Fuel Vapor Car

15 hours continuous driving! Does it have a built-in catheter system? Yikes.

Looks awesome. I only hope:
1. It is for real.
2. They can find investors.
3. It'll scale to production numbers.
4. Be safe enough to sell in the US.

If what they say is true, then 1-3 are slam dunks.

 

It's not very practical.

It has three wheels and seats one behind the other with probably no cargo. That's even less than an insight. Probably built of aluminum and plastic to really keep the weight down. So it's kinda a heavy motorcycle with a shell.

I'll bet you could get 95 mpg on a motorcycle.

And... don't all gas engines use fuel vapor?

It's interesting but I don't see it selling. No one who wants a sports car wants their passenger sitting behind them. It doesn't get you dates.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jan 6 2007, 04:04 PM) [snapback]371820[/snapback]</div>

Au contraire. Snuggle in close, wrap your arms around me, and hang on tight. If you want to go faster, pat me on the right thigh.

Well, it works for motorcycles. Ah, the good old days.

 

So, if you put a good air scoop on it and tuck in behind a truck belching lots of unburned hydrocarbons you can drive for free just on the fumes!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jan 6 2007, 02:04 PM) [snapback]371820[/snapback]</div>

95mpg motorcycles are just a little bigger than mopeds (bikers, please come in...). Anyway, most motorcycles don't get above 50mpg - not 1200cc or larger.

Today's ICEs could benefit from more vaporization, but I'm skeptical a small start-up company could make a big breakthrough. I suspect a major automaker would fix lean burn or an HCCI engine. The stated air/fuel ratio is the in the lean burn range, so there will be questions about the NOx emissions.

If this leaner mix really works, they could make some money selling their patent.

 

I'm not going to do the math... but one part I find tough to believe is that a FWD vehicle with street tires can achieve 0-60 in what? Five seconds? How do you get enough traction for that at the front end?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jan 7 2007, 07:39 PM) [snapback]372246[/snapback]</div>

Maybe it has lots of torque, and a really, really high reverse gear...?

 

There is not a chance in H-ll that this website or car are for real. Look at the specifications. It defies all technical limits....

a 3 wheeler that can do 1.7 G's on the turns.
or an engine that puts out 180 hp... but yet can deliver the gas mileage shown?
or that Porsche is going to let them put a "porsche 911 rack and pinion steering system" in any car...

come on... just because someone typed it on a website doesn't mean they were not high on something....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jan 18 2007, 01:13 PM) [snapback]377429[/snapback]</div>

That's about the only possible answer. Lots of torque at the FRONT *unweighted* end isn't gonna help anybody going forward.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jan 6 2007, 12:04 PM) [snapback]371820[/snapback]</div>

My cousin has a fairly large motorcycle for long-distance highway travel. It burns more gas than my Prius does. I don't remember exactly. I think he said around 35 mpg. I was shocked when he told me. On the other hand, it can go faster than I'd ever want to go in anything other than an airplane.

As for the topic, I am very skeptical. If "the textbooks say it's impossible" than I want an independent tester to verify their claims before I'll believe them.

 

This cars shape reminds be of the Mercades BIONIC concept, they based it off an extremely aquadynamic fish I think. Drag Coefficent was .19, and it got 84 MPG. The drag probably dosent matter so much plodding around town at 30-50 MPH, but when your doing 75 on the highway, it helps alot!

Heres the link:
http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cfm?newsi...004/country/gcf

 

Vapor technology? I think that word just about says it

 

That shape does look familiar!




By the way, 95 mpg is nothing. The VW1 was managing 265 mpg (US)!

I still really want to make my electric version for the 1,000 mile challenge....

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ecotech/economy.htm

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jan 6 2007, 03:04 PM) [snapback]371820[/snapback]</div>

Most motorcycles are in the 35 to 55mpg range. If you look at my signature you'll see that my motorcycle has the lowest average mileage of any of my vehicles. I get about 40 mpg on my 7 mile commute to work. It will get about 45 on a longer trip and 50 mpg if I really baby it.

My wife has a 250cc motorcycle that gets about 75 mpg in highway driving.

95 to 105 mpg is the domain of 50cc scooters that top out at 30 mph.

The problem with motorcycles is aerodynamics. Motorcycles have higher Cd's than tractor trailer trucks. A lot of aerodynamic research was done in the 60's with racing motorcycles but all the major racing organizations banned streamlined motorcycles due to safety concerns. After that motorcycle fairings were designed for looks not aerodynamics.