Autoblog

Translogic chases the sun with Michigan's solar car team

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Australia, Specialty

No, that is not the world's most awesome Michigan Wolverines beer pong table. It's a million-dollar race car that's powered by the sun, and in the most recent epsiode of Translogic, our sister site visits the University of Michigan Solar Car Team to learn all about it.

The Wolverines have been racing in international solar car competitions since 1989, having built 11 cars in the past 23 years. They've won the North American Solar Challenge six times, including the last three in a row, and will be defending their title this July. The team finished third in the World Solar Challenge last year in Australia, and is currently working on a new car design for the 2013 event.

The car itself, dubbed Quantum, is a poem to minimalism, light weight and efficiency. It can run at over 100 miles per hour, thanks to its ultra-efficient, 12-horsepower, in-hub electric motor and a low curb weight of just 320 pounds.

Scroll down to watch the full episode and see the U of M team in action.

Continue reading Translogic chases the sun with Michigan's solar car team

Translogic chases the sun with Michigan's solar car team originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Caption Contest: Giving the gift of green against our better judgement

Chris Shunk — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Hatchback, Toys/Games, Electric

The move to electric-powered vehicles is still in its fledgling stages, but there are plenty of signs that the next few years will finally start ushering in battery-powered transportation for the masses. But there's one class of vehicle that has almost always been powered by batteries: R/C cars. Slap in a couple of 9-volt batteries and a slew of AA cells, and kids of all ages get to pretend they're Ken Block in the backyard until mom says it's time to clean up for supper.

Now that full-sized rides are finally "catching up" to their scaled-down counterparts, it appears that at least one toymaker, New Bright, has decided to take the next step: an R/C car that needs no batteries. It's called the Ecomobile, and it looks like a solar-powered freehand interpretation of a Smart ForTwo mated with a Toyota Prius. As you can see by its packaging, the Ecomobile takes great pride in the fact that it's ecopowered, economical and ecofriendly. It's even packaged in recyclable materials. It's $29.95. Al Gore can't stop smiling.

But how does it run? Well, you have to leave it out in the sun for one hour for every five minutes of play time. It's reportedly slow, too, and much like the EVs we've experienced in the real world, reviewers have said that the solar-powered toy doesn't quite run as long as its OEM-promised times state. Sound like fun? We don't think so either. So, in the spirit of the holidays, we've decided to come up with some of our favorite captions and/or headlines for this eco-tastic (or is that eco-tragic?) new toy. Here are some of our not-so-hilarious efforts:

You traded in your sports car for a Prius? Now you can limit your children's fun too!
The Ecomobile: Because your kids aren't teased enough already
The perfect toy for the kid who likes to wait to have fun
Now mom can't bitch about leaving toys in the backyard
Sweet! A toy that kids north of the Mason-Dixon line can't play with until May

As you can plainly see, we need your help. Head for the comments section and give us your best headlines for this not-so-fun-looking toy. You won't win anything for trying, but your efforts could help a misguided parent choose a different (and cooler) toy for their kid.

Caption Contest: Giving the gift of green against our better judgement originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota developing solar powered car?

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Technology, Hatchback, Toyota

Twelve years ago, Toyota started selling a car that was bought by those considered avant-garde, on the fringe. It was called the Prius. Now Toyota is looking to "turn around its struggling business with a futuristic ecological car," and the company is supposedly working on plans for a solar-powered car. We'll ignore, for a moment, that a company with $18 billion in cash and experiencing its first annual operational loss in 70 years is now called a "struggling business." The noteworthy news is that while other automakers are trying to get their hybrid acts together, Toyota is down the road working on a car powered solely by le soleil.

There is little in the way of hard information at this point. The Japanese newspaper Nikkei disclosed the development, saying that the car would have solar cells, and that it would also be charged by solar cells on homes. Also according to Nikkei, the solar cells on the car will be as powerful as those on the house, capable of generating 2-5 kilowatts.

Toyota has talked publicly about a solar panel option on the next Prius, but that was called "a symbolic gesture" by an insider. Privateers have also done their part contributing to the idea of a Prius augmented by solar power, largely with mixed results. Nevertheless, Toyota has a keen partner in the venture: Panasonic. The giant consumer electronics maker that makes Prius batteries is in the midst of buying Sanyo, the world's 7th-largest solar cell maker. Nevertheless, solar cell technology isn't advanced enough to create a mass-market solar car, which is why reports claim it will be years before such a vehicle is on the market. As one Japanese solar energy expert said, "Even if you laid solar panels out on the entire roof of a house, you only generate enough energy to run two hairdryers." Hat-tip: Jarrett

[Source: Yahoo!]

Toyota developing solar powered car? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dyson NOT developing solar-powered electric car

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green

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]

Dyson NOT developing solar-powered electric car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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