 miles.......:35 to 1:15 depending on traffic