“Vert-A-Pac train cars kept your Chevy Vega’s price in check”
At the time, rail cars could fit 15 vehicles each, but Chevrolet was able to lower shipping costs by making it possible to ship 30 Vegas per rail car, in turn allowing the price of the Vega to remain as low as possible. Each rail car had 30 doors that would fold down so that a Vega could be strapped on, and then a forklift would come along and lift the door into place. All the cars were positioned nose down, and since they were shipped with all of their required fluids, certain aspects had to be designed specifically for this type of shipping, including an oil baffle in the engine, a special battery and even a repositioned windshield washer reservoir.
__________________
Now, the Vega wasn’t one of the best cars on the road but this kind of design thinking is noteworthy.
I imagine one major necessity to maximizing space at the time was the oil embargo. Shipping costs are positively correlated with fuel costs so it’s a wonder that more car manufacturers, even today, fail to consider this option of transporting their finished goods.
Also, the challenge of managing the fluids in electric vehicles would be dramatically reduced.
People are now walking through the Lincoln Tunnel because SANDY HAS LEFT US WITH SO LITTLE FUCKS TO GIVE.
Yup. We just started waltzing off the bus today somewhere on the west side because, you know, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO.
“Boosted Boards”
San Francisco-based startup Boosted Boards has produced an eponymous electric skateboard prototype capable of providing a push-free ride for up to 6 miles. While an electric skateboard isn’t anything new in itself, this particular longboard is declared by its makers to be the world’s lightest electric vehicle.
Boosted Boards markets the longboard as a “last mile” mode of transport; that is, a vehicle intended to complement existing public transportation infrastructure for the final leg of the journey home. The board consists of components which will be familiar to skaters and which sound suitably impressive to the rest of us: Loaded Vanguard, Bear Grizzly 852s, Otang 80A In Heats, and Jehu bearings. Weight is kept down to a transportable 12 – 15 lb (5.5 – 6.8 kg).
![flightestupdate:
Two times a helicopter
Piasecki’s -59 series aircraft proved a configuration that was never brought to fruition.
By the early 1960’s evolved models attained speeds of 75 mph, had flown indoors, within trees and under bridges. “While the Airgeep would normally operate close to the ground, it was capable of flying to several thousand feet, proving to be stable in flight.” These vehicles demonstrated the viability of the tandem-duct platform.
Unfortunately, the aircraft possessed the complex aero-mechanics of a helicopter - repeated twice. They utilized the same controls as a helicopter, requiring the same skills to fly, with the difficulty compounded by the intent of low altitude flight. “…the Army decided that the “Flying Jeep concept [was] unsuitable for the modern battlefield”, and concentrated on the development of conventional helicopters.”
I can only imagine what would happen if this thing tried to fire a bazooka while in flight.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma36h8y7HH1rrzwteo1_r1_1280.jpg)
Two times a helicopter
Piasecki’s -59 series aircraft proved a configuration that was never brought to fruition.
By the early 1960’s evolved models attained speeds of 75 mph, had flown indoors, within trees and under bridges. “While the Airgeep would normally operate close to the ground, it was capable of flying to several thousand feet, proving to be stable in flight.” These vehicles demonstrated the viability of the tandem-duct platform.
Unfortunately, the aircraft possessed the complex aero-mechanics of a helicopter - repeated twice. They utilized the same controls as a helicopter, requiring the same skills to fly, with the difficulty compounded by the intent of low altitude flight. “…the Army decided that the “Flying Jeep concept [was] unsuitable for the modern battlefield”, and concentrated on the development of conventional helicopters.”
I can only imagine what would happen if this thing tried to fire a bazooka while in flight.
Expanding the Envelope
Or pilot training?
The symbiotic relationship between vehicle and rider is similar to a bicycle - each dependent on one another for controlled, stable flight.
The benefit is simplicity; no artificial stabilization or software, and the pilot feels naturally in command with little prior training.
(November 2011)
Remember this day.
Today is the day you saw a real hoverbike.
…please ensure your tray tables are in the AARRRRRGGHH!
(via ceyren)
“There’s a plane leaving for anywhere you want right now, and in an hour, and in a day, and in a year. You can get out whenever you want, it’s comforting I think.”
Great infographic…but what’s really interesting to me is the energy demand required for all of this travel. Not just with the airplanes themselves but equally with the the transportation to get to/from the airports and necessary support systems.
Then, from an even larger perspective, the progressive effect of all this travel on our climate for the past 100 years taking place all over the world.
(via shelbylifts)
“Brammo reveals pricing for Empulse electric motorcycles”
Both Empulse models employ a 10.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, 6-speed gearbox, and a permanent magnet AC motor generating 40 kW (54 hp) @ 8,200 rpm and maximum torque of 63 Nm. This translates to a 100 mph (160 km/h) top speed and 100 mile (160 km) range, or more specifically, an estimated city range of 121 miles (195 km) and an estimated highway range of 56 miles (90 km). Charging time is 8 hours, although a fast charging option will reduce this to 3.5 hours and Brammo estimates that (based on 13 cents / kWh for electricity) the cost of getting around town is just one cent per mile while highway jaunt will cost you two cents per mile.
____________________
Considering that most people who commute work alone are occupying a vehicle that can accommodate 4 or 5 passengers, the price per mile of this motorcycle is worth mentioning.
Statistically, only a small number of the population ride motorcycles as a lifestyle choice but, just for comparison, a Dodge Ram which averages about 11 mpg has a price per mile cost of $0.27 whereas a gas-thrifty Toyota Corolla with a 29 mpg rating has a price per mile cost of $0.10.
The Brammo motorcycles mentioned in the article cost as much as a small car and certainly don’t offer some of the amenities typically found in a small car (i.e. safety, shelter from the elements) but I do like that the company is bringing a renewable energy option to the table most people probably wouldn’t have considered for commuting short distances.
And as this company, and others like it, can mass-produce their vehicles, the price will only come down with the introduction of competition benefiting the consumer in the short- and long-term and the environment in the longer term.
May 10, 1869, the ceremonial Golden Spike was struck, connecting the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad. The 2000 miles of transcontinental track reduced the overland trip from four to six months to six days.
Photograph of Golden Spike Ceremony at Promontory, Utah, 05/10/1869
And with that, transportation in America upgraded from dial-up to broadband.
“The Myway Compact – the smallest fold-up electric scooter yet”
Our recent rundown of the coming “Transportation Appliance” marketplace has unearthed yet another another compact fold-up electric vehicle that appears set to become the smallest of the last-mile transport options. Well-known Israeli Industrial Designer Nimrod Sapir has devoted much of his life to figuring out better ways of “getting there.” Nimrod designed the ingenious Tagabike we featured four years ago, but his Myway Compact EV is more compact than anything we’ve seen and might play a major role in transportation in the future.
“Athos extreme quad-cycle brings four-wheeled, pedal-powered off-road mayhem”
If the funky, Segway-powered Centaur, shown in our recent look at Dual Mode transportation, is still too powerful and heavy for you, it may be time to go Athos. Sort of an unnatural cross between a pedal-powered bicycle and a four-wheeled quad, this burly “extreme quad-cycle” aims to give riders a new option in off-road travel that blends BMX, motocross and downhill biking.
____________________
This would get me off the internet, for sure. ^_^
“Infographic: Breaking down the costs of trucking”
The crew at Easy Lift Equipment worked up an infographic filled with examples of just how pricey it can be to operate an eighteen wheeler. According to the information, only eight percent of all trucks on the road are privately operated. The rest are run by larger trucking companies.
No surprise there. A new cab can cost upwards of $100,000, while a trailer will set you back $50,000. Companies typically pay around $30,000 a year on their truck loans, which actually makes it the third largest expense in operating a big rig. Number one? Diesel fuel. A single truck can suck down 20,500 gallons of fuel in a year, which can add up to over $70,000 depending on location. Driver pay falls second, with operators earning around $0.36 per mile. Maintenance, meanwhile, can cost around $15,000 annually.
____________________
The trucking industry would benefit from renewable sources of biodiesel.
“Tango Visual Timeline”
I first learned about the Tango around 2003 and have been a fan of it ever since.
It’s a car literally like nothing I’ve seen before but could appreciate it for it’s purpose of transporting 1 to 2 people within an urban setting.
It’s definitely an unusual sight and can only wonder if seeing the Tango for the first time was the same as how people felt the first time they saw a Model T.
Once they start mass-producing them, they expect the price to come down to a more reasonable range of $25k to $40k.
For me, to get back and forth to work, this would be an ideal car.
So, the research I’m sharing here was really more about how it would benefit me as much as anyone else who happened to like this car.
Although, I’d most likely get a Blu3 one.
“Smart unveiling Brabus-edition Fortwo EV, e-bike in Geneva”
Daimler’s Smart minicar division will unveil both a battery-electric version of the Smart Brabus special-edition line and a Smart Brabus electric bike at the Geneva Motor Show this year.
The Smart Brabus electric drive Fortwo will be available in 12 countries by the end of the year. Parent company Daimler notes the model will include touches such as 17-inch alloy wheels, an “electric green” interior. The diminutive runabout will deliver about 80 horsepower, though the German automaker hasn’t specified a single-charge range.
Meanwhile, Smart’s Brabus ebike will have an electric motor that will deliver 500 watts of power, enough for a top speed of 25 miles per hour. It will also be available at Smart dealers by the end of the year.
