I Am Thinking of Gettin a Coal Powered Car

[Mels_Smileys45]

They have started selling Wildfire Electric cars here and I am thinking of getting one now that I have a job again. This car is $12,000 but the new stimulus plan will give me $6,088 for buying one! Thats really neat! If I save up a bit of money and sell of my car, which I would hate to do, I can get one. I have been told they are more reliable than gas powered cars because there is not much that can go wrong with them other than the battery going out. I want a coal powered car so bad. That little thing would be fun to drive and all I need it for is to go back and forth to work. If I want to go on a long trip I will rent a car. That stimulus plan has a lot of cool things in it that many people do not know about. I found out also that I can get my doors and windows replaced with ones that will help save energy at very little cost to myself. I need to do that too.

Here is something funny. I found a forum where one guy was talking so much shit about this car and claims he went and test drove it. One of his claims were that the engine was "super loud"! lol Its an electric car! Electric engines make almost no noise and if you are not moving it makes no noise at all! He said the motor was so loud you could not carry on a conversation in the car. What a putz! I will test drive it myself and find out but that has to be a lie.

[Mels_Smileys45]

I take it all back! Here is a video of a fat guy in the car. I say he is fat because he gets out of breath climbing into the car. lol Anyways listen to this car! HERE This seems to be a prototype though because it has many things the car does not need like a clutch! He says this is one of the first 5 ever made so perhaps it has got some better but the video sounds loud!

[kippies]

GO MELS!!!




umm dude that will go like to the bottom of your street then flat out die

you are gonna hire a car every time you need to go anywheres far?


that kind of sums up the state of these things- give it a few more years maybe its a good plan but as things stand now its a no brainer- electrics dont work yet

Personally I would love to run a car like this but it does not actually do what I need a car to do get me to where I need to go

[Mels_Smileys45]

Triple post! I win! Screw that car. It sounds way too loud. An electric car should be quiet! That thing is stupid! I have a feeling a lot of the sound is coming from those tiny wheels having to spin so fast and road noise coming in through the thin fiber glass body. Needs a little insulation. Then the guy say he drove it wide open at 55 and it ran out of "gas" in 13 miles. I think he said 13. Thats ridiculous! No way!

[DrewWilson]

Originally Posted by kippies

GO MELS!!!




umm dude that will go like to the bottom of your street then flat out die

you are gonna hire a car every time you need to go anywheres far?


that kind of sums up the state of these things- give it a few more years maybe its a good plan but as things stand now its a no brainer- electrics dont work yet

Personally I would love to run a car like this but it does not actually do what I need a car to do get me to where I need to go

There was a Mythbusters episode that busted that myth actually.

[Mels_Smileys45]

EDIT: Shit Kip, you messed up my roll! Some electric cars are bad ass! I don't know what you mean. This is just an attempt to bring out a very cheap one and thats not good right now. There are MANY electric cars rolling around here and people love them. Its the hot thing and probably the only cars selling. They are all over the place. All the coal required to keep these things pumping is concerning though. Its a good things we have a huge damn around here for most of our electricity! I am wondering if the electric grid can support all the electric cars if they become too popular. The grid is already unstable in many places. Electric cars could be the coffin nail. Im gonna stick to calling them caol cars from now on. Is coal cleaner than gasoline?

[1cooldude]

It's all a question of how much one is willing to pay for an electric car?

[kippies]

coal is dirtier lol


Im with you on the principal its just the implementation- if you have to be in the top 10% of the population to get a decent electric its just not going to fly


what we need is cheap electrics with a decent range for the masses

I agree 100% its an excellent concept its just the implementation sucks

[Mels_Smileys45]

Originally Posted by 1cooldude

It's all a question of how much one is willing to pay for an electric car?

I got $5 on it! Obama will give you $4000 -$6000+ depending on what state you live in to buy one. That is a nice deal I think. There are some nice ones in the 15-16,000 range.

[mungopw]

WOODGAS POWERED VW'S AND OTHER VEHICLES

Click HERE for an 86K JPG image of a wood gas generator equipped Kubelwagen and Type 60 Beetle.

Fuel shortages during WWII prompted searches for alternative fuels in England, Germany, Scandinavia and many other countries. One of the most unusual solutions involved the modification of vehicles for use with wood, charcoal, or coal. Typical modifications included A) a gas generator; B) a gas reservoir; and C) carburetor modifications and additional plumbing to convey, filter, and meter the gas into the engine.

The gas generator was an airtight vessel into which was introduced a charge of wood, charcoal, or anthracite coal. Heat was applied to the fuel either internally or externally to initiate a self-sustaining gassification of the fuel in an oxygen deprived environment. The resulting "woodgas" was piped to the reservoir, or in the case of small engines, directly to the engine carburetor. Wood-gas modified vehicles were therefore technically a "dual fuel" vehicle in that a self-sustaining gassification of the wood charcoal, or coal required another fuel to start the process.

Gas reservoir sizes depended upon vehicle, engine, and gassifier size. Small vehicles and engines could be supplied directly from the gassifer, thus eliminating large reservoirs. Larger, more powerful vehicles required separate gas reservoirs to compensate for gassifer outputs which were less than the fuel consumption rate of the engine. These larger reservoirs usually took the form of gas bags that were attached to the roof or rear end of the vehicle. The largest mobile reservoirs were gas bags fitted to busses which were often several feet in diameter and as long as the vehicle.

Although the designation T230 was used to indicate woodgas fuel systems fitted to both Kubelwagens and KdF Wagens (Type 60 wartime Beetles), surviving phototgraphs reveal that a variety of gas generator designs and hood sheet metal were employed. Vehicles so equipped are easily recognized by the vehicle's modified hood (28K JPG). Some photos show that the fuel loading hatch protruded from a port in the hood, while others illustrate an unbroken hoodline which completely enclosed the generator. Generally the woodgas fuel system comprised a gassifier container (20K JPG) approximately 18 to 24 inches in diameter and 30 to 36 inches in length (height) fitted into the nose of the vehicle. Both Kubelwagens and Beetles equipped with the T230 gas generator located the generator vessel ahead of the front axle beams where the spare tire was formerly located. Type 60's relocated the spare tire, along with extra bags of fuel, to a roof rack (28K JPG) on the roof of the vehicle. The bottom of the gas generator also extended below the original bodywork at the front of the vehicle, thus decreasing obstacle clearance.

Other components of the VW T230 woodgas fuel system included:
1) a large (8" diameter by 30") gas filter cannister located just ahead of the windshield (and under the hood, in the case of the Type 60)
2) a secondary, rectangular gas filter (about 12" by 2" by 48") located crossways beneath the car behind the front wheels
3) a gas pump or fan located behind the rear torsion bar tube
4) a small final cannister filter in the engine bay
5) a fuel mixer at the engine intake manifold.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...a%3DN%26um%3D1

[RACKnRAIL]

I can't believe how many of those things are around here, where I live. It's like when PT Cruisers came out. At first you saw the odd one around and now every Tom, Dick and Harry has one.

They are extremely fuel efficient though. I will give you that. Just don't crash in one. We had one fatality here where one hit a dump truck. There wasn't much left of the poor little car.

[moon light]

is it a car or an apple loool

[Hath]

*cough cough* Sorry, I have black lung from working in the coal mines.

[1cooldude]

I'm guessing they will stay with "extremely bright" colours to accentuate its shadow and its 10 sq. foot occupying quadrant.

This is for m_r>> wonder if its aerodynamics will improve vs. its degraded functionality?

[mountain_rage]

Originally Posted by 1cooldude

I'm guessing they will stay with "extremely bright" colours to accentuate its shadow and its 10 sq. foot occupying quadrant.

This is for m_r>> wonder if its aerodynamics will improve vs. its degraded functionality?

You mean as the functionality of the vehicle drops the aerodynamics increase? If you want to go by solar car design, than I guess that could be right. They are usually ultralight, highly aerodynamic vehicles. The problem is area creates drag, so to be aerodynamic you generally want to lower area, or at least active area, which often leads to less functional vehicles. So solar cars are great, but I really can't see anyone riding in one of these things. They are fragile, uncomfortable, unreliable, etc. They can however reach 105mph, not a bad speed for a free energy car. With that said, electric cars are not designed like solar cars, and are not meant to be a replacement for hauling your boat to the lake. The market is targeted to commuting and city driving. For that task electric cars are very good vehicles, and priced well as a second vehicle.



But again, as technology improves we will better be able to offer more versatile electric vehicles. This includes improvements in battery technology, materials with a higher strenght to weight ratio, as well as better aerodynamics. Still think for trucks and SUV's the best bet would be to invest in a plug in electric hybrid. If you have a truck because you occasionally haul heavy loads you could use battery power for commuting, and alternative fuel when hauling or when on long trips. The alternative fuel can be petrol, diesel or hydrogen. If I had to guess the future of transportation I would say its in giving consumers more fuel choices lowering dependence on fossil fuels, using it only as a secondary fuel source. Once technology improves far enough we will move to hydrogen, electric, or some other alternative fuel.

Personally I've been keeping an eye on the Aptera. Its not restricting itself by trying to conform to conventional car design leading me to believe it will be better suited as a car replacement, rather than a complement to peoples daily vehicle. It is however a little pricey still, but I could see it becoming somewhat the norm in the future.