Posts tagged Car at Switched

Street-Legal DIY Electric Motorcycle Costs Under $2000

by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 29th 2008 at 2:15PM

We've seen more silly homemade electric vehicles than we care to remember, but Ben Nelson's electric motorcycle manages to retain some of its original two-wheel charm while using only a penny of juice per mile -- roughly the equivalent of 300mpg.

Nelson bought the bike for $100 and swapped out the original engine for a Briggs and Stratton 8HP DC motor he picked up on eBay for $500, using four $160 Optima Yellowtop lead-acid batteries for power. Nelson says he can get the rig up to a top speed of 45MPH, and he's got a range of about 20 miles before he needs to plug in -- enough to run errands around town.

Best of all, the state of Wisconsin willingly registered his bike as a "hobbyist" vehicle, which means he's free to (silently) roam the streets at will. Ben first built the bike about a year ago, so he's accumulated a ton of useful info if you're interested in following in his tire tracks -- hit up the read link to learn more, and check the video after the break.

Read - Nelson's build blog

[Via ecomodder]

Continue reading Street-Legal DIY Electric Motorcycle Costs Under $2000

Driver Crashes Car While Reaching For Cell Phone (But Saves Cup Of Coffee)

by Will Safer, posted Mar 28th 2008 at 5:17PM

Modern conveniences and technology allow us to do many things while driving. We can navigate our way along unfamiliar highways, avoiding traffic and finding random points of interest. We can save fuel by motoring along on steam. We can even juice the stereo in our car to the point that it turns all components and passengers into something resembling tapioca pudding. But none of these technological advances can help us if we're still refusing to use our brains while sitting behind the wheel of a fast-moving car.

Case in point: An Oakland driver decided it was more important to reach for her ringing cell phone than keep control of her car. The result? She dunked her automobile into the Oakland Estuary. She somehow escaped injury and even saved her cup of coffee. Onlookers reported that she emerged from the car's watery resting place still clutching her cup of morning joe. No word on the cell phone, though.

May we suggest a hands-free device? Or perhaps a suspension of her license?

From AOL News.

Related links:

Blue LEDs Could Keep Drivers Awake at the Wheel

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 20th 2008 at 2:12PM

Over the past couple of years, we've seen a number of automated systems that are designed to keep drivers awake. The latest and currently most advanced, from Toyota, uses cameras to monitor whether drivers' heads are up and their eyes are open. Start to doze off in the latest models from Lexus and an alarm will sound, which should help to save lives. However, it's not exactly what we'd call proactive. That's the sort of system researchers at RPI hope to provide in the future, using blue LEDs to prevent drowsiness in the first place.

The researchers have found that light at a particular wavelength, one that appears blue to us, can actually help to "reset" our internal clock, making our bodies subconsciously believe it's morning or some other time than it really is. This could help prevent drowsiness and, potentially, reduce a scary statistic: 30-percent of all fatal accidents involve large trucks and a lack of sleep.

LEDs are extremely energy efficient and effectively never burn out, so they're perfect for installation in cars and trucks. Additionally, "showers" of these LEDs could be installed at truck stops to help rejuvenate drowsy drivers when they make a pit stop. It certainly sounds healthier than swilling some caffeine-infused and obnoxiously-named energy drink every few hours.

From Slashdot and New Scientist Tech

Related Links:

Folding Car Can Be Stacked, Stored, and Recharged

by Thomas Houston , posted Mar 10th 2008 at 1:12PM

MIT researchers have created a new stackable car with the aim of unclogging congested streets and drastically cutting emissions. The "City Car," as the researchers have dubbed the new vehicle is more maneuverable and easier to park than traditional cars, because each wheel is packed with a robotic steering system, electric motor and braking controls.

The City Car, half the size of a normal compact car, is more than just a small, electric two-seater, though. Foldable to roughly half its size, the car is designed to be stacked, stored and recharged at central locations throughout a city. Franco Vairani, the car's designer, says, "you would just go and swipe your card and take the first one available and drive away." Researchers see the City Car as part of a shared transit system within urban areas -- it isn't a replacement for full-size cars or public transportation.

As reported by Engadget a couple months ago, MIT is working with GM to build a prototype, and researchers hope to begin manufacturing the City Car within three to four years. We're all for cutting emissions and traffic, but we're also anxious to see if the golf-cart sized City Car fares well in crash tests!

From Engadget and The Boston Globe

Related Links:

Could This Flying Car be for Real?

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Mar 7th 2008 at 5:10PM

Could this finally be it? We've been promised flying cars since the 1950s, but so far nothing has made it past the prototype and demo film stages. The father and son team of Chris and Jame Milner seem to think they can bring this dream to reality by 2010.

At the New York International Auto Show later this month the pair will unveil their prototype convertible car / plane. The vehicle is small, no larger than a standard sedan such as the Toyota Corolla. Part of the compact size is thanks in part to its retractable and foldable wings which hide some of the airplane hardware.

The dash holds two computer displays that switch the information displayed based on whether the vehicle is in driving or flying mode. When on the ground, the car has a top speed of only 85 miles per hour, but that should be fast enough. When the aircraft engines are engaged, theoretically at least, the vehicle will be able to cruise at 200 miles per hour at 25,000 feet.

The Milners have built a drivable prototype and hope to have a flying model soon. The pair estimate that the car will cost around $500,000.

From Daily Mail

Related links:

Lifecar Eco-Roadster Gets 150 Miles-Per-Gallon

by Thomas Houston , posted Mar 5th 2008 at 6:12PM

We've seen a lot of green gadgets and products coming to market lately, but we're pretty impressed with a new car that promises an high speeds and incredible mileage in a sporty, streamlined and eco-friendly design. Partially funded by the UK government, the green Lifecar project hopes to build excitement and support for zero-emissions technology.

Built to be extremely efficient by a consortium of UK auto manufacturers and universities, this sleek concept car runs on hydrogen fuel cells powered by a regenerative braking system (a technology already seen in some hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight). In other words, as the driver brakes and the car slows down, the system captures energy -- usually lost in a normal car -- and uses it to recharge the batteries.

Built to be as lightweight as possible, the car lacks a stereo, airbags and other modern amenities, but it does have a top speed of almost 100 miles per hour -- fast for a hydrogen fuel cell car -- and yet still gets over 150 miles per gallon.

Later this month, the concept car will debut at the Geneva Auto Show, where its top speed and acceleration abilities will be tested for the first time in public.

From BBC News and Crave

Related Links:

Honda's New Steam-Powered Hybrid Engine

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 21st 2008 at 1:06PM

Honda has just unveiled a concept car using a so-called Rankine cycle co-generation unit to power a hybrid engine. The engine recycles wasted heat from the exhaust to generate steam that turns a turbine-generating electricity, which charges the batteries. The concept has proven more efficient than the regenerative breaking system employed by most current hybrid cars, including the Prius, especially when cruising at highway speeds.

The concept is not entirely new, and Honda claims that at 62 miles-per-hour the new engine is 3.8 percent more efficient than past versions. Apparently, the engine is currently not efficient enough (not to mention too expensive) to merit being installed in a production vehicle, but Honda has said that this may change if it can can make the engine even more efficient.

From Engadget

Related Links:

Air-Powered Car Coming Soon

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 14th 2008 at 12:55PM

Forget hydrogen fuel cells. They may only produce water as exhaust, but hydrogen is highly explosive and requires a lot of energy to produce, negating some of its green credentials. But a car powered on compressed air, well that may be the holy grail of environmentally friendly vehicles.

The OneCAT is the brain-child of French inventor Guy Negre. Negre has claimed to be on the verge of a breakthrough for over a decade, but he may finally be able to deliver on the promise. Negre recently struck a deal with Indian car maker Tata who are behind the Nano, the world's cheapest car. Tata is putting the finishing touches on the engine design and has given generous financial backing to Negre to finish his concept car.

The OneCAT can be filled up with compressed air in under three minutes or plugged in to an electrical outlet and filled with air via the on-board compressor in about four hours. When driving in the city, the car will be a genuine zero emissions vehicle. For longer trips, a small fuel burner, which will operate with a wide variety of liquid fuels, will heat the air to expand it and increase pressure on the pistons and extend its range (which has yet to be revealed). In fuel burning mode, the OneCAT will get the equivalent of 120 miles per gallon.

If the price stays around its estimate £2,500 ($4,885) and the range is enough get around fill ups ever other day, Negre and Tata may have a revolutionary vehicle on their hands.

From the BBC

Related links:

Driver Causes Fatal Wreck While Texting On Cellphone

by Will Safer, posted Feb 13th 2008 at 4:05PM

Texting while driving is dangerous.

Here's a somber reminder of why it's important to pay attention to the road while driving.

A California woman was driving along a highway at 66 miles per hour when she crashed in to a line of cars stopped by a construction zone. Why didn't she see the line of cars stopped ahead of her? Because she was too busy sending text messages from her cell phone.

Many states and provinces in North America have banned talking on cell phones without a hands-free device while driving. Some states are going a step further, banning use of a cell phone while driving altogether. But fewer states and municipalities have banned texting while driving. Some are getting wise to this major and dangerous distraction, with Washington State leading the way.

A 2006 University of Utah study found that people driving while talking on a cell phone were as impaired as if they were driving with a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level. Another 2006 study by Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) found that instant and text messaging while driving leads the list as the biggest distraction while driving for teens.

From Textually.org.

Related links:

Saturn to Launch SUV Plug-In Hybrid by 2010

by Alon Avdi, posted Jan 18th 2008 at 12:37PM

In an effort to keep up with foreign car manufacturers, GM has announced that it hopes to begin production on a Saturn SUV hybrid that will be equipped with a plug-in feature and a Lithium ion battery. Working in tandem with the battery and plug-in technology, the Saturn Vue Green Line automobile will use "a modified version of GM's two-mode hybrid system" to double the fuel economy of any SUV on the market today.

The system will rely on the lithium ion energy source for power until the battery drains to a certain level. At that point, the battery will be recharged using the two-mode hybrid system's electronic motors and regenerative braking system. Using the plug-in to charge the battery at home should take four to five hours. Any 110 Volt electrical outlet will do the trick.

GM has disclosed that initial testing of the car shows that it can traverse a maximum of ten miles "at low speeds." It will use engine or electric power, or both, to allow it to travel at higher speeds or achieve faster acceleration. The biggest differences between plug-in hybrids and non-plug-ins are that the former offers more battery capacity, the at-home charging feature, as well as an increase in electric-only driving capability.

Consumers may find the prospect of buying the plug-in Saturn dubious, considering that GM omitted any mention of a price for the hybrid. Also, what GM hopes and what GM delivers may also be called into question, as 2010 production may be offset by typical delays, especially as it lags behind hybrid-makers like Toyota.

From Autoblog Green Via Engadget

Related Links:

Car Stereos Trends in 2008 - iPods, Bluetooth, and Tiny Speakers

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 11th 2008 at 11:41AM

Car Stereos in 2008 -- iPods, Bluetooth, and Tiny Speakers

So what can you look forward to in 2008 for your in-car media system? More integration with digital media devices (ie. iPods), better sounding compact speakers, lower prices on those high-end all-in-one units, and technologies to enhance the quality of the sound, not just the volume.

More than anything it seems like 2008 will be the year that iPod integration and Bluetooth become standard on all but the lowest-end systems. Every all-in-one system from Kenwood and Pioneer featured the abilities, and almost every standard CD player system provided iPod connectivity. Some of the more basic models have even been fitted with Bluetooth. That means you can say goodbye to those headsets that make you look like a jerk.

As for those all-in-one units that combine GPS with audio and video functions, look for prices to continue to take a nosedive. Prices start at $1,000 for units from Kenwood, Pioneer, and Alpine, but we expect by the end of the year prices will fall even further.

Meanwhile, Pioneer says it is going back to it roots: sound quality. iPods allow us to carry our entire music collections in our back pocket, but the problem with digital audio is that it's compressed in order to make the file smaller. Pioneer is using a technology they call ASR (Advanced Sound Retrieval) to restore some of the lost frequency range due to compression, and after a demo we were quite impressed.

Lastly, as with everything else, thin is in when it comes to car speakers. Just about every company that makes car speakers was showing off shallow subwoofers for those who don't want to gut or mod their car to get amazing bass.

Gallery: Car Stereo Trends

Related links:

World's Cheapest Car Launches at $2,500

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 10th 2008 at 2:49PM

World's Cheapest Car Launches

We may be half a world away at CES in Las Vegas, but this announcement out of the 9th annual Auto Expo in New Delhi certainly caught our attention. India manufacturer Tata officially unveiled what is now known as the Tata Nano. But whether you call it the Nano, the People's Car, the 1-lakh, or the $2,500 car it's still a feat of engineering.

Sure, for $2,500, you're forgoing a lot of comforts and features (no iPod dock or even power steering here). But what it lacks in modern technical amenities it makes up for in value. Despite the low price tag, this little car gets 54 miles to the gallon, and either meets or exceeds safety standards around the globe.

Interest note: Now that Tata is bringing automobiles to developing nations, it's looking to expand its reach in the opposite direction and has begun talks with Ford to purchase the luxury Jaguar brand.

From Engadget

Related links:

Car Stereos Gone Wild (and More)

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 10th 2008 at 12:49PM

Most of us never think twice about our car stereos. They come preinstalled in your automobile, and you take it for granted. But there is a whole subculture of people whose greatest pleasure in life is crafting absurd mobile entertainment centers that put many peoples' home theaters to shame.

TVs galore, more sub-woofers than your bowels could possibly stand, and chains of amplifiers that drive volume up to building crumbling levels -- these are some of the specs we encountered while walking the mobile tech areas at CES.

We may well have suffered permanent hearing damage to bring you this massive photo collection of the most intense displays of car audio and video power at CES. A few of them even made this guy's stereo look tame by comparison. Take a look!

Gallery: Car Stereos Gone Wild

Related Links:

Garmin Launching Loads of New GPS Devices at CES

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 4th 2008 at 3:31PM

Garmin Launching Loads of New GPS Devices at CES

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held every January in Las Vegas, is just around the corner (and Switched.com will be there), which means it is time for companies to assault us with an absurd number of product launches. Garmin took this idea to heart, apparently, and is prepping the launch of no less than 11 new GPS products for the world's biggest geek-fest.

At the top of the heap is the new Nuvi 880, a 4.3 inch car navigation unit with more features than you could possibly imagine using. The usual suspects are there: text to speech, Bluetooth, digital audio playback, and picture viewing. But there is also plenty new packed in to the dash mountable device, including -- terrifyingly enough -- games. (If we ever see someone playing Tetris on their GPS while trying to drive we're pulling over to the side of the road.) The 880 also comes with MSN Direct service which provides traffic updates, weather, news, movie times, local events, and even gas prices.

The most innovative feature packed into the new 880, and its stripped down sibling the Nuvi 850, is speech recognition technology. If you're driving on a particularly icy, or winding stretch of road and taking a hand off the wheel feels like it's inviting disaster, now you can talk to your GPS device to perform all but the most advanced functions, including searching for points of interest or setting an entirely new route. The 880 will be hitting the market with a suggest retail price in the $1,000 range, while the 850 gets its price down to about $800 by ditching the Bluetooth and MSN.

Also of interest is Garmin's new Colorado series of hand-held units that feature three-inch screens and the trademarked Rock 'n Roller™ wheel, which is essentially a ruggedized version of a click wheel. The Colorado will come in four different flavors: the base level 300, which retails for $499; the 400t, which is aimed at hikers and comes loaded with 3D topographical maps for getting your bearing; the 400i tackles the fishing market with maps of the shoreline, and locations for boat ramps on inland lakes and rivers; and finally the 400c goes after the boating enthusiast with shorelines, depth contours, harbors, marinas, and coastal roads for the United States and Bahamas. The 400t, i, and c all retail for $599.

Every member of the Colorado series comes packed with an electronic compass, temperature sensor, altimeter and the new Wherigo (where i go) platform. Wherigo allows Colorado users to create "location-based multimedia experiences in the real world." Which is of course a fancy way of saying creating guided tours, adventure "games," and scavenger hunts. All of this info can be shared wirelessly with other Colorado users.

We'll be sure to check out the new Wherigo features at CES and let you know whether the folks at Garmin have truly stumbled across something innovative.

Related links:

Honda Testing Clean Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 19th 2007 at 9:01AM

Honda just unveiled the production model of its first hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle, the FCX Clarity. The Clarity is being given a test run in selected areas of North Carolina that are near one of nine refueling stations built for the cars by Honda. It will then be released more widely in California in 2008, where apparently the Hollywood types are already lining up for some serious enviro-chic driving.

The cars have a range of 290 miles, roughly the equivalent of 68 miles per gallon on gasoline. The Clarity also uses regenerative braking, like a Prius, to charge a battery that also feeds the engine, increasing the efficiency of the car.

Hydrogen fuel cell tech is a zero-emissions fuel, releasing only water into the atmosphere as a waste product. Just a few short years ago, hydrogen fuel cells seemed like a pipe dream. And while this small scale production run doesn't mean that you'll be driving one of these environmentally friendly automobiles anytime soon, it is a huge step in realizing the dream of a pollution-free vehicle.

From DailyTech

Related links:

BioWare to combat piracy through customer loyalty Guitar Hero / Rock Band guitar compatility matrix v2 1942: Joint Strike set to deploy 7/23 to XBLA, 7/24 to PSN	Reunite with your long lost partition TinyURL adds custom domain feature Google Lively: a 3D social networking/chat tool that nobody asked for
1Password 2.7 gets a little sexier OSXMBC becomes Plex Precipitate: search Google Docs and Bookmarks from Spotlight	Levi Strauss' profitability plunges on declining sales VMware tells CEO to hit the road as share price nosedives McDonald's continues its coffee crusade
Rumor: Pics show Duke Nukem 3D on XBLA XBLA expands with Schizoid and Golf: Tee It Up! Target to offer $25 gift card with $299 Xbox 360 Pro	BMW plans 500 Electric MINIs for California GM brands might not go under the ax, but competing models will Ex-Chrysler VP moves west to head Tesla engineering
EA delays Take Two takeover bid yet again Fallout 3 not classified (rated) in Australia New Team Fortress 2 update released	English Soccer Fans Abandoning Premier League for Lower-Priced Bundesliga Rich Rodriguez Ends the Fun By Agreeing to Pay WVU $4 Million Washington Re-Signs Fedorov and Laich

Street-Legal DIY Electric Motorcycle Costs Under $2000

Driver Crashes Car While Reaching For Cell Phone (But Saves Cup Of Coffee)

Blue LEDs Could Keep Drivers Awake at the Wheel

Folding Car Can Be Stacked, Stored, and Recharged

Could This Flying Car be for Real?

Lifecar Eco-Roadster Gets 150 Miles-Per-Gallon

Honda's New Steam-Powered Hybrid Engine

Air-Powered Car Coming Soon

Driver Causes Fatal Wreck While Texting On Cellphone

Saturn to Launch SUV Plug-In Hybrid by 2010

Car Stereos Trends in 2008 - iPods, Bluetooth, and Tiny Speakers

Gallery: Car Stereo Trends

World's Cheapest Car Launches at $2,500

Car Stereos Gone Wild (and More)

Gallery: Car Stereos Gone Wild

Garmin Launching Loads of New GPS Devices at CES

Honda Testing Clean Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car

Breaking news Feed

Featured stories Feed

AOL Tech Network

Resources

Categories

cnet reviews

downloads

Features

Hot Topics

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

Top Product Reviews

Weblogs, Inc. Network