Links for 17 April 06

• Automotive displays from Optrex. They have a PDF outlining LCDs for use in vehicle applications. I’ve got one word for ya kid, OLED.
• Plug-in hybrid scooters from Piaggio.
• An update to the link posted on the 14th, Bill Dennis has posted Part II of his back lithium battery rack photos & text: “Holy Front Cell Clampers, Batman!” (i.e. nice wiring)
• Ev’s EV
• I noticed one of the google ads showing an ad which claimed Get 400 miles on a tank of gas with the new Mercury Hybrid! Uh, lessee, if it has a twenty gallon tank that’s only 20mpg, a fifteen gallon tank makes it 27mpg. The company’s website claims a “preliminary” (?) 29/33mpg. Maybe it has a 13 gallon tank? Anyways, I see from their tech page that it has a NiMH battery pack and CVT tranny. The section on regen goes a bit over the top, “Although Mariner Hybrid will never make stop-and-go driving any more enjoyable, that is actually when it is at its fuel-saving best.”
• Our company just released an update for iTunes Wireless Control using our product, TranzPort (nothing to do with EVs but great for musicians!)

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Links for 14 April 06

• This is Raser Technologies Symetron AC Induction Motor-based P-50 Hybrid Propulsion Integrated Starter Alternator (ISA) Drive System.

  At 107mm (4.2 inches) in length and weighing only 30kg, the P-50 motor demonstrates 48kW of peak power, 230Nm of peak torque, and a peak efficiency of 94%. As a generator the P-50 produces 20kW of power.

  Possible uses include hybrid cars and replacing the starter/generator pair in existing ICE cars. Hey, a 66lb generator that produces 20kw? A guy could have some fun with that…
• Speaking of fun here’s a series of pictures from Bill Dennis showing his new angle-iron battery racks. Hey, did someone get lithium batteries for Christmas?? You’ll also notice that he’s removed the vacuum assist (replaced it with a non-vacuum-assist master cylinder from an ‘87 Civic)
• Not really a surprise, but Summer gasoline prices are expected to be higher than last year’s.
• Ford is really trying to help you buy one of their hybrids by foregoing interest for five years.
• Do any of you folks in the Northeast know of an old Ford Probe GT, around 1990? I’m looking for a parts car to get the rear disc brake system out of. Any experience with online junkyard/parts places that deal in this kind of stuff?

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Links for 12 April 06

• The electric Ghia Monster, which looks to be a serious electric racer. He recently sent out an update link to the Ghia’s new adaptor plates. Also be sure to check out the pictures gallery. My favorite has to be this view.
• Another interesting collection of images and ideas to be found over at DriveEV.com. Part of his new Mazda Truck Conversion project is replacing all of the lighting with LEDs.
• Paul converted a purple dune buggy to electric. There’s a page showing some of the guts. Another interesting photo is this night shot, not sure what the glowing thing on the back is, but that motor mount almost looks like a jet exhaust!
• Zap introduces their all electric city car in New York International Auto Show. “We designed the XEBRA to be unlike anything else on the market,” said Starr. “The use and purpose of electric vehicles is different than gas cars, so the wheel did need to be invented.” Not that they actually re-invented the wheel, more of the let’s make it look goofy approach to EVs.

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The Battery Dilemma · 10 April 06

Now that the weather has started warming up and my other projects are winding down I’ve cracked open the garage door and started measuring Eve for her spring wardrobe.

I know, I’ve been putting it off: stalling, dawdling, jerrymeandering, going to the thesaurus to look up alternatives to procrastination just so I don’t have to actually think about them.

Them?

Batteries. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, ya gotta have batteries in an electric car.

Upated: 4/10/06

Continue reading »»

Links for 10 April 06

• I’d never seen the Airtrax design before. That’s some crazy stuff, man. Be sure to watch the video of the unit in action…kinda makes me sea sick watching it move.
• Don’t forget, tonight is the night that Rich Rudman & Shawn Lawless are featured on Monster Garage (Discovery channel?) making a high-end electric race car.
• Congrats to Erik on his new EV Project. He’s at the fun, taking-old-crap-out stage.
• A bunch of info and pics on the dimensions of Orbital batteries. BTW, if you are constructing an EV and don’t want to purchase the specialized tools, EV Source is offering a tool rental service.
• NASA paper on A Reassessment of Heavy-Duty Truck Aerodynamic Design Features and Priorities (PDF)

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Motor Zen · 7 April 06

No sooner had I posted the battery article last Saturday than we discovered that both the dishwasher and the clothes washer were broken.

Guess how I spent the weekend and part of the week?

Continue reading »»

Links for 6 April 06

• EV motor rebuild pics for those of you who like guts.
• After writing up my battery research the other day I ran across Cameron’s EV site and his battery research. He includes a link to his battery spreadsheets and I must say that he IS the spreadsheet master!
• Valeo’s StARS Micro-Hybrid System wins Pace award. Another beefy-alternator hybrid approach. More of a a hybrid-hybrid?
• Speaking of hybrids, if you have been thinking about getting one there are still some hybrid tax breaks available.

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Links for 3 April 06

• Does bicycling waste gas?
• Trying to figure out how much electricity it takes to produce gasoline.
• Remote controlled fasteners. “He even invented a word—telezygology—to refer to controlling fasteners at a distance. Taking advantage of declining costs for electronics chips and proliferating new radio technologies, Rudduck started fiddling with fasteners that could lock themselves into place, activated by radio signals sent from a hand-held computer.”
• Toyota is planning to have hybrid versions of its entire line by 2012. (comments are a good read too)
• Going green in London

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