Saying Goodbye

It is with deep regret that we inform the readers of the blog that Mark Yannone died on 17 July 2009. Pursuant to his wishes, there will be no memorial or service. Anyone wishing to send letters to the family may send them via email to cherieyannone@aol.com. All notes to the family will be delivered directly.

White Zombie

This plain-Jane converted Datsun established a new world record every time he drove it down the track.

PUMA

Still in the experimental stage, the two-seater PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) by GM and Segway can travel 25-35 miles at up to 25-35 mph before needing to recharge its lithium ion batteries at a cost of about 60 cents. [More]

Greenbird

by Mark Yannone

It's not electric, but Ecotricity's Greenbird uses a solar byproduct: wind. After a decade of concerted effort, British engineer Richard Jenkins beat the previous record by ten mph, set ten years ago by Bob Schumacher. As in stories we've read about other successful inventors and explorers, Jenkins' obsession began as a hobby in pursuit of a goal that he figured would be easily achieved. Fortunately, he had no idea how hard this would be.

Greenbird breaks the world record at 126.1 mph

Who Killed the Electric Car?

by Mark Yannone

Rarely do we see customers stalking a car, begging to be allowed to buy one. General Motors made such a car, and they weren't even trying. In fact, they tried to suboptimize it by refusing to use some of their most valuable technology. Now General Motors is bankrupt, unable to make a profit, and is begging taxpayers to keep them alive. What could be more absurd? Watch:

Solar power storage innovation

by Mark Yannone

With this new process we just took a giant leap toward energy independence. Until now, those who produced excess solar power could store limited energy in expensive batteries, or sell power to the electric company during the day and buy it back at night. We will now be able to store solar power efficiently, using inexpensive and abundant materials. We have indeed turned a corner.



But wait, there's more! Using inexpensive materials, solar cell innovations have doubled their efficiency and made them fault tolerant.

Whisper by XP Vehicles

By 2010 XP Vehicles, Inc., expects to be producing the Whisper, a line of inflatable electric cars that have some very attractive features:

• Range when using a hot-swappable XPack Multi-Core Battery/Fuel Cell power plant: 2500 miles.

• Range without the hot-swap technology: 300 miles per charge.

• Price: Under $10,000, possibly under $5,000.
  

• Other: Safe (the car is the air bag), highly efficient, stable, less toxic than current vehicles, most conventional options will be available, much "standard" equipment will be optional, very puncture resistant, easy to repair.

They are not selling to the public yet, but if you send them an e-mail, they will let you know when you can order your Whisper. See FAQ here.

Source

Neil Young gets into the act

Besides music, Young is working with engineers and developers to create a car that doesn't require roadside refueling. He is working with a variety of developers and scientists to develop a large, American-style car that doesn't require fossil fuels. "I have trained myself to take this on," he said.

"America is full of big people; it's a huge country and the wind blows. I don't want to have cars blown off the road with high winds," Young said. "We work with aerodynamics, and there's the X Prize effort to get 100 miles per gallon." Scientists are working on interesting concepts such as cars running on compressed air with stackable motors on the wheels, he said. Other solutions are more fringe.

"It's very kooky. People say you are nuts but I am used to that," he said. "People are so paranoid about the power establishment. That's what they think about when you come up with an idea that is going to bring change." [Full story]

Hymotion for Prius

by Mark Yannone

Hymotion has begun taking orders for a kit for the Toyota Prius that converts it to a plug-in rechargeable, effectively more than doubling the mileage from 46 mpg to more than 100 mpg for 30 to 40 miles. The cost of the A123 Hymotion L5 Plug-in Conversion Module is $9995 plus a $400, installation included. No, you cannot do it yourself, they say. Charge time is 4.5 hours.

Is the kit worth it? At the current price of gas ($3.50 per gallon) and electricity in the continental US, excluding the time value of money and assuming the given statistics, you will begin to see an economic advantage after driving an additional 137,000 miles inside that 30- to 40-mile range.

See also: Can Hymotion Convert the Auto Industry?

Chrysler GEM (Global Electric Motorcars)

In a class called NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle) the GEM's standard six 12-volt flooded electrolyte batteries provide a range of up to 35 miles per charge and a top speed of 25 mph.








GEM is available in six models, three of which have optional Special Edition Packages that include many extras, like 14" polished aluminum wheels, chrome headlamp bezels, front and rear chrome bumpers, a deluxe steering wheel, tilt steering, premium carpeted floor mats, and premium two-toned seats.


See also: Car Offers Power to Ditch the Pump

The solar electric car a high school made