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Post by Spider on Jul 7, 2008 15:20:08 GMT -5
Source & CommentsWill there be a Toyota Prius, solar panel car in 2008?After reading the comments and considering the costs involved,
I consider this concept to be foolhardy.
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'S' [glow=red,2,300] Toyota plans Prius with solar panels[/glow] July 6, 2008 8:15 PM PDT
Posted by Steven Musil | 33 comments [/color][/center] Toyota plans to install solar panels on the roof of the next generation of Prius hybrid cars, according to a report in Monday's edition of the Nikkei newspaper.
The panels, which are expected to begin appearing on the high-end version of the gasoline-electric hybrid car as early as next spring, will supply part of the 2 to 5 kilowatts needed to power the air conditioning, MarketWatch cited the Japanese business daily as reporting. Kyocera will reportedly supply the panels.
The move would make Toyota the first major automaker to incorporate a solar-power generation system into a mass-produced car.
Prius was introduced in 1997 and has since sold more than 1 million vehicles worldwide. The car was redesigned in 2003, and a third generation has been widely expected to appear soon.
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Post by Cobra on Jul 7, 2008 18:15:51 GMT -5
I read this earlier today on the news. It's a nice idea, but is it at present (meaning how nothing has been done to improve solar panels since they were developed), cost efficient? Can you imagine what the car will look like with a solar panel on it, LOL.
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Post by Spider on Jul 11, 2008 10:39:33 GMT -5
 I think that this Prius solar concept is foolish because all it does is contribute enough power to operate the a/c system fan on sunny days. It doesn't even provide a trickle charge to the battery! Now here's a real solar powered car ... Only drawback here is that it costs much, much more than it is worth. Can you imagine what the insurance cost/s would be? More than what I can afford!  I can't even imagine what kind of cars (if any) we'll be driving 10 years from now. __ 'S'
 Source & Additional LinksGasoline car converted to run on solar power November 1st, 2007 Those clever Japanese scientists have been at it again, working hard to find answers to problems we never knew existed. This time they’ve come up with a way to convert dirty old normal cars
into clean, green electric vehicles.
The breakthrough comes to us courtesy of the Total Mobility Project, a scheme intended to prepare for the rapid aging of Japan’s population and led by the local government of Fukushima Prefecture, which lies 300km north of Tokyo.
Using a Mazda Roadster as a test bed, the team has succeeded in removing the engine and gas tank and replacing them with an electric motor and battery. After slapping seven solar panels across the hood of the car, they found it able to run for 30km at a top speed of 100km/h.
As for cost, the conversion ran to a hefty $21,000, but the bright side is that drivers doing a daily average of 60km can expect to save $8,400 over five years.
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Post by Spider on Jul 12, 2008 2:17:12 GMT -5
(Photo Credit: CNET) BMW does: [glow=red,2,300]'The Electric Mini'[/glow] BMW works on making the electric Mini, which sounds like a new dance.
If you had any doubts about an upcoming era of electric cars, put them aside.
BMW announced it is testing electric powertrains in the Mini Cooper.
Over the next year and a half,
BMW will use a fleet of several hundred Minis
to experiment with electric drive systems and,
according to the press release,
"determine the alternative drive of the future."
If any company can do it, it's BMW.
There are no current details about what motors and types of batteries BMW will use,
but the company promises details by the end of the year.
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Post by Spider on Jul 14, 2008 1:31:52 GMT -5
 Does Car Logo Badge Size Correspond
With Buyer Bulge Size?[/b][/size][/center] Mazda Pants
Did you ever notice how big badges on the front of cars are getting these days?
Have you ever wondered whether it's out of a need for automakers to "compensate"
for their prospective buyers lack of size? We did! So, trusty ruler in hand,
we hit the dealer lots at the mega-motor-mall up the street
to find out whether size really does matter
and to answer the important question:
Which automaker has the biggest badges?
And
Do they correspond to the bulge in the pants of the male members
of the target buying demographic?
Let's Find Out
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Post by Spider on Jul 19, 2008 14:24:33 GMT -5
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Post by Spider on Jul 25, 2008 15:15:52 GMT -5
Clic Pic
~ 2007 ~
The Ultimate Collection of Super-Cars __
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Post by Spider on Jul 25, 2008 16:28:21 GMT -5
Video:
'2008 British International Auto Show'
The '2008' Ultimate Collection of Supercars
At the British International Motor Show, we find a room full of supercars.
Get ready to drool as we show you a Pagani, an Aston Martin, and a Bugatti,
along with less well-known cars such as the Invicta and the Gumpert.  Gumpert Apollo__
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Post by Spider on Sept 16, 2008 13:30:15 GMT -5
Source Click on the image to see photos
of what is said to be the 2011 production version
of the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt.September 15, 2008 How 'GREEN' is the electric Chevy Volt?By: Martin LaMonica | 39 comments General Motors at its centennial celebration in Detroit on Tuesday is expected to showcase the Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid electric car that carries the heavy expectations of reversing GM's slide and slashing consumers' fuel use. Buzz around the Volt picked up last week when photos of the production car were captured, showing a less sporty look than the original concept car. But what are the environmental and cost benefits of the Volt? The Volt will be able to run 40 miles on lithium-ion batteries and get a range of 400 miles from an internal combustion engine that charges the battery. The four-door sedan with a hatchback is set for release at the end of 2010. GM has not offered many details on the Volt's fuel economy and didn't respond on Monday to a request for more specifics. But early estimates indicate that the Volt will deliver a significant boost in mileage and be cheaper to operate than a gasoline car. Plug-in electric cars also stand to reduce, although not eliminate, air pollution. "The Volt story has gotten much more interest than other (GM) product introductions because it represents such a dramatic departure. Historically, things were more incremental," said David Cole, the chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. GM says the Volt will get the equivalent of 50 miles per gallon on longer trips where an expected four-cylinder engine will be engaged. But mileage will improve substantially if a person stays within the batteries' 40-mile range. GM designers targeted a 40-mile battery range because most people drive less than that in a day. In all-electric mode, drivers can expect the equivalent of about 100 miles per gallon, said David Goldstein, the president of the Electric Vehicle Association of Washington D.C. In a mixed mode, where the gasoline engine kicks in, Golstein thinks that overall mileage for a 100-mile trip would be about 50 miles per gallon, but would go down to 35 miles per gallon for a 200-mile trip because the gasoline motor is working more. Compared with a gasoline car, plug-in hybrids like the Volt stand to be cheaper to operate. Goldstein estimates that people will pay between 2 and 6 cents per mile with the Volt, depending on electricity rates. That price per mile estimate for the Volt is less than the 15 cents per mile that a typical gasoline car costs, calculated Scott Sklar, an alternative energy consultant at the Stella Group. Comparing the cost per mile of a gasoline car with a battery-powered vehicle is complicated by the fact that many regions in the U.S. have different electricity tariffs that depend on usage and time of day. Martin Eberhard, the founder and former CEO of Tesla Motors, is one of the first customers of the all-electric Tesla Roadster. After a few months of driving, he reported in his blog that the cost per mile of the Roadster is between 2 and 6 cents per mile. From an environmental perspective, plug-in hybrids have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions over their product lifecycle compared with other transportation technologies except all-electric vehicles, according to a recent analysis done on the future of transportation published in August by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That's because electric motors are more efficient than gasoline engines, said Goldstein. Also, electricity generation is several times more efficient than the energy conversion that happens in a car, said Cole. Similarly, the the Electric Power Research Institute and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) last year concluded that adoption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles would lower global warming emissions, improve air quality, and reduce petroleum consumption by 3 million to 4 million barrels per day in 2050. Road blocks? But for all the promise of the Volt, there are some real engineering and business challenges. The biggest technical issue is the reliability of lithium-ion batteries, in which nearly all auto makers are investing. The useful life of these batteries is still not totally clear, as they haven't already been tested in vehicles for decades. One business model that automakers are looking at is a leasing option, where consumers would lease a plug-in hybrid electric car's batteries for 10 years, said Cole. After that, the battery would be replaced and potentially used in less-demanding applications such as power grid storage. A drop in the price of petroleum, which has fallen dramatically since earlier this year, could also put the brakes on the investment in engineering to make plug-in hybrid vehicles less expensive. Recent reports said that GM is planning to charge about $40,000 for the Volt, more than what was originally anticipated. For the price to go down, there needs to be a multi-year ramp-up in battery production. "Anyway you look at it, out of the box, this is going to be expensive. These are going to be expensive batteries," Cole said. In its report, MIT estimated that plug-in hybrids will be commercially competitive with gasoline cars in eight to ten years. The battery will weigh 400 pounds, be 5 feet long, and be placed under the car, Bob Boniface, GM's Chevy Volt design director said in an interview. Boniface said GM had to make a break from the initial concept car design to improve the aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. The Volt is a series hybrid, which means that the car's internal combustion engine only charges the battery, rather than drives the car directly. That means an automaker can design engines that run on different fuels. Cole said that the biggest environmental pay-off from this design will come once ethanol from nonfood sources, called cellulosic ethanol, becomes commercially viable. A car that uses E85 fuel, a mix of ethanol and gas, could get 400 miles per gallon of gasoline, he said. There are a handful of pilot cellulosic ethanol plants in the U.S., but none are producing at large scale. For GM, the Volt is meant to help change its image as a vendor or SUVs and other trucks, while giving it important technical know-how in fuel-efficient cars. "All GM brands are candidates to receive this technology," said Cole.
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Post by Spider on Sept 22, 2008 17:51:35 GMT -5
;D Lamborghini 'Urus' Four-Door Concept Coming To Paris,
Fittingly Named After 'A Big German Cow'
The engine is unknown at this point, but sources say
it lies behind the front wheels and turns an all-wheel-drive system.
But, the big story is the name "Urus", a Latin word with Germanic origins used to describe a very large type of cattle prevalent in Europe until their extinction in 1627.
So basically — it's German for "Big Cow."
How fitting of a name is that for a big cow of a four-door car
from the now-German-by-ownership Lamborghini? ____________________ __
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Post by Spider on Nov 1, 2008 2:05:22 GMT -5
Source (Credit: Nissan Motor Co, USA)The Cheapest Car in America:
Nissan Versa 1.6By: Antuan Goodwin The Nissan Versa speeds toward frugality. Nissan North America, Inc., announced on Friday a new trim level for its 2009 Nissan Versa Sedan, with an MSRP of $9,990 (excluding destination fees). The new Versa 1.6 Sedan is built for value and fuel economy, with its 107-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 34 mpg highway fuel economy rating with the 5-speed manual transmission (33 mpg with the four-speed automatic). In the city, the Versa 1.6 gets 26 mpg. Nissan calls this new 1.6-liter engine "responsive," but with less displacement, less power, and fewer gears than its econobox 1.8-liter brethren, we're not fooled into thinking this is anything but a low-priced grocery-getter. That being said, 10 grand for a brand-new car is still an amazingly low price. The Versa is a decent-size car, good enough to get four adults from point A to point B with minimal drama. The inclusion of a full factory warranty makes this a fantastic option for a first car or a budget alternative to buying a used vehicle. It's not good looking. It's not fast.
But, it is the new cheapest car in America.
The Nissan Versa 1.6 is expected to hit dealers' lots on November 18.
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Post by Spider on Nov 16, 2008 11:49:44 GMT -5
  Tough future for U.S. automakers
Every day the financial news for American automakers GM, Ford, and Chrysler looks more depressing. Cerberus wants to sell Chrysler to GM, and GM is interested, but will need a loan from the government to make it work. Meanwhile, Ford already sold off a number of assets to keep itself afloat, but still posted losses.
What can these companies do to bring sales back up? Build the kind of car that people want, and can afford, to buy. Ford had great success with its retro Mustang, and it will be launching the 2010 update at the upcoming LA Auto Show. While it is appealing, it's not the most practical car around.
We just finished testing the Ford Flex, a car with unique appeal and some practical turns for people who need something of that size. The Chevrolet Cobalt SS also came through our garage, which showed that GM can build an economical and quality car with a huge fun factor.
However, GM's great hope, the Volt, doesn't come around until 2010, and we have yet to see if it will work as advertised. Ford's best hope is the new Ford Fiesta, but that car won't come to the U.S. until 2010, either. Meanwhile, Nissan launched a sub-$10,000 version of its Versa.
With no game-changing launches for 2009,
it's going to be a tough year for the American automakers.
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Post by Pepsi Kid on Nov 17, 2008 1:31:35 GMT -5
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Post by Spider on Nov 20, 2008 15:04:26 GMT -5
 New honeycomb tire is
'BULLETPROOF'By: Mark Rutherford The University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Wausau, Wis., company have come up with a 37-inch, bullet and bomb-proof Humvee tire based on a polymeric web so cool looking there's no need for hub caps. Resilient Technologies and Wisconsin-Madison's Polymer Engineering Center are creating a "non-pneumatic tire" (no air required) that will support the weight of add-on armor, survive an IED attack, and still make a 50 mph getaway. It's basically a round honeycomb wrapped with a thick, black tread. The military wants an alternative to the current Humvee "run flat" tires, which despite the name, still need a minimal amount of air pressure to roll and can leave troops stranded after being shot or blown out. "You see reports all the time of troops who were injured by an IED or their convoys got stranded because their tires were shot out," said Resilient's General Manager Mike Veih. "There's all sorts of armor on the vehicle, but if you're running in the theater and get your tire shot out, what have you got? You've got a bunch of armor in the middle of a field." In developing the design, the Wisconsin team studied other airless tires, like the Michelin "Tweel," but in the end settled on lessons learned from nature. The patent-pending design mimics the precise, six-sided cell pattern found in a honeycomb and best duplicates the "ride feel" of pneumatic tires, according to the developers. "The goal was to reduce the variation in the stiffness of the tire, to make it transmit loads uniformly and become more homogenous," said mechanical engineering professor Tim Osswald. "And the best design, as nature gives it to us, is really the honeycomb." This particular geometry also does a great job of reducing noise and heat levels while rolling-two common problems with past models. Costs per tire are expected to be the same or less than current units. Delivery is anticipated for 2011. __ 'S' |
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Post by Spider on Nov 21, 2008 13:55:33 GMT -5
SolarWorld
serious about buying GM's OpelNovember 20, 2008
By: Candace Lombardi SolarWord's first race car was developed for an Australian solar-powered car race by student engineers from the German university Hochschule Bochum. SolarWorld's offer to General Motors is no joke. The German-based solar-power company is serious about wanting to purchase GM's Opel division, SolarWorld CEO Frank H. Asbeck said Thursday morning on German radio. SolarWorld announced on Wednesday that it's in the process of making an offer to General Motors for its Adam Opel (aka Opel) division for about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion). The initial announcement sparked a flurry of market, analyst, and media skepticism on Wednesday. Asbeck took to the airwaves to clarify his company's position on Thursday. (A transcript of the interview in German is posted on the radio station's Web site.) Opel, which is part of GM Europe, includes four German factories and a development center in Russelsheim, Germany. SolarWorld is prepared to offer 250 million euros in cash for them, according to Asbeck, and has bank credit lines worth 750 million euros, if the German government provides a guarantee. But the company would also request additional state funds to compensate Opel's 25,000 German workers at about 40,00 euros per job, an estimated 1 billion euros. GM, which is currently seeking a multibillion-dollar bailout from the U.S. government,
publicly dismissed SolarWorld's offer on Wednesday.
"This is pure speculation. We are not going to comment on that.
Opel is not for sale," Karin Kirchner, a GM Europe representative told Reuters.
But Asbeck told Deutschlandfunk radio on Thursday
that he's getting contradicting signals from others inside GM. When questioned about SolarWorld's lack of experience in automechanics, Asbeck responded that that auto know-how will come from the existing Opel employees. SolarWorld would supply solar modules. Asbeck went on to say that the auto industry needs fertilization from another industry, and that vehicles of the future, like those with electric drives and hybrid drives, should not only be reserved for Japanese manufacturers. SolarWorld is not entirely without automotive experience. The company sponsored and co-developed a high-performance solar sports car with a group of engineers from Hochschule Bochum, a German university that participated in the World Solar Challenge solar-powered car race in Australia in October 2007. SolarWorld wants to develop Opel into "the first 'green' European automotive group" and "produce a new generation of vehicles with energy-efficient, low-emission drives," according to a company statement. It would specifically use the existing Opel model line, modifying it to include electric drive and hybrid electric vehicles. _________________
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Post by Spider on Dec 12, 2008 19:15:49 GMT -5
  How-to:
Basic Car Stereo InstallationBy: Antuan Goodwin
Installing a car stereo can be a scary thing, but with a little preparation and patience it doesn't have to be difficult at all. In this photo slide show, we show you how to handle what is usually the first, and most basic, upgrade to a car's audio system: installing a new receiver.
While the details of car stereo installation may vary from vehicle to vehicle and between different receiver models, the basics are typically the same. Most installs only require simple hand tools, with the only special items necessary being a wire stripper.
For purposes of this walkthrough, we'll be using twist caps, a very temporary method of connection that is suitable for Car Tech testing purposes. Our stereos typically don't live in the vehicle for more than a week at a time. For your more permanent installation, we'd recommend soldering your connections.
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Post by Spider on Dec 17, 2008 8:29:09 GMT -5
  (The rest of the story)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner. On July 17, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees. The four brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter. Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car. They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees, turned on the air conditioner, and cooled the car off immediately. The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them $3 million for the patent. The brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but they wanted the recognition by having a label, 'The Goldberg Air-Conditioner,' on the dashboard of each car in which it was installed. Now old man Ford was more than just a little anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords. They haggled back and forth for about two hours, and finally agreed on $4 million and that just their first names would be shown. And so to this day, all Ford air conditioners show Lo, Norm, Hi, and Max on the controls.
So, now you know...
;D ;D
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Post by Spider on Jan 2, 2009 15:19:59 GMT -5
1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante [file photo] 'Eccentric Uncle'
Leaves Family a Rare Multimillion-Dollar Car:
A 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante
His nieces and nephews knew their eccentric uncle collected cars. But it was after the death of Dr. Harold Carr that they discovered he owned one of the world’s most valuable cars. Dr. Carr, who never wed and was believed to suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, died at the age of 89 last year. He left in his will a dingy old garage in Britain to his nieces and nephews, his only surviving family. Parked in the garage with other vehicles and junk was a mint 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of only 17 made in the world. The car is said to be worth anywhere between $4.3 million and $8.7 million. The two seater was reportedly untouched for 50 years and can reach a speed of 130 mph. According to reports, the family will be auctioning off the car in Paris next month. What a special way to say good-bye to family.
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Post by Spider on Jan 13, 2009 13:43:15 GMT -5
 Army Going Electric For Light-Use Vehicles
January 12, 2009
By: Candace Lombardi
Chrysler's General Electric Motorcar delivered the first six,
out of the thousands of NEVs the U.S. Army plans to lease in the coming years.
(Credit: U.S. Army/General Electric Motorcars)
The Big 3 of Detroit aren't the only ones
singing the praises
of electric vehicles this week. [/b] The U.S. Army on Monday announced an initiative to potentially replace up to 28,000 gas-powered vehicles at more than 155 Army installations with Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) in the coming years. NEVs are not highway-legal electric vehicles, but rather light-use electric vehicles with a maximum speed of 25 mph. The Army intends to use them for nontactical things like on-base transportation for visitors, or maintenance personal and their equipment, according to Paul Bollinger, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for Energy & Partnerships. Continued This would make a great vehicle for civilian postal delivery, etc.. __ 'S' [/color][/center] |
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Post by Spider on Jan 17, 2009 3:10:04 GMT -5
Obama's 'Beast' of a car revealed  By: Rajini Vaidyanathan
BBC News, Washington It looks like something out of a James Bond film.
But the presidential seal on the side marks this hulking limo out as something not even the superspy will be able to get his hands on.
These are the first pictures of the new armoured limousine which will be used to ferry Barack Obama around.
Nicknamed "The Beast", the Cadillac will make its debut on 20 January, as part of the inaugural parade.
It is traditional to show presidential cars off for the first time in this way.
'State of the art'
The Secret Service said the 2009 limo would provide it with a "valuable asset" in providing its occupant with the highest level of protection.
As expected, they are not giving too much away about the car, but Nicholas Trotta, their Assistant Director for the Office of Protective Operations is quoted in their news release:
"Although many of the vehicle's security enhancements cannot be discussed, it is safe to say that this car's security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world."
Observers say the car is likely to include bullet proof glass, an armoured body, a separate oxygen supply, and a completely sealed interior to protect against a chemical attack.
Some joke the car is so tough it could withstand a rocket-propelled grenade. Its tyres are said to work flat, so the vehicle will keep going even if shot at.
While the car's interior is a closely guarded secret, there is no doubt "The Beast" has been kitted out with the best and most up-to-date equipment.
David Caldwell, a spokesman for General Motors which makes Cadillac, told the BBC that the car is made to specifications that the company is given by the federal government.
"One of the specifications is that we don't talk about the specifications," he said.
But Mr Caldwell did reveal that the car has been made in keeping with the design of a contemporary Cadillac, and would include a hand-crafted interior.
When asked if it included such extras as an iPod dock, he said he could not comment specifically, but added that the limo would have "state of the art electronics".
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I think that this Prius solar concept is foolish because all it does is 
I can't even imagine what kind of cars (if any) we'll be driving 10 years from now.
