Students Build Hydrogen Vehicle That Gets 1,336 MPG
Turkish students at Sakarya University have built a hydrogen car that gets 1,336 mpg. Well, sorta.
Called the SAHİMO, the vehicle’s current range is about 353 miles on a quarter gallon of fuel (568 kilometers on 1 liter). It travels such an obscene distance with so little fuel due to the vehicle’s uber-light weight: it weighs only 240 pounds (110 kilograms). The car’s made up of 90-percent carbon fiber.
I assume the size and weight limit it to holding only a liter of fuel. I couldn’t verify this as their site is in Turkish and mine is a little rusty.
The SAHMO won third most efficient vehicle in Europe’s 26th Shell Eco Marathon. And their next goal is to conquer the inaugural 2009 Global Green Challengee–an evolution of the World Solar Challenge competition in Australia–this October. About twenty electric, hybrid, alternative fuel and low emission production and prototype vehicles will compete in the race.
Melemez, a fourth-year student in the engineering department at Sakarya University, says “We are hoping to raise our record from 568 kilometers on one liter of hydrogen up to a full 1,000 kilometers on one liter, and we believe we can do it.”
A 3,000 kilometer trek across the Australian Outback on just 3 liters is quite ambitious but I really hope they can pull it off.
But before you think about running out and buying one, the car did cost $170,000 to build.
The 40-member group that developed the SAHIMO hydrogen car is the Sakarya University Advanced Technologies Implementation Group (SAITEM). Today’s Zaman reports that the team hopes to work on a non-piloted aircraft next and is already trying to get support from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
Source: Inhabitat
Btw, if you’re interested in joining the first mailing list dedicated to bulk purchasing electric cars, check it out (you can also get cheap solar there too).
if it crashes you will be effed
It’s also a death trap. I would feel safer on a motorcycle.
That is a sweet breakthrough. If it can become a consumer reality, our lives and economy will change forever.
to uncle b:
tldr
Umm, okay, that’s a waste of money, time, and effort. So what if it get that much MPG, if it where put on a highway, a compact car could smash it right out without putting a dent in the compact car. We’re talking serious hazards here. It has absolutely no protection for the driver and any passengers.
… ” ZAIRZ * GLOBAL ” … SAY’S ..,
… ” IT’S * BEAUTIFUL ” . . . . . . .
I heard this technology was discovered a very long time ago but then the oil millionaires squashed it with death and destruction to the inventor or something like that.
this just shows that the clean cars could have been developed many years ago, but the oil fat cats (no offense to cats) have made it a point to not let it happen
I don’t get it.I know better fuel efficent cars can be built.I had a 1984 yugo that got 48 miles to the gallon.So why hasn’t there been a improvement sense then?
Wouldn’t it be better to weigh cost-effectiveness and usefullness in the efficiency calculation also? Sure one person can go that far, but only one rich person. What can a liter of Hydrogen do for my family of seven? Show me that, and I’ll be impressed.