Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Dyson NOT developing solar-powered electric car
Maybe Dyson doesn't suck as much as we thought. James Dyson, the inventor of new age, overpriced vacuum cleaners, had recently been reported by The Independent as interested in working on developing his own green auto, specifically a solar-powered electric vehicle. The story (as reported by AB Green and others) was that Dyson engineers were working on an electric motor derived from the one used in their own vacuum cleaners. Dyson was said to be looking for partners to build the car, with the company itself developing the powerplant. Apparently there's a sucker born every minute, as Dyson is now stating that he never told anyone they were developing a car, just that the new digital motor in their latest vacuum cleaner could power a car. If you read the article, it's blatantly apparent that the interviewer got caught reaching too far with Dyson's quotes. Semantics aside, we still like the idea of a modern sucker car like the Chaparral 2J sucker car. If Dyson vacuum motors replaces the snowmobile engines used on the original, so much the better.[Source: Autocar]
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Avinash machado 12:09PM (6/26/2008)
I almost thought we were going to see DeLorean the second.
Reply
Pacman 12:10PM (6/26/2008)
Would have SUCKED anyway
Reply
Geeky1 12:14PM (6/26/2008)
From the article:
"With the aid of a microchip, his patented Dyson Digital Motor (DDM) turns 10,000 times a minute – five times faster than that of a Formula One car."
Damn, when did F1 cars get 2,000rpm redlines?
Reply
User 2:11PM (6/26/2008)
LOL F1 cars rev up to 14,000-19,000 rpm, right?
10,000 rpm isn't very shocking at all considering it's an electric engine.
Vintage 12:32PM (6/26/2008)
The retarded thing is that Dyson motors are NOTHING special. They're just electric motors. What made his vacuums mildly notable was the vortex system, which has nothing to do with the motors and everything to do with aerodynamics. The only thing really memorable about those vacuums is how insanely expensive they are.
Reply
Dazza 12:39PM (6/26/2008)
I disagree. The extra cost is worth it because they pick up much more than most other vacuum cleaners on the market. Every other Dyson owner I know says exactly the same thing.
cowbell 12:48PM (6/26/2008)
I'm going to agree with Dazza. I reluctantly bought a Dyson (rather my wife, who really wanted it, bought it) and it is much better than our old $150 vacuum. We had just vacuumed our floor two days prior with the old vacuum when we first tried out the Dyson, and the amount of stuff that was pulled out of the carpet was disgustingly illuminating. And I kept the old vacuum in good working order, but the Dyson is just impressive.
chrisdavis 1:18PM (6/26/2008)
I disagree too. They're also special for their hideous appearance - like a '59 Eldorado mated with a '98 iMac.
emineid 1:00PM (6/26/2008)
I did some DIY project of making a powerful vacuum cleaner, just to test some of the ideas behind the Dyson.
I took a vortex canister from a Dyson, hooked up TWO vacuum motors to it, one before and one after the canister.
Sort of like supercharging the vacuum cleaner.
I straightened out and shortened all the airway passages, on the principle that if that helps cars make more power, it should help with vacuum cleaners.
I even minimized the filtering to increase the flow.
Two problems:
First, my vacuum cleaner doesn't seem to work a whole lot better than a Hoover upright.
Second, the two motors suck up a lot of power from the wall outlet. I mean, most UL-approved devices have a maximum rating of about 13 amps, and that's the bottleneck for home vacuum cleaners.
My two-motor scheme was drawing probably twice the usual single-motor vacuum cleaner. The power cord gets warm to the touch. So far, I haven't tripped the circuit breaker or started any fires.
The point is, household vacuum cleaners are limited to about 13 amps, so that's it. No one cleaner is going to be that much more powerful than another.
The second point is, I still think that what works to increase the flow in car engines (better manifold, filter, exhaust, supercharging, etc) would wok in vacuum cleaners as well. It's just that my experiment so far fails to show any noticeable results.
Reply
MajorGeek 1:11PM (6/26/2008)
Ditto, buy one, vacuum your home then with the Dyson and you will be sold.
As for cars, if I recall from yesterday he also said that solar power and battery operated cars might be a good idea since most cars sit 8 hours at a time. It was also suggested that its more likely he would work with an auto manufacturer, which would be a wise move.
Reply
Tsunami Racer 2:08PM (6/26/2008)
well, the car will probably steer using one big ball, as he seems to not like having two axles (see current dyson commercials on TV).
if only he could come up with a way to recharge a solar powered car when it's parked at night...
Reply
Vintage 2:58PM (6/26/2008)
RTFA. It's obvious you didn't.
Tsunami Racer 3:12PM (6/26/2008)
who needs to read when i've got blog nazi's like you to tell me otherwise!!
i did read and i'm making jest to dyson's current ventures and applying them in theoretical applications for the solar car in question in the article. it's supposed to be humor. ha ha. lighten up pal. TAFP (take a freakin pill).
Richard Warren 2:33PM (6/26/2008)
Actually they work pretty well and are NOT that expensive compared to many other models that you can buy. Even some above average Panasonic models.
Reply
Kimura 3:47PM (6/26/2008)
Well that sucks.
Reply
Michigan2CV 8:21PM (6/26/2008)
This is a car forum, so let's compare the Dyson to what kind of car it would be....hmmm
probably a flaming yellow Chevy Cobalt...no. I've got it...a flaming yellow Volkswagen GTI. Why? Because both have substandard warranties, break easily, yet look good (although the Dyson looks are subjective). Also, we VW owners love our cars even though they really aren't as reliable as Japanese or American counterparts.
I thought about a Dyson, but then found out that they also made the Fantom vac nightmare, and the reliability hasn't improved much if any. I went with a Miele vacuum that picks up just as much, yet retains 99.9% of pollutants. The Dyson doesn't come close to that. Sure, I have to use bags, but they are so easy to switch out.
Reply
Fatal Error 12:46PM (6/27/2008)
I bought mine on Woot for $250. Best investment in an appliance I have made. My wife hates it because it tries to eat our cheap Ikea area rugs, but that is just a testament to its suction power.
Reply