Posted on 04/12/2007 6:59:25 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The KAZ (Keio Advanced Zero-Emission Vehicle) is a Japanese-designed Italian-built limousine prototype with eight wheels. The KAZ is not your average limo though. The all-electric KAZ can travel at 300kph and it handles more like a sports car than a 6.7m-long whale thanks to its computer-controlled eight-wheel drive train and low centre of gravity for added stability and handling around curves.
On top of that, four-wheel steering in front is augmented by the two extreme wheels angling in the opposite direction making the KAZ more nimble around corners than one would expect for a vehicle of its size.
But are the eight wheels really necessary? Actually they give the KAZ far superior balance to regular four-wheel vehicles.
The eight wheels make pickup virtually flat as "tail squat" when accelerating from standstill, and "nose diving" when braking is eliminated. While making for smoother driving, it also reduces energy loss.
KAZ makes use of three very innovative component technologies. Firstly, rows of 3.75V Lithium-Ion batteries are the most important components in order to supply high energy and power to the eight individual motors powering the KAZ.
That is, an electric motor with a 55kW (73hp) maximum output connected directly to each wheel.
(Excerpt) Read more at gizmag.com ...
I’m in, bet the motorcycle is ...nevermind...lol
hmmm... recharging this car would take a tad longer than re-filling a gas tank. actually, quite a tad longer.
That's pretty kewl.
This amazing concept decreases transmission loss between a motor and a wheel...
As in leaving your transmission on the ground when you apply instant torque.
So, what runs the heat or air conditioner. Batteries don’t last long when used for resistive heat. Air conditioners use lots of power also.
This is one of the things Prius people never talk about. They have to run the engine in order to get heat or air conditioning.
That's 186 mph, folks.
The prius was a publicity stunt. It worked. Instant torque to the wheels is not ‘prius’ bs.
Neat car, and neat website.
Found a diesel/solar-electric hybrid houseboat from a link at that site:
http://dsehybrid.com/html/island_pilot_dse_hybrid_detail.html
> The prius was a publicity stunt. It worked.
So, what part of "hybrid" do you not understand? Geez...
ALL of a Pruis' energy comes from the gas engine. ALL of the power that goes to the wheels comes from the gasoline. You don't plug a Prius into an outlet.
The point of the electric part of the "hybrid" is that it allows the gas engine to run at constant, max-efficiency RPM when it's running, and be OFF when not needed.
The batteries are simply buffers, filled by the gas engine and emptied by the loads, whether motive, heat, A/C, headlights, or whatever. The electrical power in the batteries doesn't just "happen" magically.
Geez, you'd think with the damn things on the road for 5+ years, people would have at least an inkling of what "hybrid" means.
Now argue its pros and cons. Publicity stunt or not, it works as advertised. (Full disclosure: I don't have a hybrid, I have a 25-yr old Mazda RX-7. I tried a Prius, and found it quiet but unexciting.)
Id like to see they drive that throught the streets of napoli.
You mean the Solomon suit?
> Do you own a ‘hybrid’? Do I have to guess...
You didn't finish reading my comment above. No, I don't own a hybrid, nor am I in the market for one. I have an old RX-7 (turned classic this year). And a GMC pickup truck for snowplowing.
I don’t mean the ‘Solomon suit’.
OOOh-kay...
Then how often do you have to reboot?
Okay, I'll bite. What lawsuits do you mean Toyota is "precariously deferring"?
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