To the question:
"Do you believe that voting for one political party or the other will make any difference in the price of gas?"
33% voted: Yes
66% voted: No
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Boeing's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Aircraft
It's interesting to hear our politicians talk about what we can't do or what we shouldn't do because it will take to long. Remember all the hysteria about how long it was going to take to put out the oil field fires in IRAQ? The press loved to use the word "devastating"... it wasn't.
Now with gas prices going out of sight, we hear from one political party how we can't drill for more oil because it will take 10 years and won't bring the price of gas down anyway. At the same time the other party is shouting about how solar, wind, and fuel cells are impractical and the technology is so far out that you're a goof if you even think about these as a solutions for our energy problems.
Just the other day while flipping through radio channels heard a BIG radio personality talking fuel cells. The subject got into aviation and how fuel cells will NEVER be practical for airplanes. Being a pilot this subject caught my attention immediately. Now maybe they were talking about large aircraft, but the word "can't" just makes my blood boil. Aviation is taking a huge hit with the price of gas, especially general aviation. There is great need for solutions that will make general aviation more affordable at any level, so when I saw the video below I was thrilled to see what "CAN" be done.
Now with gas prices going out of sight, we hear from one political party how we can't drill for more oil because it will take 10 years and won't bring the price of gas down anyway. At the same time the other party is shouting about how solar, wind, and fuel cells are impractical and the technology is so far out that you're a goof if you even think about these as a solutions for our energy problems.
Just the other day while flipping through radio channels heard a BIG radio personality talking fuel cells. The subject got into aviation and how fuel cells will NEVER be practical for airplanes. Being a pilot this subject caught my attention immediately. Now maybe they were talking about large aircraft, but the word "can't" just makes my blood boil. Aviation is taking a huge hit with the price of gas, especially general aviation. There is great need for solutions that will make general aviation more affordable at any level, so when I saw the video below I was thrilled to see what "CAN" be done.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
GM Volt vs the Tesla Roadster...what a joke!
At first glance the GM Volt is a real eye grabber. BUT it doesn't take much to see that this is only skin deep. At a 40 mile battery range...WHAT? Yes forty (40) miles, how pathetic is this. I really don't need to know anything more about the car, but it does have a gas engine that will recharge the batteries as you go. This translates into about 650 miles on a tank of gas. Yes there are different ways you can look at this in how people will use there cars, but what it comes down to is the gas engine and complexity remain in place. If this is the best these engineers can do, the whole development team should be fired. That is of course unless they came up with this poor performing design intentionally. I know, I know, the honorable automakers would never deliberately hold back technology. The mere suggestion that something doesn't add up is sign of a wacko conspiracy theory related to oil. Okay, too late. So while I'm questioning the status quo, what would happen to the incredible revenue stream automakers and dealers have repairing fuel pumps, plugs, oil pumps, radiators, complex emissions systems etc etc if the gas engines of today had a bit more real competition?
Enter the Tesla Motors Roadster. It's claimed that this 100% electric car can go 220 miles on a charge (okay catch that? 40 vs 220) and go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. All you need is $100,000 to get one. At that price this is not realistic for the average person either, but that's not the point. It's about can a car be made for around $20,000 that doesn't use gas. So you ask, maybe this is a hoax or prototype that will never hit the market, right? After all if GM can't do it...
Little math... 15,000 miles per year with a car that does about 23 mpg and gas at about $4.25 per gallon = about $2,700 per year. Now multiply that by how many cars you think are on the road...and follow the money. Here...I'll help, start with TAXES per gallon, then look at revenue for oil companies and keep thinking.
Do you ever feel like you're being squeezed for as much money as possible without receiving value?
Take a look at these videos and then go into the bathroom and wash off that big "S" on your forehead. That is unless you think the Tesla Roadster is just a fake.
GM Chevrolet Volt
Tesla Motors Roadster http://www.teslamotors.com
Enter the Tesla Motors Roadster. It's claimed that this 100% electric car can go 220 miles on a charge (okay catch that? 40 vs 220) and go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. All you need is $100,000 to get one. At that price this is not realistic for the average person either, but that's not the point. It's about can a car be made for around $20,000 that doesn't use gas. So you ask, maybe this is a hoax or prototype that will never hit the market, right? After all if GM can't do it...
Little math... 15,000 miles per year with a car that does about 23 mpg and gas at about $4.25 per gallon = about $2,700 per year. Now multiply that by how many cars you think are on the road...and follow the money. Here...I'll help, start with TAXES per gallon, then look at revenue for oil companies and keep thinking.
Do you ever feel like you're being squeezed for as much money as possible without receiving value?
Take a look at these videos and then go into the bathroom and wash off that big "S" on your forehead. That is unless you think the Tesla Roadster is just a fake.
GM Chevrolet Volt
Tesla Motors Roadster http://www.teslamotors.com
Labels:
car dealers,
car mfg,
cars,
Electric car,
gas mileage,
gas prices,
GM volt,
miles per gallon,
Tesla Roadster
Friday, June 27, 2008
Hydrogen Fuel - Engine Fundamentals
Here is an interesting series of videos dedicated to understanding engines and running them on hydrogen. The speaker Steven Harris, supposedly, was a development engineer in the scientific labs of Chrysler / Daimler Chrysler.
Additional Videos
| Video #2 | Video #3 | Video #4 | Video #5 |
| Video #6 | Video #7 | Video #8 | Video #9 |
| Video #10 |
Additional Videos
| Video #2 | Video #3 | Video #4 | Video #5 |
| Video #6 | Video #7 | Video #8 | Video #9 |
| Video #10 |
The little car that runs on air.
Yes I can see the eye's rolling already. While we sit back at let our government and media (yes I meant to say media) tell us alternatives to gas engines aren't practical, nobody wants them or of course it's a SCAM we couldn't possibly come up with something that's less expensive than the gas engine, others are getting it done.
I look at this car and my first reaction is, man it's ugly. But that's the easy part to fix. The point is, it run on compressed air! Add a small gas engine to keep the air tanks charged and you get some serious cross country mileage out of one of these.
Manufacturers in the United States appear to be coming up with a version of their own (more to follow), but we'll see if it actually makes it to market.
http://www.theaircar.com/acf/
I look at this car and my first reaction is, man it's ugly. But that's the easy part to fix. The point is, it run on compressed air! Add a small gas engine to keep the air tanks charged and you get some serious cross country mileage out of one of these.
Manufacturers in the United States appear to be coming up with a version of their own (more to follow), but we'll see if it actually makes it to market.
http://www.theaircar.com/acf/
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Fuel prices are effecting businesses and people's lives in a BIG way. So what can we do about it? Unfortunately that's not an easy question to answer, but for starters it's time to start questioning the standard information we are being served. We need to start thinking for ourselves and start doing for ourselves.
Call me a kook if you like, but if you're like me, you just don't buy that with all our technology and ingenuity we can't seem to figure out this fuel/energy thing.
Why not? Is the technology being held back?
Is it the government? ...follow the money.
Is it the oil companies? ...follow the money.
Is it the car companies? ...follow the money.
Oh and just in case you're wondering about bias...
Is it the environmentalists? ...you might just want to think about following the money before you buy into all that hype as well.
Call me a kook if you like, but if you're like me, you just don't buy that with all our technology and ingenuity we can't seem to figure out this fuel/energy thing.
Why not? Is the technology being held back?
Is it the government? ...follow the money.
Is it the oil companies? ...follow the money.
Is it the car companies? ...follow the money.
Oh and just in case you're wondering about bias...
Is it the environmentalists? ...you might just want to think about following the money before you buy into all that hype as well.
Labels:
car dealers,
car mfg,
Electric car,
gas mileage,
gas prices,
miles per gallon,
mpg,
water car
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
igoogle gas prices
Now here's a nice tool from igoogle. With an igoogle account you can add all kinds of handy tools to make life easier. One of those handy tools is "Local Gas Prices". Sure enough, enter your zip code and up pops 10 nearby stations with a listing of their gas prices.
When it costs $50 to $100 to fill your tank, this is a great tool to have. There are few options for gas prices. Simple go to Google, setup your igoogle page and then click on "Add Stuff" for a list of all the gadget you can add.
When it costs $50 to $100 to fill your tank, this is a great tool to have. There are few options for gas prices. Simple go to Google, setup your igoogle page and then click on "Add Stuff" for a list of all the gadget you can add.
Labels:
gas prices,
google,
igoogle
Monday, June 23, 2008
Who Killed the Electric Car???
Who Killed the Electric Car? is a documentary film produced in 2006 that explores the birth, limited commercialization, and subsequent death of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the 1990s.
Ever heard of this movie? You can buy it here...
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar
Ever heard of this movie? You can buy it here...
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar
Water Car/Torch...here's the real website...I think.
You'll find this video from FOX NEWS all over the Internet that links to a website where you can buy the plans. Well it appears that there is a real website with a real product.
http://www.hytechapps.com/
Water Car/Torch FOX News video
http://www.hytechapps.com/
Water Car/Torch FOX News video
Labels:
car dealers,
car mfg,
cars,
fox news,
gas mileage,
gas prices,
miles per gallon,
mpg,
water car,
water torch
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The car runs on water...Really?
Here's a nice video showing a car that supposedly runs partially on water. Seems like an official news report and there's a link to a website where you can buy the plans to convert your car. I know, I KNOW, it's a scam... don't be a sucker. My question is, has anyone actually bought the plans and done a full documentary trying to make it work? I've heard that Mythbusters did something to the effect, but I can't seem to find much of anything.
So if it does work, were are all the water cars and why can't you find an inventor that has a workshop teaching how to do it? And if it doesn't work...PROVE IT! Bla Bla Bla ask any chemist and he'll tell you it can't be done...Bla Bla Bla. Get the plans and PROVE IT.
Water car...wouldn't that be nice.
So if it does work, were are all the water cars and why can't you find an inventor that has a workshop teaching how to do it? And if it doesn't work...PROVE IT! Bla Bla Bla ask any chemist and he'll tell you it can't be done...Bla Bla Bla. Get the plans and PROVE IT.
Water car...wouldn't that be nice.
Labels:
gas mileage,
miles per gallon,
mpg,
water car
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
What's up with Mpg?
Have you driven past the car dealership lately? I have and there are all kinds of signs advertising 32 to 38 miles per gallon. That's great you say!!! With the price of gas, that's just what we need.
But another question comes to mind...where were these cars a year ago? Were regulations suddenly changed so car Mfg's could make more fuel efficient cars?
I don't think so.
But another question comes to mind...where were these cars a year ago? Were regulations suddenly changed so car Mfg's could make more fuel efficient cars?
I don't think so.
Labels:
car dealers,
car mfg,
cars,
gas mileage,
gas prices
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