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cars
Less roads signs equals increased safety
Aug 31st
In the town of Bohmte, Germany, all roads signs and traffic lights have been removed in order to make the roads more of a “shared space”. Drivers negotiate their behavior with each other, rather than according to any rules or regulations. Since drivers have to pay more attention to each other than a green light or a road sign, in theory, there will be less accidents. “The many rules strip us of the most important thing: the ability to be considerate. We’re losing our capacity for socially responsible behavior,” said Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman in treehugger.com. “The greater the number of prescriptions, the more people’s sense of personal responsibility, dwindles.” Could this work in the United States? Maybe if we went through a couple of courses of road rage management.
Don’t buy a new electric car, convert your old one to electric
Aug 27th
David Noon on Maui, Hawaii converts cars (anything from Hummers to Isuzus to 1950s Studebakers) to run on biodiesel. Noon, of Maui EVs, is the only one in Hawaii providing such a service. He’s outfitting a Ford Ranger XLT for $17,000. That’s enough for a used car, but for an electric car, you can make that money back in no time.
Feed Your Car Some Whiskey And Save The Planet
Aug 27th
Professor Martin Tangney, a scientist from County Cork, Ireland has invented a new bio-fuel made from Scotch, and can be used instead of gasoline in cars. This invention is part of a project aimed at developing a biobutonal, the next generation of biofuel, which gives 30 percent more output power than ethanol. Tangney and Edinburgh Napier University are planning to create a company that will market this fuel to a gas station near you.
A 4G Network for Your Car
Aug 22nd
Though it’s not common yet, a report from IMS Research claims that the number of new vehicles with Internet access will increase from 1.1 million in 2009 to 6 million in 2017. According to report author, Jon Cropley, “The two main factors are the growing popularity of downloadable apps and improvements in cellular technology.” As cell phones applications like those that provide weather reports or read aloud emails already help drivers to multi-task, in-vehicle Internet is seen as viable and necessary. There are still safety concerns that such access will only increase driver distraction, but as consumers use cellular technology in the car, it’s a risk that needs to be taken.
Yabba dabba do! Check Out The “Human Car”
Aug 19th
Remember the human-powered car from the Flinstones? The one that can only move by peddling your feet? Now you can relive those childhood memories with the HumanCar, a hybrid vehicle powered by hand cranks. Seating up to four people, the vehicle can reach 60 miles per hour, if everyone is cranking at full speed. However, if it’s just you driving, electric plug-ins are available for installation to help with the cranking. Images and video after the break
It’s not just solar power, it’s solar fuel
Aug 18th
Since 2008, a European organization led by Athanasios Konstandopoulos at the Centre for Research and Technology in Hellas, Thessaloníki, Greece, has been operating a 100-kilowatt pilot plant that generates hydrogen from a combination of sunlight and steam. It’s now found that the same technology for this pilot plant can also be used to split carbon dioxide molecules. The resulting carbon monoxide can then be combined with the hydrogen to form a hydrocarbon fuel. The creation of hydrocarbon fuel will mean few changes to cars and other energy infrastructure, a break for those hesitant on moving toward alternative energy sources. This new process would make better use of the carbon dioxide that’s already being produced by this pilot plant and could lead to the development of a hydrogen economy.
Flying Cars Are The Future, Really!
Aug 6th
Now that the US car and aviation industries has been jolted to its knees, there had to be a reason to make sure both industries are bolstered. What better than flying cars? Terrafugia, a flying car manufacturer has just outed designs and computer generated models of its next gen flying car “The Transition”.
The carplane features a car-like cabin with a regular steering wheel, speedo etc amalgamated with joy sticks and altimeters. The wings fold back so that you can hit the road when you aren’t flying. The whole thing fits on one lane of the road although I wouldn’t take it on a drive to downtown Seattle. Images after the break
Audi “Unboxing” The Car
Aug 5th
There’s been a massive change in car design in the last 10 years. From boxy to sexy. Audi leads the pack when it comes to shedding the boxy appeal of the car to create smooth curves and sharp lines. Not just aerodynamic, these cars look good. Audi created an advertisement for the Q5 that tried to convey this message of “unboxing” of the car via an animated sequence. The message is so crisp that you cannot ignore the smooth curves anymore. Video after the break.
LAMBORGHINI ANNOUNCES NEW CENTER FOR CARBON FIBER RESEARCH IN SANT’AGATA BOLOGNESE
Aug 1st
Sant’Agata Bolognese — Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. announces a new Advanced Composites Research Center (ACRC) at its headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese. The center carries out research on innovative design and production methods for carbon-fiber elements. Both the ACRC and an all-new, highly efficient production process for extremely complex carbon-fiber structures were developed at the same time. The process
When In A Ford, Listen To Tweets Handsfree
Jul 30th
The system does not allow you to tweet back to make sure you don’t think too hard while driving. This is to make sure you are not distracted from your primary job at the wheel – DRIVE. But experts say that this may only lead to the driver reaching out to the phone to tweet back. Now come on, if the system can take voice commands it can also tweet, right?
“Making SYNC even more intuitive and easier to use will encourage more drivers to take advantage of its hands-free capabilities, helping them keep their focus on driving,” said Mark Fields, the Executive Vice President of Ford Motor Company.
The future’s going to be quite interesting given that there’s going to be some augmented reality, some tweeting and some self controlling cars. But for now let’s stick to what we have.
Hey, Now We Have Wireless EV Chargers
Jul 30th
TThink only the iPhone can be charged wirelessly? Evatran has released the first wireless “Car Charger” for your plugin EV. This tech works thanks to magnetic induction via a wireless charging tower and an adapter on the car’s charging port. 2 drawbacks – 1- its wireless, so expect some energy loss while charging. 2- it will take out about $4300 of green from your pocket before a $2000 tax refund. But come on, do you want to bend you back and plug that wire into the car everyday? Guess the loss of green is worth it. So much for wired power! Wireless power is the way of the future and I think technologies like these will keep the world on track for wireless power. Remember the wireless induction charging article we had posted some time back? Link to the trial program and images after the break.
Extreme DIY: Steam Powered Battery Charger
Jul 27th
We are not surprised. When people can run nuclear fusion reactors at home, there sure can exist some old school tech lurking somewhere in the corner. We have stumbled upon a steam powered battery charger. Before you start cutting yourself up with a butcher’s knife, read up all the low tech involved here.
The steam engine used is a 1903 C&BC 6 HP steam engine. Apparently the builder wanted freedom from fossil fuels and hence the choice of motor. This engine when combined with a custom built coil charges up a 48V battery bank. Enough for those blackout days eh? Hit up the source link after the break for full details.
Automated Parking? Yes Please.
Jul 21st
Every item i go to the airport it’s a pain to look for a parking slot and park it. Plus, there is the trauma of finding the spot where I parked the can once I am done with my business. A parking lot in Budapest, Turkey has solved this problem by making the whole process, well, automatic. You just leave the car in one of the designated “entry zones” and the system takes care of the parking for you. The system also delivers the car back to you in “driving direction” so that you dont have to back your car up. All this, under one of the most beautiful squares in the world. 4 levels of parking with a capacity of 404 cars under the city. Wow! I will wait for this to come to Chicago. Video after the break.
