Gas 2.0

Unique, clever and straight-forward engineering has resulted in three Volvo models ready for the road.

These fuel-sipping marvels feature a 1.6 litre diesel engine along with aerodynamicly reduced air resistance, new Michelin tires that lower rolling resistance, and the new European cyclGearbox with altered ratios for third, fourth and fifth gears.  Volvo says the new gearbox configuration alone results in a 1.5% reduction in fuel consumption without affecting the driveability of the car. Read the rest of this entry »

Who would have imagined, a luxury rickshaw in Beijing.  China’s Legal Evening Post says the tricycle, dubbed “The Other Rickshaw”, was designed and produced by BMW.

The company that owns the vehicle, Chen De Bao, says it’s the only rickshaw of its kind in the world.

According to the article, the passenger area is the original rear half of a Mini car body, completely equipped with safety belts, gold-plated dragons and various other Chinese decorations.  In other words, it’s a bicycle pulling a two-wheeled car body.

The driver of the rickshaw, Song, put it mildly, saying it’s “rather” heavy and takes a lot of effort to run.”

Can you imagine a pair of 300-pounders asking for a tour of the city?  All downhill, of course.

Posts related to alternative transportation

• The Hidden Giant #2: Transportation
• Back to School Week: UF Issues Alternative Transport Challenge
• Sundance Does Transportation: Cars, Bikes, Trains and More…
• UC San Diego Saves Millions with Realtime Management

Image:  Ananova

Hey, Can We Take it For a Ride?

You’ve no doubt wondered how a $500,000, 420bhp sportscar would run, right?  I mean after all, what would it be like to go from 0-62 mph in just 3.2 seconds?

That’s what 44 year old Martin Holz and Friedrich Voller, 53, had in mind when they asked a car dealer in Moenchengladbach, Germany if they could take it for a spin.  The car, built as a prototype by the Vemot AG company, was on display and just too much of a temptation.

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Read the rest of this entry »

Ok, so it isn’t flashy, just nice clean lines and a monster under the hood.  It’s the new Trident Iceni, a two-seat sports car boasting a 6.61 litre V8 turbo diesel from GM that will launch you from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds.  The company, Trident Performance Vehicles based in the UK, says computer calculations suggest a top speed of 230 mph, and a range of approximately 1000 miles.

The car’s chassis is stainless steel throughout, forming what the company says is a complete safety cell around the occupants against front and side impact.  Rollover protection is supplied by a central spine configuration that is said to have the highest torsional rigidity of any car tested.  Trident guarantees the car for life against corrosion. Read the rest of this entry »

Using a 50-50 mixture of JP-8 jet fuel and a natural gas-based synthetic fuel, an F-15 Strike Eagle flew high above Robins Air Force Base in Georgia this week.  One of the pilots for the test, Maj. Dan Badia, is quoted as saying it was just another day at the office.

He said, “You could have had JP-8 in there and I wouldn’t have known the difference.”

The test flight involved engineers from the 830th Aircraft Sustainment Group, who maintain the 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and pilots from the 339th Flight Test Certification office. Read the rest of this entry »

Most of us agree that the Kelley Blue Book is the quintessential guide to new and used vehicle information.  Now, they’ve moved into the “Green” world with the launch of Kelley Blue Book Green, a guide for shoppers who want the latest information on alternative fuel technologies.

Everything you want to know about hydrogen, diesel, hybrid, natural gas, electric, flex fuel/ethanol and fuel-sipping gasoline cars is included.  There’s a video section which gives the reader an in-depth look at the latest eco-friendly vehicles out there, and even features a section it calls the Perfect Car Finder.

Read on, the top ten green vehicles, according to KBBGreen, is next.

Read the rest of this entry »

What If They Were Heavier, and Longer?

Had enough of the “big rigs” on the highway?  Well, Congress is looking at new weight and size limits, and Teamster President James Hoffa says “no” to bigger trucks.

In a House subcomittee hearing July 9, Hoffa is quoted as saying:

“Bigger trucks are more dangerous trucks.  Lifting truck weight and size limits would turn big rigs into time bombs.” Read the rest of this entry »

This mean-lookin’ machine may wind up in your rear-view mirror someday, as GM is thinking hard about bringing this 40mpg car to America.  Don’t you just love the way some cars take on an actual head-on personality.  Engineers must love to do this sort of thing.

It’s called the Beat, and it’s a car that would normally be sold in other markets, such as Asia and Latin America.  But with the high price of gas, and GM’s plunging losses ($38.7 billion in 2007), the company that brought you the Hummer may just have to re-invent itself.  And, no, it isn’t a hybrid. Read the rest of this entry »

Most railroads have shown a reluctance to use a biodiesel blend in their locomotives, but the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad has decided to test the concept this summer.

The first biodiesel blend train pulled out of Creston last week, hauling 52 cars of wheat and 500 gallons of biodiesel in the locomotives saddlebag tanks.  Officials are using a 25 percent blend of biodiesel in the tests.

The fuel is made by Columbia Bioenergy, located in Creston, which uses canola oil, restaurant grease, soy and other crops as feedstock. Read the rest of this entry »

Bonnie Prince Charles, in a symbolic gesture, has converted his 38 year old Aston Martin rag top to run on ethanol, derived from English Wine.   Aides said the action was due to the pattern of Royal trips set by the Foreign Office.

Prince Charles Chief Aide, Sir Michael Peat is quoted as saying:

‘Charles only travelled two or three hundred miles a year in the Aston but he wanted it to be environmentally friendly. It just happened that our bioethanol supplier makes the fuel from surplus English wine.’

The Prince has been reducing his carbon footprint, already cutting carbon emissions by 12.5 percent, in line with the Government’s Kyoto target.  He has since doubled the target to a 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2018. Read the rest of this entry »

Around the World in 60 Days

The sleek tri-hull Earthrace eco-boat, has beaten the world speed record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe.  The biodiesel powered craft traveled 24,000 nautical miles in 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, finishing its journey by crossing the finish line in Sagunto, Spain.

That beat a record set in 1998 by the British boat, Cable and wireless Adventurer. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Not True

No matter how careful we are, every once in a while a story comes along that was taken out of context, everyone bought it, and now we must say, we’re sorry!

The Dyston Company is not making an electric motor that could drive an electric car, as we reported just a short time ago with this post:  “Dyson Plans Solar Powered Car”

After seeing the first story concerning the denial, I was getting wary of any such report.  In these many years I’ve seen one misstep after another and decided to go straight to the source, Dyson in the UK.

There, I spoke with Sarah Mason in the Public Information Office, and she gave me this statement..

That’s it, straight from the Dyson headquarters in London.

We try very hard here to bring you the best and most accurate information, but sometimes it backfires and I regret having given you the wrong information.

Thank you for trusting Gas 2.0 and the Green Options Network.

Max

You Might Be Very Surprised

A few days back I posted a You Tube presentation about two professors from Duke University who came up with a different, and in their minds, more accurate way to determine the efficiency of the engine in your vehicle.

It’s nice to know how many miles per gallon (MPG), or as the profs say, gallons per mile (GPM) your vehicle will get, but there’s more, much more to that equation.

First of all, you’re paying a premium for regular gasoline, $4 maybe in excess of $5 a gallon, and you decide to fill it up.  Sticker shock will settle in quickly, but how about this, how many hours will you have to work in order to pay for that fuel? Read the rest of this entry »

Vacuum Cleaner Whiz Going To The Streets

Update: Dyson Is NOT Making An Electric Car, A Report from London

The king of vacuum cleaners, James Dyson, is betting that a souped-up version of his vacuum cleaner and hair dryer motors will power cars over hundreds of miles.

Using technology developed for his lightweight electric motors, Dyson hopes to partner with Honda or another car maker, rather than build a car from the ground up.

Solar panels on top of the vehicle, or on the garage where it is stored, would provide electricity to charge the car’s battery.  Of course, the best performance would probably come from a country where there’s abundant enough sunshine to keep the battery charged.

Of course, he could also think about adding a plug-in function, just in case it stays cloudy for days on end. Read the rest of this entry »

On his campaign swing through the west, Sen. John McCain proposes awarding $300 million to the first developer of a battery technology that exceeds all known technology today.  The package would have to be superior to any technology known today, to power plug-in hybrids or electric cars.

McCain is also focusing on alternative fuels, suggesting a $5,000 tax credit for every person who buys a zero-emission vehicle.  He says that should level “the playing field for all alcohol fuels that break the monopoly of gasoline”. Read the rest of this entry »