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Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 1:38 pm
by edh
frenchie wrote:The Smart Fortwo has a 0.8 L cdi engine that gets around 70mpg (54 HP) and that's with the transmission inefficiencies.
The Smart ForTwo Diesel is pretty poor if you consider that while it may be fairly efficient, other, much larger cars can match this fuel efficiency whilst being more practical and substantially faster. 3.3l/100km is very good but not when you compare it to the BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics which might 'only' do 4.1l/100km but gets to 100km/h in 8 seconds as opposed to 16.8. It's over twice the car and suddenly the Smart ForTwo doesn't make so much sense. There are many other cars that come closer to the Smart ForTwo in absolute economy but manage it at a larger scale. All they've done in the Smart ForTwo is use a tiny engine which they can just about get away with hauling the thing along.

Good luck with the electric system!

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:39 am
by potsy
How about this one? A 1965 electric Humber Vogue. Which comes with a super detailed blog about how it was retro fitted. And it goes - youtube tells us so!

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Yep, that's an electric car. Check out the dash!

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Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:14 am
by frenchie
edh wrote:The Smart ForTwo Diesel is pretty poor if you consider that while it may be fairly efficient, other, much larger cars can match this fuel efficiency whilst being more practical and substantially faster. 3.3l/100km is very good but not when you compare it to the BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics which might 'only' do 4.1l/100km but
gets to 100km/h in 8 seconds as opposed to 16.8.
Agreed, but the point was to use the small engine to power an alternator to partially recharge the battery, not to use the engine to move the car...
And the BWM does not get 4.1L/100km when you're doing the 8 sec acceleration ;)

Neil, any time you come close to Springfield MA, let me know, I'd love to see your project !

OT : I've been playing with how I drive my car I'm now getting around 2mpg better mileage now than I was getting before (almost 35mpg, 2010 elantra gls, 60% highway, 30% windy country roads, 10% town)

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 1:02 pm
by edh
frenchie wrote:Agreed, but the point was to use the small engine to power an alternator to partially recharge the battery, not to use the engine to move the car...
You wouldn't want to use that engine for the purpose wihtout extensive modification. What you are talking about is a 'range extender hybrid' pretty much like the diesel electric drive used in some trains but with added batteries and regenerative braking perhaps also. The trouble is that the requirements for the generator engine are very different from an engine to drive the wheels directly, you don't need the engine to be responsive in the same way. It is possible to retune a diesel engine (and diesel is much better for the purpose) to suit but don't expect this to be something that any tuner will be able to do as that's totally unlike their normal customer bases requirements (more aggressive response, flimsy anecdotal evidence of better performance and fuel economy, more noise, warranties invalidated!). For this reason range extender hybrids tend to use different engines to their direct transmission counterparts. You'd be better off taking the engine from a small trailer mounted generator of the type you often see used on building sites.
frenchie wrote:And the BWM does not get 4.1L/100km when you're doing the 8 sec acceleration ;)
No, but it'll get better fuel efficiency doing 0-100kmh in 16.8 seconds than the Smart would. This touches on a test that Top Gear did a few years ago: A Prius vs an M3 on a lap with the M3 just keeping up with the Prius. No surprise from an engineering background which is more efficient in doing this, the car that isn't running at 100% all of the time!

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:42 pm
by frenchie
edh wrote:You'd be better off taking the engine from a small trailer mounted generator of the type you often see used on building sites.
I hadn't thought of that... I wonder how those things would do with a proper muffler... The image I have in my head of those engines (from when I worked on construction site in the summer when I was still in school), is the noise and the smoke when ramping up.
How about using a small household backup generator (can be diesel fuel or LP) ? It would have to be the most efficient for the power the car pulls when charging (the nissan leaf pulls 3.3Kw when charging using the on board charger). A quick search returns a 5kW generator, diesel fuel, consuming .076 gallons of diesel fuel per KWH at full load... interesting topic to poke at one of those days...

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:39 pm
by edh
frenchie wrote:I hadn't thought of that... I wonder how those things would do with a proper muffler... The image I have in my head of those engines (from when I worked on construction site in the summer when I was still in school), is the noise and the smoke when ramping up.
Have a look at the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust but I'm sure anyone with engineering sense could do better. I have seen the actual car itself in a museum and it's safe to say that it's ambitious but rubbish:
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-c ... ss-release

There are some videos somewhere no doubt.
frenchie wrote:How about using a small household backup generator (can be diesel fuel or LP) ? It would have to be the most efficient for the power the car pulls when charging (the nissan leaf pulls 3.3Kw when charging using the on board charger). A quick search returns a 5kW generator, diesel fuel, consuming .076 gallons of diesel fuel per KWH at full load... interesting topic to poke at one of those days...
An industrial one would probably be higher efficiency and you do need a higher power as you need it to charge over the 3 phase connection as opposed to normal mains just to get the power in quickly enough so that you can effectively use it whilst driving along.

Edison2 Very Light Car: v4.0 Chassis Revealed @ Ford Museum

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:44 am
by NeilBlanchard
Pictures!

Here's one:
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Oliver mentioned in the presentation that the rear seat is just a placeholder; it is not the seat they will end up with. And, obviously the wheels are too wide. The rear suspension will take some puzzling out...

Please notice the name on the dash instruments. Is the battery underslung below the front wheel beam?

More articles and pictures!

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Edison2 Unveils New Super-MPG Car At The Henry Ford « CBS Detroit

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CarBEN EV5 - First Public Showing!

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:32 am
by NeilBlanchard

CarBEN EV5 - First Public Showing!

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 1:12 pm
by NeilBlanchard
Some more pictures from the Earth Day Festival, taken by a friend:
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Organic Transit Elf - pedal/electric/solar Velomobile

Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 7:19 am
by NeilBlanchard
It is great to see this sort of vehicle coming onto the market. It is a reverse trike model called the Elf and it is built by Organic Transit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqWeYsrfNK8
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They also have a larger fully enclosed utility trike model called the TruckIt.
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They are pretty serious on the production methods!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQogddZNIHY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtW_MWFMZ7w

Organic Transit is now shipping the Elf to their Kickstarter investors, which is great! They ended up raising over $223,000 which is way over their target. Here are some new concept computer models of future Elf's, including a tandem 2 seat design:

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Here is an article that shows (what I think is) the production Elf:

ELF: Hybrid Solar / Pedal Vehicle by Organic Transit | Ubergizmo

ELF-Organic-Transit-01photo fromELF: Hybrid Solar / Pedal Vehicle by Organic Transit - Ubergizmo

So, about 30 miles of range, and it can be pedaled on the flats. It can charge itself in 7-8 hours sitting in the sunshine, and it doesn't require insurance or a license - and it only costs about $4,000. And you will get in shape and lose weight, too.

Awesome!

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 9:22 am
by NeilBlanchard
This is excellent! A solar powered car that seats at least four people:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=905HHucCkKI

The Solar Team Eindhoven (STE) of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) presented the world's first solar-powered family car. "Stella" is the first "energy-positive car" with room for four people, a trunk, intuitive steering and a range of 600 kilometers (373 miles). This is the car being entered by the student team in the Cruiser class of the World Solar Challenge that starts in Australia in October 2013.

"Stella" was created by a team of 22 students from the University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Stella is the first solar car with four seats with a range of 600 km (373 miles) per charge ! It combines an aerodynamic design with lightweight materials, such as carbon fiber and aluminum.

Stella will get the official certification for road use, becoming street legal and will be for sale in Europe.

http://www.designboom.com/technology/wo ... amily-car/

Students in the Netherlands unveil a solar-powered family car; Tech News and Analysis

Stella is the World's First Solar-Powered Family Car! | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

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It's a solar racer car that seats four. The battery pack is the "spine" between the seats, and the range of ~370 miles - without the sun shining, I presume?

So, it is not fully equivalent to a typical car and yes the doors and the roof are obviously deflecting. I would love to see a slightly taller version - it could take a nod in the direction of the Schlörwagen, or Sven7's Linner Strømlinet Vogn.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 3:56 am
by NeilBlanchard
For anyone in eastern Massachusetts, Elio Motors is bringing their prototype to the South Shore Mall in Braintree, MA, through tomorrow, during Mall hours (10am-9pm).

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They are claiming 84MPG (highway) and they say they will sell it for $6,800. And build it in the US. It seats two people, by the way - in tandem.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 2:12 pm
by NeilBlanchard
Okay, this is my "report".

The engine, transmission - the full drivetrain are being designed and built by IAV:

Engine Q&A with IAV – 2-21-14 | Elio Motors

They will have the first drivetrain soon (within a few months?) and it will likely be installed in a P5 (prototype #5) unit. This orange car is a P4. The P5 will have ~1.5" more headroom in the back seat.

I sat in the backseat - it is lacking a bit of headroom (I'm 6'-4") and the seat cushion was very firm, and not angled enough to support my legs. I did fit, though. The front has more than enough legroom - I would *not* push the seat all the way back, or else I could not reach the pedals.

They have nearly 20,000 deposits now. Deposits can be $100, $250, $500, or $1,000 - and they can be refundable or non-refundable - your choice. If you choose non-refundable, they match 50% of it against your purchase price.

They will be doing a direct sales model - a lot like Tesla, with retail stores in malls, etc. Service will be handled through Pep Boys: Elio Motors: Ultra High Mileage Vehicle (click on Service and Maintenance)

The base model will be a 5-speed manual with a normally aspirated engine, stereo, A/C, 3 air bags, etc. and they are ~80% done with pricing the parts. They will likely make the target $6,800 price, or it may rise $100-150. Automatic transmission will cost more. There will be a turbo option.

One person mentioned the Cd was 0.24, and if they didn't count the under slung exhaust (or maybe they did include it?), then that is plausible. The main part of the chassis is very good, and only the suspension struts and driveshaft and the wheel fairings are less great. I'll guess the outboard front wheels are at least half the overall drag? They also mentioned the possibility of side video mirrors.

Oh, the right side window opens even though there is no door.

It looked lower and better in person. The wedge on the front above the grill looks less pronounced than I thought it would, and that is a good thing, in my book. The exhaust will exit much farther back. The rear suspension is very beefy looking - single sided swing arm is on the right side (see pictures).

There were at least 8 people there who had put down deposits. There was a lot of buzz and people were almost always positive. The only negative comments I heard was about the small storage space; if there is a second person in the rear seat.

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Metro engine:
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Rear suspension:
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Inside:
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The underslung exhaust:
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They are looking to possibly deliver cars in about a year and a half. Another interesting tidbit is that at least one person working for Elio there have bought stock in the company. This is good to hear, as it may mean they will work all the harder to build and sell cars.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 5:22 pm
by khaakon
Such a nice sleek car - probably a bit cramped for my taste, personally (2-seater back/front). I saw something funny the other day, absolutely radical, and wanted to share;
Solar Freaking Roadways
Not my meaning to downgrade this post in any way with preposterous utoob links. I really thought the idea enterprising, but also very utopian because I doubt you that easy get enough electricity out of it, and maintenance issues would make it not usable many places without proper foundation. But maybe ecofriendly on a certain scale.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 7:19 pm
by NeilBlanchard
The front seat is big, but having the sides of the car near on both sides takes getting used to.

This solar roadways are bunk. The requirements for a road are totally at odds with the requirements for solar panels - I don't know what they are thinking?

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 3:40 pm
by Tzupy
Tesla open-sources all patents, bold move by Elon Musk (and so un-american):
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/1843 ... wered-cars

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:09 pm
by frenchie
Nice post Neil, thanks ! I wonder what kind of real-life fuel economy we'll see... It looks low to the ground, was that your impression ? (I'm thinking ease of access)

Same cd as the Model S. The 2014 MB CLA250 will do even better as far as cd is concerned. Not for fuel economy though :p

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:35 pm
by NeilBlanchard
Yes, the Elio is a bit too low - they are going to put 16" wheels on (in place of the 15" on the P4 I saw. Real world MPG of course will vary, but they will have optimized the engine and the gearing, and aero is pretty good (with the exposed front suspension bits being the majority, really) and the exposed exhaust. If we get a new law allowing video mirrors (that Tesla is aiming for!) then the Cd and frontal areas of all cars can be improved.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:30 pm
by NeilBlanchard
I had a productive day (so far) - I have cut the windshield opening! Here's the progression:

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The big moment has arrived!

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An interesting sidebar: Nissan is selling a new and improved Leaf battery pack for $5,500. I could buy two packs and fit them into CarBEN EV5; which would be awesome!

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:21 pm
by xan_user
making some fantastic progress there Neil! Great looking project. Keep up the great work!

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2014 3:58 pm
by NeilBlanchard
After several hours of work today, I got the wiper system almost into place.

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The firewall has several holes in it that will need to be filled in from the inside. The base of the 'A' pillars need to be built up - both to cover the holes needs to clear the ends of the push rods, and to make the ends of the vent bezel flush. I put the nose and the hood into place and the hood will need some more work to get it to fit over the bezel.

The 'A' pillars are a lot straighter than they used to be but I still see some wobbles ...

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Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 2:52 pm
by Cistron
Awww, almost looks like an old beetle. Nostalgia! :)

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 5:43 pm
by NeilBlanchard
I can sorta' see that in the hood shape and the headlights. But the overall, the shape is quite different.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:21 am
by frenchie
Hi Neil,
any updates on your project ?

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:10 am
by NeilBlanchard
A few, yes. I glued the nose on the chassis. I have retrieved the Saab 900 and I am looking for a Toyota MGR unit, which is the differential unit used on the Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus hybrid. It has a 50kW AC motor integrated with a reduction gear and a differential. They apparently can be had for between $300-600, which is a great price.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:32 pm
by frenchie
I have to bookmark your thread at ecomodder, there is so much stuff there !!

Also, I noticed you got a 2015 Leaf. Have you written about it anywhere ?

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 6:13 pm
by NeilBlanchard
I started a thread at EcoModder for the Leaf:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.p ... 30243.html

My spouse and I share it, and we have put almost 4500 miles in the first three months we have had it. It is a great daily driver for us, and it is a lot of fun to drive - very smooth, quick and quiet. No driving experience is as quiet as a modern EV.

We are averaging ~117MPGe, which is even better when you consider that it is winter, and running the defroster or the heat takes a lot of extra energy. Here's my energy log:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/em-fuel-log. ... cleid=8730

We can use the heated seats (all 5 are heated) and the steering wheel is also heated. The outside mirrors are heated, and the rear defroster is direct heating, like all cars. None of those is all that energy intensive. What we need in all EV's is a direct heating windshield defroster, and we would have hardly any penalty for cold weather driving. A few EV's have this now, but our Leaf has a resistance heater that heats some water, and that warms air that a fan blows over it - it uses I think 2kW or maybe 3 or 4, which is a big hit - it can knock 20-30 miles off the overall range, if you run it constantly.

Efficiency is the strength of an EV, and that means there is virtually no "spare" heat, so we need the engineers to switch over to better methods. The two kinds of direct heating defrosters are to put very fine wires in the glass, or to put a molecule thick layer of gold on the glass, and these heat the glass directly for maybe 100W or so. And it is quicker, too.

Re: Super Efficient Cars [very large pictures]

Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 3:56 am
by milesaway
The three-wheeled Aptera 2e was a breathtaking vision, and the company almost made it work.