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GenShock Powers Your Car from Bumps in the Road
Rather than dodge bumps in the road, GenShock drivers could use them to power their cars. According to Technology Review, Massachusetts-based Levant Power has developed a shock technology that absorbs bumps and generates electricity. Much like a typical shock-absorber, a car hits a bump and a piston moves through oil to soften the jarring sensation. But the GenShock also has a small generator, so when the piston moves, the generator turns and creates electricity to power the car's alternator. The company claims this technology can lower fuel consumption by up to 6-percent. So far, it has tested the GenShock only on Humvees, but it will expand the tests to buses and other large vehicles soon. While the technology is aimed at military vehicles and public transportation, the shock is simple enough for a mechanic to install in any vehicle. Affordable, too, as Engadget reports the product would pay for itself in about 18 months, by saving you money at the pump.
This could be a solid investment for a city government that's looking to cut its transportation budget, but we wonder just how much of a difference these shocks would make on a family car. Users might need some serious weight, or an unpaved country road, to make the GenShock worth the bumpy ride. [From: Technology Review, via: Engadget]
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Comments
16
Subscribe to commentsLarry CaldwellMay 12th 2010 2:50PM
Outstanding idea ! With the roads in Connecticut you could drive for free !
nene1083May 12th 2010 3:36PM
roads in ny, ditto
CooperMay 12th 2010 3:31PM
Technically, using any electrical power in your car - i.e. the radio, headlights, etc. - does cause the engine to use more gas, but this is negligible. Getting "free" electricity from my shocks isn't likely to make a noticeable difference at the gas pump. Are they suggesting I could completely remove the alternator from my car if I install these shocks? Hey - I'm all for it, but I'm just not seeing this as a viable option.
Clifford Roth BandMay 12th 2010 3:47PM
Maybe I am from another universe, but if the motion of the shock absorber that generates electricity, How?, HOW does it affect a gasoline powered/burning automobile engine , Absolute no relationship! I just don't see any connection to a gas pump. I guess the writer of the article probably graduated college as a doctor, is out of work or not qualified to get into another line of work/ job, and is writing without any common sense or practical knowledge, Maybe the author is retarded? As to retard spark in a common gas fueled engine.
al schraderMay 12th 2010 5:40PM
You can generate electricity from any motion. You can generate motion with electricity. Electricity is created by moving tiny particles called electrons through a wire. Right now they are testing one of the particles I discovered in the Large Haydron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. What I'm close to discovering in my tiny lab here in the USA is how this actually works. Once I find them, superconductors, etc. will be common place. How about a car that runs on daylight & doesn't require gasoline ? Is just a matter of time....Alfred-
pleedleMay 12th 2010 5:58PM
It's called "induction"!! Works the same way your alt. does. A megnetic field over an induction coil creates electricity via the magnetic field inducing a voltage in the coil. You can use static stationary magnets that pass over the coil, when the car goes a bump, the magnets pass the coil creating votage. Ever turn your rear defog on and hear the idle go down?? That's the load the alternator puts on your engine. Remove, or reduce that load and you gain fuel milage! Your alternator loads your engine up the same way your AC compressor does. This concept is totally possible!!
Animal2605May 12th 2010 6:47PM
Did you read the article? It tells you how this device cranks the generator, making electricity.
qualogisticsMay 12th 2010 5:57PM
Yes it sounds great but I am thinking if I installed new shocks my vehicle would bounce less and I would generate less electricity.
cjs599May 12th 2010 6:08PM
Shocks don't keep your car from "bouncing", they dampen the recoil from the springs....
FOURDOGSLAUGHINGMay 12th 2010 6:14PM
damn hillbillies everywhere will have these !
tjMay 12th 2010 7:01PM
If these shocks would save you 6% on your fuel mileage, you would not have to pump as much gas into your tank to go X # of miles. How hard is that to understand? The key is, how much are they, versus payback time? Obama should look into this, how about a "Cash for Shocks" stimulus package? Now if you're a loser you can get cash for anything from the guvmint.
Ronald BerberichMay 12th 2010 7:46PM
Tell me another one
i hate democratsMay 12th 2010 7:44PM
this guy and his power shock will end up selling out to big oil. If his invention were to turn into a viable mass produced gadget big oil would increase the cost of petro at the pump to compensate for less sales.
Joe Papierz JrMay 12th 2010 7:57PM
It's a fun parlor trick but it won't be practical. Why waste time on something that is doomed from the start?
dwightMay 12th 2010 8:39PM
just have the Kids jump up and down in the back seat, and you will have VOLTS to SELL
BillMay 12th 2010 10:39PM
They are simply trying to tap into the unsprung weight/motion of the car. They could do the same thing by adding a generator on a wheel, but adding more electricity is not going to save energy. All cars have voltage regulators. Factor in alignments and front suspension parts broken from the potholes needed to power this shock. Just another gimmick.