Increasingly more folks are trying their hands at making electric cars. Frustrated from waiting for Detriot to produce an affordable electric car so they've decided to do it themselves. Tackling a conversion isn't cheap nor for the faint of heart. For the DIY backyard mechanic conversion, it took 3 months and cost about $12,000. Read more about [...]
I found a nice Portland transit mashup yesterday at http://mapmash.googlepages.com/portlandmax.html. It has some nice features including links to a pdf that you can print with every Max and bus stop.
I built a similar mashup a few years ago, but never completed the project. You can see my outdated portland transit map here. Google has since [...]
I just finished reading an article on a light weight, 6 passengar car that promises 106mpg. That's more than 2x of the Toyota Prius. The catch is that it uses a combination of compressed air and gasoline to achieve this astounding efficiency. Zero Pollution Motors has licensed the technology and plans to "produce the cars in the [...]
Traveling isn't as easy as it used to be. This article offers tips on how to avoid paying for that extra bag on your next trip.
Google has added a new feature – walking directions to google maps.
From Google Maps Website – "Starting today, you can tell Google Maps that you want walking directions, and we'll try to find you a route that's direct, flat, and uses pedestrian pathways when we know about them. Just get directions as you normally [...]
More innovation from Japan… A new street car, powered by lithium battery, has been invented by the Railway Technical Research Institute in Kokubunji, Tokyo. The new transport is capable of speeds of 40 kph for 15 kilometers and can convert 70 percent of its deceleration energy into electricity which is then sent back to the [...]
Japan's JR East launched a hybrid train with lithium ion battery packs and regenerative braking earlier this year. Read this post from http://www.greencarcongress.com/ below.
"The New Energy Train cars use twin 95 kW electric motors (to deliver grade ability at the same level as that of a new model railcar), a 330 kW diesel engine powering a [...]
Rumour has it that the 2009 Toyota Prius will use solar panels to partialy power its instruments. Read more at http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/07/toyota-to-sell-solar-panel-equipped-prius-next-year/
According to engadge, Volkswagen is planning to release a plug-in "Twin Drive" hybrid in 2010
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/27/volkswagen-prepping-a-plug-in-twin-drive-hybrid-for-2010/
Why does it take the American automakers so long to do this?
London's Heathrow Airport is set to install the world's first Personal Rapid Transport system. The PRT is a fleet of 18 driverless pods for business passengers flying out of Terminal Five, with installation scheduled to be complete in less than two years. Traveling at up to 25mph, the pods will ferry passengers rapidly between their [...]
