Posted on 05/09/2008 10:07:16 AM PDT by dangerdoc
Although you can definitely pre-order an Aptera if you're okay with space-aged design, Volkswagen is hoping to provide another option for those looking for ridiculous MPG and a little bit of normalcy in construction. Okay, so maybe the 1-Liter isn't exactly standard fare -- with its plastic / magnesium shell and all-glass roof -- but at least it packs four whole wheels and an iconic VW badge, right? According to Motor Authority, the automaker will be producing said vehicle and pushing it to market as early as 2010, and while the minuscule engine will only take you to 75MPH, it will still seat two people -- one in front of the other, though -- and get around 235MPG. No word on a price or any of that good stuff, but we're hearing that they'll only be produced in "limited numbers" whenever they're launched.
Cool, it’s got wheel spats like a Stuka! I’m in!
>> Hugo and Mahmoud thank you. Osama would too. but he’s dead.
Spare me the nonsensical leftist psychobabble. The world’s tyrants and terrorists couldn’t care less about my choice in automotive transportation.
H
Last I heard electricity is worth the equivalent of about 75 cents per equivalent gallon of gas, based on 3 dollars a gallon for gas.
Using the average U.S. electricity rate of 9 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), 30 miles of electric driving will cost 81 cents. If we optimistically assume the average US fuel economy is 25 miles per gallon, at $3.00 gasoline this equates to 75 cents a gallon for equivalent electricity. Compared to a regular hybrid's real-world 45 miles per gallon, it's effectively $1.20/gallon. PHEVs are meant to plug-in at night. In many areas of the country, overnight power is available at a lower cost. As PHEVs start to enter the marketplace, we'll see increasing support from electric utilities, as they'll offer reduced nighttime rates to incentivize off-peak charging. In some areas where wind and hydropower is wasted at night, the rate can be as low as 2-3 cents per kWh. That's 20-25 cents a gallon.
http://www.calcars.org/vehicles.html
>> Guess the motorcycle is out for you also huh?
Afraid so ... for several reasons, actually. Wife and 2 kids — nowhere to put them. Houston is hot as Hell, and it rains VERY often. And, motorcycles are mere speedbumps to SUVs.
I prefer riding in comfort — air conditioning, radio, nice conversation, TV/DVD player, etc ... motorcycles just don’t appear that comfortable to me.
H
This is a perfect car for in city commuting. But not out here in the rough and tough
I don't think American cars are "junk". Actually the Fords are getting great reviews for quality the last year or two. But the car companies here are slow to respond to the demand for high-mileage, safe cars.
Tandem! I call dibs on the front seat!
I can relate. When I was a kid I owned a skateboard.
great. a friggin’ iPod on wheels.
no,man, the coal is too heavy and messy.
interesting.
If demand for overnight power increases geometrically due to widespread adoption of electric vehicles, the price will go... down?
I would not count on it.
A ballanced load is less expensive. Power consumption goes down dramatically at night which means you can’t leave more relatively inexpensive coal generator spinning 24 hours a day. You have to use fewer coal generator and make up the peak with more expensive NG turbines.
If the power company could count on the overnight demand, they could replace $.08-.10/kwh generation with $.02/kwh generation. Would that make your electricity prices go up?
Of course, if the Feds won’t allow expansion of Coal generation then we are screwed regardless of whether we charge cars at night or not.
True enough. I was the only passenger in my Jeep on my yo-yo drive to work, from work, to work, from work. So I sold it and bought a 4-cyl to save money.
A one liter engine and it will only do 75MPH? The geo metro had a 998cc 3 cylinder and would do 90+ easily.
61in^3=1000cm^3
Therefore, 1500cc=92ci approx. You can do a very close approximation by converting hours to minutes and vice versa. 60 minutes equals one hour. So 60ci equals a liter. 2hours equals 120 minutes...so 2 liters equals 120 ci. How many liters equals 105 ci? Well, thats 60 minutes plus 45 minutes...or one and 3/4 hours...or one and 3/4 liters. 1.75 liters=105 cubic inches.
If you showed that pic to toolman tim taylor (tim allen), he’d try to hitch another horse or three and lighten the load they pull.
BTW, as an aside, the fastest animal powered vehicle (I think) is an ostrich hitched to a small 2 wheel carriage like those used in harness racing(a type of horse racing).
Whoa! Me too!
The smart thing to do would be to build offshore drilling rigs first. Then worry about drilling on land later. No one can steal our oil on our land. BUt the chicoms are already stealing our offshore oil. I say we drain the under-the-ocean oil reserves first...before anyone else can get to them ahead of us.
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