Gordon Murray T.25 and T.27
Gordon Murray, the renowned automobile designer, has finally released news of the T.25 and T.27. This project started with a blank sheet of paper and took several years to complete behind closed doors. These are tiny 3-passenger vehicles designed to be ultra-low cost and low impact. Great effort was made to make these cars easy to build and use few parts. They are also extremely safe to ride in even though they are extremely small. Full lifecycle CO2 impact is estimated to be 42% less than an average UK car.
The T.27 is an all-electric version of the T.25. It should have a range of 80 to 100 miles from it’s lithium ion batteries. I suspect this little car will help re-write the future of automobile manufacturing as others mimic the innovations Murray created with this project. I also suspect these little cars will become a very popular option as soon as they hit the market because I’m certain Murray made it a fun car to drive.
For the latest Gordon Murray news gordonmurraydesign.com.
ICARE Project – Solar and Wind Powered Car to Circle the Globe
The drivers of this solar and wind powered high-tech car will cross 30 countries as it travels around the globe. The journey should begin in the Spring of 2010. Learn more about the ICARE Project.
Barefoot Motors – Electric ATV
Several electric ATV manufactures have begun to pop-up, but this is still a small and growing market segment. Barefoot Motors in Ashland, Oregon is preparing to build a powerful full-size electric ATV. Electric ATVs are not just for play but can provide a very useful set of off-road wheels to homesteaders and farmers alike. They are quiet, have low emissions, and could theoretically be recharged by solar panels.
Th!nk coming to Elkhart, Indiana
Th!nk, the Norwegian electric car company, is coming to America and will setup shop in Elkhart, Indiana. This is great news for Th!nk and American car buyers because it will add another viable small electric car to our market in the coming years. Learn more about Th!nk.
Are electric cars a peak oil prep?
It’s always makes me laugh to read the arguments some people make about the sudden surge in automakers moving to produce electric cars. Here’s a good example of it in the Wall Street Journal that points out that electric cars may not be all that green.
If there’s one thing large corporations are good at doing it’s making money and positioning themselves for the future… to make more money. After all what is a corporation but an aggregation of a bunch of really smart business people all working for one primary goal… to make more and more money.
So just for a second consider what a major automaker would do if they believed the fuel source that powers their product might be running low or likely to increase dramatically in price. Would they build vehicles that use more of it? No heck no… they would adjust their product line to be better positioned to use the fuels they expect to be available.
Sadly, America’s massive switch over to coal fired electric power plants is also a good sign that someone else is thinking that our stability depends on the availability of energy and that it’s not going to be petroleum.
So are strategic corporate moves and government policies good indicators of things to come? I’m thinking my next new car is going to be electric and my bike is going to be getting a work-out.
CarGo by Adam Schacter
This is a little single-seat electric car/truck designed by Adam Schacter called the CarGo. The idea is that it would be used as an intercity utility and delivery vehicle. I love the novel innovation. Photo credit to Adam Schacter. I first saw this on Gas 2.0.
I’d love to see a prototype built from common spare parts instead of the all-new construction shown in the photos. I bet Adam could generate a little revenue stream immediately for himself by drawing up the plans for do-it-yourselfers to build their own simplified version from off-the-shelf parts. I’d by a set of plans just for curiosity sake.
I’m also pointing out (of you missed it between the lines) that there is a common problem among designers of dreaming up fanciful ideas that require mainstream manufacturing… which is of course not sustainable in the long term. It makes more sense to me to empower each other with the information we need to find our own solutions to the troubles of the world instead of waiting around for governments and billionaires to solve them for us… which by the way… is like choosing a benevolent master instead of freedom. Continue Reading »
