New energy efficient car

A new car has been designed that can travel the world in less than the energy it takes to turn on a lightbulb. Although to travel the world it will take one month without pitstops . This is really good now that oil is starting to run low.

Source: Lets all check this out!

Now lets wait and see if it develops into a consumer usable commodity ie full size cars etc or if it gets forgotten like others.... Good find ...thanks

Too bad we Americans couldn't have created something so phenomenal and revolutionary. It's seems to be that the powers to be rests fully in the hands of our British counterparts. We'd better start figuring out something or UK and the entire European Empire will rise above us with dominating supremacy.

I just did some research on BOC and they have another project that they're working on with other companies like QinetiQ (the same company doing the subway screening tech link).
This next project is for a hydrogen powered sports car.

That should be interesting, although I don't care too much for the initial design.

lifecar_project
A wholly British partnership that includes QinetiQ, Europe's largest science and technology solutions company, today unveiled plans to develop the world's first environmentally clean sports car, powered by a fuel cell which converts hydrogen into electricity.

Partnering QinetiQ in the project will be the legendary British sports car manufacturer, the Morgan Motor Company, Cranfield and Oxford Universities, BOC and OSCar.

The new vehicle, known as LIFECar, will be ultra quiet and its exhaust systems will produce only water vapour. It promises a clean vehicle combined with sound motoring performance and stylish good looks.

Part-funded by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI), LIFECar is a two and half-year long project which marks a step change in vehicle power technology, producing a combination of performance, range and fuel economy that will be essential to the motoring world of the future.

There's some hope for fuel independence in the future.

[edit on 9-7-2005 by AceOfBase]

Its funny how all these energy efficient cars are coming out just when we're starting to run out of oil. Wonder whats gonna happen in 7 million years when the sun swallows Earthg and we have no solar power?

This looks like potentially good stuff. Let's hope that big pockets, don't crush great ideas like these.

Troy

That's a cool article! One thing I notice though is the title: 'Eco-car more efficient than light bulb'. Though that is true, I don't think the writer knows what efficiency is. A light bulb actually converts ~5% of its energy into light and ~95% of its energy into heat, so it is only 5% efficient. Even our gasoline-based cars are something like 30%.

The top speed of this car is only 30mph (48km/h), but if they could make it even a little bit faster, it would be suitable for city use. I'm glad that someone is doing some serious research into hydrogen fuel cells. The lack of any pollution makes them extremely useful. Hopefully, someday, we will have fuel cells in all our cars, and in other equipment as well.

A big to atomix for finding this and to the researchers for designing this.

(P.S. if anyone has technical data on this car, I'd love to see it )

Honda has delivered a hydrogen fuel cell car, called the FCX, to a family in California.
It has a much higher speed than the Ech2o (93MPH) but nowhere near the efficiency.

hondanews
The 2005 FCX model is powered by Honda's originally developed fuel cell stack (Honda FC Stack) with the breakthrough capability to start and operate at sub-freezing temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit, along with increased performance, range and fuel efficiency compared with earlier models. The FCX was the first fuel cell vehicle to be listed in the EPA's fuel economy guide in 2003. The 2005 FCX carries an EPA city/highway rating of 62/51 miles per gallon and a range of 190 miles.

I wonder why that would be so much less efficient.

[edit on 10-7-2005 by AceOfBase]

its a good idea inventing a car that is kinder to the enviroment by using less of the earth resources but how do you get people to give up there big 4x4 gas guzzlers that do 12mpg... thats the difficult bit.

Originally posted by coffeeaddict
its a good idea inventing a car that is kinder to the enviroment by using less of the earth resources but how do you get people to give up there big 4x4 gas guzzlers that do 12mpg... thats the difficult bit.

well it's not that hard really. coming from someone who drives a dodge 1500 w/ a hemi feel pretty bad about it actually...

sure i just got it this year, it's fun to drive and speed in, but in the moral sense, i feel like a dirty rotten bastard and know that I need to get one of these healthier cars, because i really do care about climate change..

Especially the islander's who inhabit tuvalu

My vehicle is just terrible with gas. I'm pondering on a smaller car to add with the Blazer, to do the trips to work, and drives where I don't need the Blazer. Perhaps this would also allow me to convert one to electric or other alternative, while I drive the other, or do some maintanence on one while I drive the other.

Troy

Originally posted by AceOfBase
I wonder why that would be so much less efficient.

Hey - I'd settle for 62/51 any day, and I'm only drivng a sedan, but the economy of all cars in the past 10 years has become pathetic. I had a 95 Sentra that did 40 mpg right through 150,000 miles. When I saw the ratings on the new one in 2002 I was disgusted with the loss of mpg and what the hey, I might as well stop forfeiting leg room in the back set and went with the Altima. It still burns me to fuel up for 30 mpg (on a good week) but I don't think I'm even getting that at this point - more like 25 mpg.

There isn't a vehicle out there that they couldn't make to do a heck of a lot better if they wanted to, even with the current fuel. They just don't.

Edit: For the record, I wouldn't touch anything smaller at this point anyway, with all the SUVS out there I might as well be on a motocycle as it is in terms of my visibility. I can't tell you how many times I have been practically driven off the road in my Altima (twice in the past week). I'm thinking of getting a louder horn.

[edit on 7/11/2005 by Relentless]

Originally posted by DragonsDemesne



A big

to atomix for finding this

Aww aren't you nice?

Originally posted by cybertroy
My vehicle is just terrible with gas. I'm pondering on a smaller car to add with the Blazer, to do the trips to work, and drives where I don't need the Blazer. Perhaps this would also allow me to convert one to electric or other alternative, while I drive the other, or do some maintanence on one while I drive the other.

Troy

We also have a mini, it costs 20 bucks to fill the tank it's a 4 cyl and the gas lasts a long time.

It's good to use the truck for those trips to home depot or wherever else when you need to pick up large items.

If these alternative energy companies are going to start manufacturing better vehicles for the planet, they need to come up with a truck too.

in 7 million years we wont need dun power because we will be dead.

Originally posted by Atomix
A new car has been designed that can travel the world in less than the energy it takes to turn on a lightbulb. Although to travel the world it will take one month without pitstops . This is really good now that oil is starting to run low.

Source: Lets all check this out!

No offence, but the idea about the earth oil resources are running low is false. It is a scare tactic plain and simple. Noone knows how much oil is left, it could run dry tomarrow, or it could never run dry. It was a lie put out by conservationists to get what they want. Kind of like the global warming BS, it has never been proven and at the least, the opposite has been proving (global cooling).

Originally posted by menjo
No offence, but the idea about the earth oil resources are running low is false. It is a scare tactic plain and simple. Noone knows how much oil is left, it could run dry tomarrow, or it could never run dry. It was a lie put out by conservationists to get what they want. Kind of like the global warming BS, it has never been proven and at the least, the opposite has been proving (global cooling).

Ifn't if it wasn't in danger of running out it's still a good idea to develop fuel efficient vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles. Not just for the benefits to the environment but also because there's less money leaving the country just to buy fuel.

Originally posted by menjo

Originally posted by Atomix
A new car has been designed that can travel the world in less than the energy it takes to turn on a lightbulb. Although to travel the world it will take one month without pitstops . This is really good now that oil is starting to run low.

Source: Lets all check this out!

No offence, but the idea about the earth oil resources are running low is false. It is a scare tactic plain and simple. Noone knows how much oil is left, it could run dry tomarrow, or it could never run dry. It was a lie put out by conservationists to get what they want. Kind of like the global warming BS, it has never been proven and at the least, the opposite has been proving (global cooling).

ROFLMAO! Okay the reality will set in when we hit 100 $ a barrel in the very near future. It's basic economics, the more you pump up the more expensive it gets as the more you take, the lower it gets = the more energy it takes to pump up = higher prices. Oil doesn't regenerate, it's a finite resource one of which we are depleting at a rapid pace due to China and India. Oil Consumption in the West has been getting more efficient just 2 little 2 late. Oil is something that is VITAL for just about everything we use nowadays. Can you afford it when Oil is literally Black Gold?

Oh yeah one other thing, we will never run out of Oil completely. We will either switch to something else or we will kill ourselves out before we run out due to Food and Fresh Water wars as well as the usuall Oil Wars. You think that's doom and gloom, well look back at history and it's just par for the course

I like your signature tbare. Sounds like todays world. Anyway that's off topic.

Yeah, sometimes the fuel efficiency numbers just don't make sense on new cars. If we are advancing with computerized car engines and such, then why aren't the mileage numbers better? And shouldn't hybrid fuel mileage be better?

And, heck, I don't care about a loud engine anyway. I listen to music in my car. Engine noise only makes me have to compensate by turning up the volume, so pass me the electric engine.

Troy

No doubt I have no problem with new tech, i am all for it, I am a tech freak! However, the alternative fuel thing will never really catch on until either it is forced down our throats, or the power of the atl. vehicle excedes the performance of a regualr gas engine. Yeah, I know the gas engine in really not that efficient, but they have yet to developw a hybrid or hydo.F.C. that can drag mom, 8 screaming kids and a trunk load full of soccer equipment. Once that happens, i think that's when people will start taking it seriously.

As for the oil getting more expensive... it has nothing to do with the lack of, rather it is an indirect way for the Saudis to punish us for the on going war, they ARE symathetic to the terrorists, but will never outrightly edmit it. If the US really wanted to, we could say "OK we will pay you $10 a barrel, take it or leave it". If they turn it down, the would be back in about two months begging for for the $10 a barrel. The reason is that we are there TOP oil buyer. If we drop the Saudis, they would become a third world country with in a year.

Actually, for the supply and demand theory, the more you pump, the less expensive it is supposed to get, not the opposite.