Posted on 07/14/2004 8:56:01 AM PDT by forsnax5
What really makes this interesting is they did not do this on a dynometer, but actually put it on a test track.
That's only about 27 mpg for a 3200 lb car. What's the big deal here?
Let's see my 1983 van got 16 MPG 20 years ago.
Today, however, my 2003 Chevy van gets.....16 MPG and costs twice what the 83 did.
The Segway folks ought to look into building a hybrid...
You've hit the nail square.
They could have saved a bundle just putting an umbrella on a scooter. Geesh, what a load.
Is this a wide bodied bicycle? Where do I sit???
"eight feet long...main structure...rests approximately a half inch above the pavement.
You got anything that will work on Tennessee Roads? Where do you drive this thing, a skating rink?
With that tiny slow POS they might as well declared that they have a model with infinite MPG...the walking shoe.
This thng is only good in a ketchup mansion.
> ... powered by a highly modified single cylinder
> 3.5 horsepower Briggs & Stratton engine.
All the contestants had to use this same engine, so this was
no ground-breaking bleeding-edge MPG competition. This was
sponsored by the SAE, after all.
Anyone expecting to read about a diesel-electric hybrid
with regenerative braking and solar assist, fueled by
composted lawn clippings, needs to seek elsewhere.
Hillary's ass is out of luck.
"...That's only about 27 mpg for a 3200 lb car. What's the big deal here?.."
Agree, yet I can see Libs being quick to praise the 1100 MPG vehicle without taking into consideration the practicality of it. They would have Hollywood elites on parade around in them (though they would drive their SUV's back to their mansions). Lib Congresscritters would demand more funding for it and blame Bush for not having discovered the technology itself. Michael Moore would produce a film to "expose the truth."
Hardly, she will be riding in the "limo" version 10 feet long and 4 feet wide.
Ha! Yeah, my friend's boat can travel for weeks maybe months or years without re-fueling. In fact, it doesn't even have an engine....
This is great learning and practice experience for budding engineers, I think. They don't get mired into this as they advance year to year. About 14 years ago my friend was on a hybrid engineering team in his senior year.
I'll reserve judgement until after they complete the "off-road" and "quarter mile dragster" segments of the competition.
Fred Flintstone did much better......(grin)
Yaba, Daba, Doooooooo!
> This is great learning and practice experience
> for budding engineers, ...
Exactly. It's "Soap Box Derby" for undergrads. Level
playing field - common key components - modest room for
innovation and risk-taking.
If it were an "unlimited" MPG competition, too many teams
would be tempted to develop designs that either wouldn't
work, or wouldn't get done before they graduate.
Consider DARPA's autonomous vehicle challenge - despite
the big $$ prize, none of the entrants even finished the
course this year. Many failed at or shortly past the Start
line, and many didn't even show up. Failure is a learning
experience too, but it's a good deal less motivating.
nice catch, thats what i can count on with you guys, nothing gets past ya!
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