ecocar car : Electric Car Uses Bumps to Charge Battery
Concept car : AirPod
The AirPod is a three-seat and three-wheel car that runs on compressed air.
(Credit: CNET)Among the plethora of alternative fuels being put forth to replace oil, the most odd might seem simple: air. But MDI International, based in Luxembourg, showed off a car at the 2009 Geneva auto show that runs on just that. What motivates the little AirPod concept is the energy from compressed air stored in a tank at 5,000 pounds per square inch (PSI).
The driver sits alone in the AirPod, turning the front wheel with a joystick.
(Credit: CNET)The AirPod vehicle is small, holding just three passengers, with a single seat facing front for the driver and a bench facing backward for two more people. MDI claims a range of more than 112 miles in an urban setting, and less than two minutes to refill the 46-gallon air tank. But even though the AirPod can reach speeds of just less than 45 mph, the air-powered engine produces only 8 horsepower, suggesting slow acceleration.
Because of the low horsepower, the AirPod is designed to be exceptionally light, coming in at 485 pounds. Because the air tank and engine don't take up much room, most of the AirPod is devoted to passenger space. The car is a three-wheeler, and the driver uses a joystick to turn, rather than a conventional steering wheel.
Although air power means the AirPod drives emission-free, some energy is required to compress air into its tank. MDI puts the cost of a tank refill at just 1 euro.
MDI has announced deals with Air France and KLM to run a test fleet of the AirPod cars at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris and Schipol airport in Amsterdam.
Concept Car : Peugeot Three Wheeled Hybrid
Ecofriend has an interesting post about the three-wheeled vehicle above that is called a Peugeot plus. Econfriend says the car runs on an electric motor and aims to have almost no carbon footprint.
it's a hybrid, between a scooter and a car. This combination allows using a smaller electric engine, saving energy. This saving generates less pollution and a major autonomy of the batteries. Besides the small size gives more agility into the traffic and makes easier to find parking.
Concept Car : Peugeot Omni
Concept Car : The Helios Lizard
Concept Car : Renault Z.E
Renault ZE concept’s design is focused on minimizing energy consumption while providing all the comfort features.
Renault ZE is powered by an electric motor the develops 70kW and 226Nm Nm of torque that uses the energy stored in lithium-ion batteries. Renault ZE’s transmission is using direct with front/rear reducer and inverter.
Renault ZE will start mass-marketing of electric vehicles from 2011, as announced by the company.
RENAULT Z.E. CONCEPT, AN ALL-ELECTRIC CONCEPT CAR WHICH PROVIDES A GLIMPSE OF MOBILITY IN THE FUTURE
In parallel to its new TCe and dCi engine ranges, Renault is furthering its strategy aimed at curbing CO2 emissions with the development of electric vehicles. Since the beginning of 2008, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has signed agreements with several states and regions (Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, the state of Tennessee in the USA), which will lead to the mass marketing of this form of vehicle from 2011.
Renault Z.E. Concept (’Z.E.’: Zero Emission) is Renault’s vision of the electric vehicle as an efficient, userfriendly zero-emission car. Based on the brand new Renault Kangoo be bop, Z.E. Concept features a design which has been adapted to the spirit of an electric vehicle, with the focus on minimizing energy consumption while at the same time providing core comfort features.
The energy consumption of auxiliary functions such as lighting, heating, climate control, etc. is a key factor when it comes to an electric vehicle’s range, so special attention has been paid to optimize energy management. Renault Z.E. Concept also incorporates several interactive information features which are easy to use.
Renault Z.E. Concept is powered by a 70kW electric motor with torque of 226Nm, with lithium-ion batteries. Energy saving management at the heart of Renault Z.E. Concept’s design Z.E. Concept is based on Kangoo be bop and its compact dimensions (length: 3.95m, height: 1.85m) favour manoeuvrability in and about town. This electric vehicle was designed to minimize energy consumption, without forgetting modern comfort-related refinements.
The employment of heat-reflective paint and insulating bodywork featuring large surface areas contributes to the reduction of temperature fluctuations which traditionally prompt the use of climate control or heating systems which are big consumers of energy. Insulation is further optimized by the use of acid green-tinted glass for the glazed areas.
Concept Car : Peugeot 888 - Big Brother of the Vers?
If the Peugeot Vers wasn’t enough for you, then here’s the Peugeot 888. You can call it the big brother of the Vers; it’s almost exactly the same, with the same functions of shortening up in busy streets and lying down flat on the highway, but with one crucial feature: more luggage space. Yes, now you can go on out in the outback and the country side to spend some time away from the urban madness.
Coming to design, the car is conceived by Norway’s Oskar Johansen and is, like the Vers, a two-seater. Although the functions are all nearly the same, they still are more “pushed”, if you ask me. In other words, unlike the Vers, the car can shorten or stretch out even more. Therefore it is more convenient. On the technical side, to make it ‘clean’, it is powered by motors which are run by lithium-ion batteries, which in turn, are covered by solar panels for additional energy.
Such development should certainly continue as we are all aware of population and most of all, environmental problems. Cars like this are what will make the future better.
Source: EcoFriend


