Monday, we told you about a breakthrough in robotics that allows killer machines to be powered by compressed air. Now we've got this amazing video of a motorcycle that uses the same power source. The so-called Air Bike was created by engineering students in India as a prototype for a solution to the country's prevalent smog problem.
Sure, it only goes 11 mph now, but as a proof-of-concept vehicle it's pretty cool. I could imagine a smaller vehicle (bike? moped?) with the same gear that could go much faster as a final product, if it gets that far.
The only problem I see is that compressing air takes energy, and often air compressors are powered by the same gasoline that this cycle is meant to eliminate the need for. If they can find a way to use electric compressors only, then this concept is definitely worth pursuing.
(Via Newlaunches.com)
We've given a lot of pixels to electric cars recently, especially the hot Tesla Roadster. But there's one electric car that can dust the Tesla and all the others off the line. It's a 1972 Datsun.
Meet the White Zombie from Plasma Boy Racing. John Wayland of Portland, Ore., made the unassuming small car in his garage as a project, and now the custom-made electric powerhouse is taking the drag strips by storm. In the video above, it toasts a bad-ass-looking Corvette, much to the 'vette owner's chagrin.
We're not sure how practical a car like this would be, as it has to be recharged after each heat, but man it looks like it'd be fun to drive.
So what kind of car are you going to get next? Perhaps, I might tempt your credulity by asking you to consider a new eco-car called the LEKO.
A Toyota? No, an IKEA.
A strange Web site has appeared, roulez-leko.com, on which a very relaxed, modern, eco-friendly chap, allegedly the great car designer Christophe Grozs, stands next to an apparent car draped with the word LEKO and the tagline "la voiture selon IKEA."
Yes, the car according to IKEA.
The LEKO (L'eco, get it?), allegedly has the backing of the World Wildlife Fund in France. Which might mean the fund has put money into the creation or that the car will have plastic panda-skin seats.
It also will save you untold (because unspecified) amounts of money on your expenditure. And it is humongously eco-friendly.
This is an ad, right?
If IKEA made a car, the doors might not fit quite perfectly into the body. Then you'd really have to work hard to use those tiny screwdrivers to make sure the engine didn't wobble. And just imagine the number of screws it would take to put in the cup holder.
There's the name too. Real IKEA product names never make sense. They always seem to resemble a fair to middling Scrabble hand--for example, KLIPPAN or LYCKSELE. LEKO is far too meaningful.
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The SolChat retails for $100.
(Credit: Scosche)Hot on the heels of announcing that it would be making accessories for the third-generation Shuffle, Scosche has "gone green" with a $100 solar-powered Bluetooth speakerphone for cars.
SolChat's backside.
(Credit: Scosche)If you haven't seen one before, these types of speakerphones represent one of the better applications of solar-charging in a consumer device. The device adheres to your windshield and collects sunlight to charge the internal lithium ion rechargeable battery. A USB charging cable and car adapter ships with the device so you can charge at night and on days with insufficient sunlight. A windshield suction-cup mount and sun visor clip are also included.
What's nice about the Bluetooth is that once you set up a pairing between your cell phone and SolChat, they will automatically connect once you enter your car and turn on the speakerphone (the SolChat automatically turns off once the pairing is broken). The speakerphone also has voice-announce technology that enables it to announce calls as they come in "so users can keep their eyes on the road while driving."
Better Place aims to bring its electric-car charging network to the Bay Area, where plans are afoot to promote battery-powered vehicles.
(Credit: Better Place)
Better Place aims by 2012 to bring a $1 billion electric-car infrastructure system to the California Bay Area, whose leaders unveiled policies Thursday to fast-track the adoption of electric cars.
The Palo Alto, Calif., start-up will apply its unique business model, followed in Israel, Denmark, and Australia, of providing the public stations to charge vehicles and swap out leased batteries.
Shai Agassi, Better Place founder and CEO, said he hopes to wrap up permitting in the Bay Area within the next year, roll out the infrastructure in 2010, and fine-tune its technology over the next several years as more electric cars come to market.
"We need to stop the conversation of whether this is Detroit versus Silicon Valley, whether this is Michigan versus California, and we need to start talking about this as the next generation of the car," he said. "We hope that by the time we deploy, we'll see our friends from Renault and Nissan but also the three U.S. manufacturers developing cars that have a plug, and have the ability to drive around the city and charge as they go."
Mayors Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, Chuck Reed of San Jose, and Ron Dellums of Oakland joined Agassi at San Francisco City Hall, promising to launch policies in December to support companies and consumers adopting electric cars. (The event was broadcast online via Webcast.)
Among their plans are expedited permitting for car-charging outlets with incentives for businesses and garages installing them or providing battery-swapping. The mayors also pledged to standardize regulations across the region, working with clean-air and transit programs.
"I believe the big game changer is electric vehicles and plug-in technology," said Newsom, explaining that transportation accounts for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California and exceeds 54 percent in San Francisco.
Widespread usage of electric vehicles over two decades would save consumers $175 billion in fuel costs and bring a $120 billion boon for battery makers, according to early results of a study by the Venture Lab at the University of California at Berkeley.
"Look what happened when we built ARPANET in 1979," said Robert Kennedy Jr., describing the rise of the personal computer. "The reason for that is we created the infrastructure that made it easy for manufacturers and consumers to take advantage of the technology." Kennedy is partner and senior adviser of VantagePoint Venture Partners, the biggest investor in Better Place.
In statements, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi praised the electric vehicle announcements for the potential to boost the economy and reduce pollution.
Coulomb Technologies is developing networked equipment for charging electric vehicles at the curb.
(Credit: Kim Smith/General Motors)Coulomb Technologies has inked deals with service stations throughout California to provide smart equipment for charging electric vehicles in the first quarter of 2009.
Solar panels will power some of Coulomb's networked equipment, which can provide electric cars about a 10-mile driving range after an hour of charging.
The dozens of planned locations include gas stations along Interstates 101, 5, and 99, which snake north to south through much of California's length. A few of the stations will be closer to cities, and some already offer a mix of cleaner fuels, such as hydrogen, biodiesel, and ethanol.
"It's very similar to a gas pump business, where we provide the equipment that allows station to run a business," said Coulomb CEO Richard Lowenthal.
Coulomb sells its technology to service stations, which set the consumer pricing. Although some may offer car charging as a free perk, Lowenthal said he thinks the price per charge should be about half of the equivalent in gasoline.
The Campbell, Calif., company aims to establish hundreds of charging stations by the end of 2009.
It has been readying its technology for a December launch of public stations in San Jose. In tests around Silicon Valley, the company has been working to prevent interference to its wireless communications from sources including UPS delivery trucks pulling up near the car-charging stations, Lowenthal said.
Although financing has dried up with the economic downturn, interest from potential customers is strong thanks to the anticipated releases of the GM Chevy Volt and a plug-in Toyota Prius in the next two years, he added.
Coulomb faces plenty of competition from Better Place and other start-ups building the infrastructure to charge electric cars. Nissan announced a joint effort Thursday to test charging systems with the state of Oregon. Lowenthal said he envisions multiple companies succeeding in the coming years.
"We assume it will be something like cell phones where there are multiple providers and roaming agreements," he said.
Countless small start-ups and Detroit automakers are trying to revive electric cars from an early grave, although there's a long road ahead before electricity might serve as a "fuel" for the masses.
In the meantime, however, a handful of companies aims to put the power cord in the hands of drivers who want to transform their gas-electric hybrids into plug-in hybrids, or to replace the internal combustion innards of other cars with all-electric systems.
The businesses are touting plug-in hybrid systems that can be driven up to 40 miles on batteries alone, with average fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon. The cars use gasoline once the batteries drain.
It can cost more than $10,000 to install a plug-in hybrid system on a Toyota Prius. Is the limited electric driving range worth the expense?
Absolutely, according to Felix Kramer, founder of CalCars, which counts nearly
At Luscious Garage in San Francisco, mechanics including Michou Olivera tend to hybrid electric cars. (Click on image for a full photo gallery.)
(Credit: James Martin/CNET News)With the growing popularity of hybrid gas-electric cars like the Toyota Prius, garages are cropping up to serve eco-conscious drivers by specializing in hybrid car maintenance and repairs.
CNET reporters took a closer look this week at one such auto shop. The solar-powered, woman-owned Luscious Garage in San Francisco caters to hybrid owners. Its mechanics aim to be inviting as well as eco-friendly. Since opening last fall, the shop has attracted more than 100 customers. Soon, it will expand with a space for converting hybrids to plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.
Take a look at some behind-the-scenes footage from Luscious Garage in this audio slideshow from CNET News photographer James Martin. Speaking is mechanic Michou Olivera.
For more on Luscious' business and ethos, CNET's Kara Tsuboi has this video report. And this photo gallery describes more details about the company's plans for expansion.
Car interiors and car seats are becoming less toxic, although "new car smell" continues to carry poisons linked to allergies and cancer, according to a report last week by the Ecology Center.
The Ann Arbor, Mich., group found that General Motors made the most progress in reducing potentially harmful materials, followed by Mazda and Nissan, since the nonprofit's initial Healthy Car report last year.
The Acura RDX appears to smell sweeter than other SUVs in a report by the Ecology Center.
(Credit: Corrine Schulze/CNET Networks)The ingredients in question include lead, chlorine, and phthalates from plastics, as well as brominated flame retardants from cushions and padding.
The car with the best marks was the Acura RDX SH sport-utility vehicle. Three Smart cars made the list of 10 best picks, as did two Chevy models and two Toyotas. Also among the lauded models were the Chevy HHR SUV, as well as the BMW M5 and Honda Accord EXL sedans.
Among the worst vehicles, according to the rankings, were the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider convertible and Suzuki Reno hatchback, as well as the BMW 120i and Volkswagen Beetle convertibles.
In addition, scores of children's car seats fared 27 percent better than in 2007. Sunshine Kids and Graco brands fared especially well, while seats from Alpha Sport and Britax were among the worst in the rankings.
The Ecology Center interpreted its results as proving that harmful chemicals are unnecessary for making safe cars and car seats, and it called for lawmakers to ramp up regulations.
The environmental watchdog group looked at more than 200 popular models of cars released between 2006 and 2008, as well as 60 types of car seats. It used X-ray fluorescence to examine components that drivers and passengers frequently come into contact with, such as steering wheels, seats, doors, dashboards, and armrests.
The presence of the ingredients detected isn't otherwise indicated by manufacturers. Nor do third-party green consumer labels usually describe such details for cars and car seats.
The results of the report can also be found by sending from a mobile phone a text message that includes the make and model of a car or car seat.
New to the report this year is the fuel-economy ratings for cars.Critics of the Ecology Center's study have charged that it sensationalizes the health risks of cars, whose biggest danger comes from road accidents rather than toxic chemicals.
GreenRoad Technologies announced it has received $3 million in series C funding from Amadeus Capital Partners, Virgin Green Fund, Benchmark Capital, and Balderton Capital on Monday.
The company's main product, the GreenRoad Safety Center, might be called a digital backseat driver. It features on-board sensors tracking some 120 moves made by the driver. Paired with Web applications, a dashboard display offers real-time suggestions about how to steer the car more safely.
GreenRoad claims that clients have found a 54 percent reduction in crashes and a 7 percent drop in fuel costs.
The company says its product is being picked up by commercial fleets, insurance companies, and governments in the United States, Europe, and Israel. With offices in Redwood Shores, Calif., and London, GreenRoad projects that its products could serve 77 million vehicles.
In January, the company raised $14.5 million led by Virgin Green Fund and Benchmark Capital.
