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It’s the story about the Philly high schoolers that built a hot rod that gets 50 MPG on biodiesel. Good viewing.
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I want one.
Biodiesel is a non-starter. It takes too much land to produce sufficient quantities of oil needed to replace petroleum. It worked fine when a few guys went from restaurant to restaurant accepting their used fry oil. It will never do on it’s own.
Congratulations to these students for producing a very fine looking car. I think each of them have a future ahead of them.
After they make that pass safety standards, and the bean counters make it cheap to manufacture. And the maketing people add gizmos out the wazoo so Americans would even consider buying it, it will weigh 4000lbs get 25mpg and do 0-60 in a boring 9 seconds.
High schoolers “Out-design” Detroit?
Not to be a wet blanket and defend the bonehead car industry, but — it’s not that they can’t design any one of a wide variety of innovative-seeming high-mpg cars. It’s just that “detroit”, unlike a bunch of school kids, has to deal with manufacturing costs, economic consequences, and market acceptance of their production designs.
of course it would be nice if they’d quit slapping “cheap plastic” all over the interiors, as every car review of an American car I’ve ever read complains about.
Glad to see these kids win something. As I recall, the car is a stoplight screamer, as well.
This is the most astounding video I have seen all year and that’s the middle of February 2006 I’m talking, but look I really mean 2005 and 06.
This kids are heros! Their work is fantastic, unbelievable, this kids should win a national prize, recognizing their efforts. Unfrigginbelievable.
I wish I knew where to contact these kids via email or something…since I’m unable to, I hope they see it here.
You guys have a very bright future ahead of you! Keep up the great work, AMAZING! You guys rule!
Wonderful wonderful, this is the kind of story that makes the soul sing!
well,
I can add this..
I have a 86 Olds, with a 3.8 fuel injection V6…
I STILL get 30-35mpg…
So, whats the excuse for something 1000 pounds LIGHTER, not getting better MPG..
the OLD Jeeps with the 4cyl engines did great..
The prophesy, that Aluminum would make cars lighter, and better, has fallen. After you install ALL the extra support and reinforcement, we might as well go back to STEEL..
Average profit margin on a US car is $10,000…Import tax on forign makes is $5-8000, and we end up paying that..
europe has ALOT of small ecco cars ALL over. That the US WONT import, NOT at $8000 tax + $8000 for the car.
why not change the tax, and place a MAX resale on imports.
If we cant compete, DONT.
“I can add this..
I have a 86 Olds, with a 3.8 fuel injection V6…
I STILL get 30-35mpg…”
I have a hard time buying that since the 3800s of today don’t even get that sort of MPG even with SFI, dual HO2S, fully electronic transmissions with TCCs, etc. A new Impalla is something like 21 city I think, and its the same basic engine in a car that weighs almost the same. The 3800 seems to finally be dead so I’m talking about a year or two ago, obviously.
Aluminum…aluminum is great. It is lighter. Much lighter. Look at the Lotus Elise, Jag XK, etc. The Elise is the lightest car sold in the US today. The only problem is the price, which is generally much much higher. Its also going to give you a much louder car than steel, and the lord knows we can’t have that.
I’d almost kill for an all alluminum VW GTI…
Also, how could tariffs on imported cars be $5-8000 when Kia sells cars for under $12,000? That just doesn’t add up.
Wow that is amazing, too bad the oil companies wont let them, get anymore air time.
VW One Litre Concept Car, 285 mpg
http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new_devs/one_litre
Here’s a comparison that sums things up:
2006 Honda Civic, 2600 lbs, 38 mpg Hwy
1976 Honda Civic, 1300 lbs, 43 mpg Hwy
Guys, this is a kit car that anyone can buy and put together. Check out the following website:
http://www.k1-styling.sk/menu.php?page=100
The kit is made by K-1 Engineering in Slovakia. It is available starting at $70000 for a complete kit. If you want to use your own components, I bet you could half that initial cost.
The only interesting bit is the bio-diesel engine. I would wager that it is just a modified V6 designed to run on alternate fuels.
And unless you want to start hauling 55 gallon drums of used french fry grease to your home laboratory for conversion to bio-diesel, good luck finding a filling station.
There is nothing here that GM or Ford couldn’t do (and do better) but they must meet a mountain of bureaucratic red tape to certify their cars meet Federal crash worthiness and (California) emissions.
I tip my hat to the school shop teacher that gave a bunch of inner city kids some national exposure and some good work experience. But this is not miracle breakthrough car.
GET A GRIP, PEOPLE!
“The only interesting bit is the bio-diesel engine. I would wager that it is just a modified V6 designed to run on alternate fuels.”
The engine is a VW’s TDI, probably an I4 since they are the easiest to come buy, but I haven’t read exactly which version of the TDI it is.
Zeta…
Consider that in OTHER countries they get about 1/7 of what the US pays workers. Also consider that the CEO in those countries gets about 1/10 the salery, then consider the US and others Money conversion…
AS to my CAR, look it up. and then consider, METAL fuel injection nozzles…NOT PLASTIC…
and another THOUGHT…Ever see SGI monitors, compare it to HDMI..
Just cause they SAY its NEW, dont mean its any different, or BETTER.
The engine in the 86 Olds was an 8cyl, that was CUT OFF to 6cyl…
did you know that only a 1-2 years ago, they STARTEd placing 5 speed automatic transmissions, FINALLY in small cars?? Makes a BIG diff.
The body is a European kit car. The neat part is how the combined the VW 1.9 liter TDI engine (a very common and economical engine here in Europe) with the hybrid electric motor to get 0-60mph in 4 seconds! Basically the electric motor gives the quick acceleration and the diesel gives the economy. Simple idea but kudos to these kids for getting it done.
The fact that they are just ‘normal’ kids is the most interesting part.
“AS to my CAR, look it up. and then consider, METAL fuel injection nozzles…NOT PLASTIC…”
What the….
Never mind.
A Suburban is a nice MID-size vehicle. Anything smaller is not practical for any desirable standard of living. Make practical vehicles more efficient WITHOUT sacrificing power, size or increasing cost and you have something.
More, bigger vehicles on more, bigger roads.
Wayne..
We should find a list of all the cars that are made in Asia, and NEVEr see the coast of the US.. Because they cant meet EPA, mostly..but your lawn mower puts out just as much polution as they do..