For almost $4,000.00 that is, the Poulsen Hybrid is a Power Assist Unit that is hailed as a simple bolt on upgrade for standard gas-powered or diesel vehicles. The device has caused a stir and is raising eyebrows for the device simply has the old car retro-fitted with rear DC motors, controllers, on-board charger and storage batteries. The move has the standard vechicle running using electric motors for propulsion on level roads and as with hybrids, switching to the gaspowered engine during high demand conditions like going up hills or when the battery is going flat. The system works by switching to the electric motors after the car has reached a pre-set speed say the cruising speed you select, after which the gas engine halts operation leaving the maintenance of the pre-set speed to the electric motors that gets power from the batteries.
Safety experts are quite concerned at the overall look of the vechile with parts that protrudes from the rear wheels to the trunk but the best part about the idea that makes it interesting is the fact that you don’t need a totally new car to get onto the path to green motoring. New hybrids cost a lot of money and the approach of offering a bolt-on upgrade to save a bit of the gas pump is nice. One European car manufacturer has offered an enticing approch by selling the Think and not the batteries which are kept on lease to eliminate the problems associated with maintenance of batteries which are costly and quite hazardous to the environment. The approach to upgrade existing cars is more realistic that telling a company that has a large fleet of vehicles to simply get rid of all thier cars and get newer hybrids for them to go green. Other options are just not that enticing due to huge investments and often lacking infrastructure limiting their effective range (only certain major cities have support for LPG, LNG and Ethanol Powered Vechiles)
The air-conditioning system if replaced with more advanced designs such as in the compressor which have lighter yet more efficient cooling capability also lowers weight considerably. High strength steel along with advanced adhesives is making thinner sheets of metals perform better as heavier and thicker traditional ones.
One of the heaviest parts of the car asides from the engine is the transmission and power train systems, could be moved to the engine compartment with the conversion of the throttle to a digital along with lighter alloy velocity joints would decrease weight more. All these changes could lower the weight of a car by more than 40 lbs. with a change of wheels from traditional steel ones to aluminum alloys adding 22 lbs to that figure amounting to a total savings of almost 60lbs. Now that’s a lot of weight shaved off a car and that would allow better, more efficient use of expensive fuel. Hybrids would also benefit from all these changes as well as regular cars.
The need for changes such as these is necessary as people want more and more savings in terms of fuel consumption and the ability to shift to hybrids. Experts just wish they had grown with the airline industry that has the best people to ask when it comes to weight to power ratios. With the price of oil at all time high’s the need for more efficient cars with less emissions is the best solution to a growing problem all of us have to face.
Technology is the driving force behind the automotive industry and yes they are some of the first industries to jump in with respect to applications for new materials. One of their main concerns is weight which has an overall impact on the efficiency of a car. It has also been the main deterrent for battery powered cars for the weight of the batteries alone account for a lot of dead weight they themselves consume power. Newer battery and materials has been defined as the trend for tomorrow as the automotive industry seeks to mimic the airline industry with their use of the lightest yet strongest materials available which allows tons of aircraft to fly along with the tons of cargo and fuel.
The most materials that would be seeing use in the cars of tomorrow would be new composite materials, metal alloys such as magnesium and aluminum and of course plastics. In cars, these materials can mean a lot of savings in terms of weight allowing cars to become lighter yet have equal the strength if not greater than traditional steel cars and chassis. The brake system for example uses cast iron calipers which amounts to a lot of weight, using aluminum which is lighter would save weight in that area. The back seat of cars used to have blow-molded foam structures that can be made lighter with the addition of seat cushions which also weight lighter. The floor of the trunk which used to be made from pressed sheet metal can be turned into plastics that are compression molded.
Ford has employed a Local Electron Atom Probe (LEAP) device, only four of which exists in North America allowing their scientists to analyze and engineer materials in the nanotechnology arena. Their goal is to discover and design better materials that are lighter yet stronger than current technologies which would greatly increase the safety of vehicles on the roads. Nano-technology is a field of study by which molecular structures of individual atoms are studied and how they interact with one another is understood.
That, along with the introduction of some of the latest design and materials such as carbon-fiber and aluminum alloys they have made driving safe and more enjoyable in terms of road driving comfort. These technologies are some of the best to come into the automotive industry since the seatbelt was invented. Some road legal sports cars and roadsters already use carbon fiber for their main frames and other components and some even have the combined with exotic metals which complement each other for best performance. Magneto-resistive shock absorbers that adapt to road conditions and smart suspension systems that raise or lower the vehicle as needed allow better and safer driving. Magneto-resistive compounds are metallic powder suspended uniformly in a solution that changes its properties with the application of an electric current. Add more current and it stiffens, remove it and it softens allowing for smooth driving without the head banging on those unseen bumps. Adaptive lighting is also slowly coming into use, involves a system of gyro’s, sensors and mirrors that allows the light from the headlights to be focused where it is needed(no more glare when you go up on humps) greatly improving visibility on those lightless roads.
Honda, one of the pioneers of the Japanese automotive Industry is beginning testing of its Advanced Safety Vehicles with Driving Safety Support Systems installed. The move is said to be a revolution in driving safety as we have previously discussed in some previous posts. The technology involves several information gathering systems which share information with other vehicles and the road systems themselves transforming the highways into a true information superhighway. Vehicles share information with other vehicles regarding positional data, and road conditions to avoid accidents. The road systems are then transformed into smart roads with sensors that check for road conditions congestion and can even share video of accidents which will show up on video monitors allowing drivers to stay clear of congested areas.
The Japanese cabinet has approved large scale testing to evaluate the effectivity and to gather information regarding the feasibility of such information systems to be implemented on the roads of Japan. The system uses radio transmissions from other vehicles which have transceivers installed onto them to allow evaluation of the best possible range for the system to become effective. It also has augmented safety systems such as automatic brakes which can take control of the braking system if the driver misjudges another vehicle in front of it. Smart assist systems such as the self-parking cars from Europe have been in the market for quite sometime. US vehicles even have satellite tracking and assistance where a locked door can be unlocked through a mouse click from a security assistance office thousands of miles away. These safety technologies would then filter out into the rest of the automotive industry making driving safer and more relaxed allowing you to enjoy the roads without getting stuck in traffic or unknowingly hitting another driver at a blind corner.
A project by some of Japan’s leading auto manufacturers led by Mazda are stepping up their studies in making driving a safer way to get from point a o b. The study tackles areas such as blind intersections and winding roads with technology that would allow the oncoming vehicle top communicate with the car you are driving, assisting your from crashing into each other. Parts of the study that have been finished so far are rear view assist systems, radar systems that check for correct distance and assist the driver in applying the brakes even doing it automatically if needed to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of it. The Japanese are known for finding ways of incorporating technology into their vehicles with the ultimate goal being a smart Intelligent Transport System with cars connected to each other using the many wireless technologies available today. The system is to consist of smart vehicles, intelligent roadways and people, all networked to share information for a safer driving experience. The study is currently in it’s fourth phase with the testing and development phases beginning in 2006 and are projected to last till 2010. The current phase is under testing in Nagasaki for the blind collision avoidance system, right turn and rear-end collision avoidance systems is to end by 2008. As these technologies are studied and improved on, they will slowly filter down to the consumers who are of course the primary concern of such studies, minimizing the risks of driving on the roads anywhere on earth. A pre-crash sensor, pioneered by Mazda uses radar to automatically apply the brakes if the detected speed is to fast for comfort is already about to be incorporated into it’s future vehicle releases as a Pre-Crash Safety System to lessen rear-ending the vehicle in front as much as possible. The other players participating in the study are Mitsubishi and Kawasaki who are both part contributors and conducting testing as part of the effort.
Well, when talking in terms of the vehicles our favorite stars will be driving that is for GM, which is the only automotive sponsor provided them with more than 75 of these green automobiles. They come in the form of fully fuel-cell powered or Flex-Fuel E85 ethanol compatible rides. GMC and Chevrolet has started to use these highly prestigious events a s advertising platforms to present their environmentally friendly line of vehicles which now numbers to almost 20 types, making GM the largest manufacturer of green vehicles in the entire world. They began with the 50th Annual Grammy, then the 39th NAACP Image Awards and now the Oscars. The company is also hosting an event titled, “Chevy Rocks the Future” which is their version of an appeal to the younger generation to turn to alternative fuelled vehicles for a greener and brighter future. A full fleet of Chevy Equinox fuel cell vehicles will ferry celebrities to the awards ceremony making it a green and celebrity filled night for all.
GM is capitalizing on green technology to give it the edge in the ever competitive automotive industry which Toyota currently tops as the leader in global markets. Cleaner and zero emission vehicles are getting better and better with the advent of advances in the fuel-cell arena such as research in direct ethanol fuel cells which are now for release in the IT and Consumer Electronics market to power digital devices from all over. Other variants are also making their own advances making the dream of a totally green auto industry a bit more of reality than a dream.
Alternative fuel vehicles have been plagued by many bugs such as fuel delivery, fuel distribution infrastructure and storage issues along with the fact that the fuels used are either highly combustible (Hydrogen) or even lethal to humans(Methanol and Ethanol which come from the same group of alcohol types). Developments have solved some of the problems though some still exist, the promises the technology has is so enticing that people cannot turn their heads on the technology which only has water as a byproduct.
The first Philippine EV, dubbed as the Eagle G-Car because of its resemblance to the Phlippine eagle, has officially took its first flight last December 1. G Car, the company who manufactured the said car said that the car can run up to 60kms/h and can last up to 80kms/charge. That means, if you are familiar with traffic situation in the Philippines, it will not last for an hour. Charging the battery is also said to be cheap for only Php 40.00 ($.95) which takes for about 4 – 8 hours of charging. Eagle G-Car is made of fiber glass and is about to be sold from Php 140,000 to Php 280,000 ($3300.00 – $6600.00).
As far as efficiency and 0-pollution is concerned, I salute this new invention. But I see a major drawback on its short-lasting battery. Don’t be surprised if you see a pile of dead eagles on the middle of the road.
Watch Video here.
When we think of the fastest cars on earth, we think big gas guzzling V-8 engines crammed with as much turbos as possible to give the driver that Oomph. Hybrids are those ugly lab experiments that not only fail the “look’s good” category but doesn’t give much power at all. Well, you might have to re-think that notion, for we welcome the entry of the fastest Hybrid Car on earth.
Dodge’s SVS Power Viper, the name is synonymous with power and muscle which was what it was designed to do. The American automobile industry has produced more muscle cars in the automobile’s short history followed by the Europeans with their Porche’s, Buggati’s and McLaren’s and many more.
The ethanol or also called E85 powered Dodge Viper (which by the way uses the same engine as the gas powered version which does get more speed, but hey that’s not the issue here. The Viper can reach a respectable 220 mph. / 352 kmh. which is not all too bad for an alcohol fueled car. This shows how easily existing technology can be adapted to use more cleaner fuels that produce less pollution than their oil-based counterparts. The shift to more environmentally-friendly fuels has become more of a necessity than a fad or technology hype due to ever-increasing environmental problems plaguing us today.
This particular Dodge boasts a twin-turbocharged ethanol powered, 8.3 liter V10 engine that gives it a maximum power output of 1,200 horsepower. Now that’s POWER, for a car that’s categorized as a hybrid that is.
Many people hit the road without knowing the basics. They go to driving school to learn, pass the test, get their license and go on driving. Many do not realize the danger that driving without the proper knowledge is crazy and irresponsible. We see it all over the news, a poor driver with a stalled vehicle, on the side of the road, struck by oncoming traffic because of the mere fact the other driver can’t see the broken down vehicle. Sad indeed, most of these tragedies end in fatalities that can be avoided if they knew that the two pieces of reflectorized triangles at the back of your car were placed there to save your life and possibly the life of the driver who can run you over.
For those who didn’t know they have two colors, one yellow and one red, why, well the yellow one is supposed to be placed about twenty feet farther than the red one which is supposed to be placed at least ten feet from the stalled vehicle. The yellow one attracts drivers of on-coming traffic that there is something wrong. just in case they don’t see the yellow one, the red one comes into view which means, “MY CAR’S BROKEN DOWN, GET OUT OF THE WAY!” They are now made of plastic which also serves a purpose, when on-coming traffic does not see them and runs them over, it will catch their attention and alert them that something is wrong ( I assure you that they would notice it) and hopefully get them to steer away from your car in time. Hopefully even if they run over the plastic triangles it catches their attention enough for them to get them to avoid hitting your stalled vehicle and injuring you both in the process.
For almost $4,000.00 that is, the Poulsen Hybrid is a Power Assist Unit that is hailed as a simple bolt on upgrade for standard gas-powered or diesel vehicles. The device has caused a stir and is raising eyebrows for the device simply has the old car retro-fitted with rear DC motors, controllers, on-board charger and storage batteries. The move has the standard vechicle running using electric motors for propulsion on level roads and as with hybrids, switching to the gaspowered engine during high demand conditions like going up hills or when the battery is going flat. The system works by switching to the electric motors after the car has reached a pre-set speed say the cruising speed you select, after which the gas engine halts operation leaving the maintenance of the pre-set speed to the electric motors that gets power from the batteries.
