The Tour de Sol Reports, 2005
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The Tour de Sol Reports, 2005
Photos
See the main page of Tour de Sol 2005 Photos at http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos.html
Table of Contents
Report #1: The Tour de Sol Reports Ride Again!Report #2: The 17th Annual Tour de Sol in Saratoga and Albany, NY
Report #3: 100 Miles per Gallon Challenge
Report #4: Sneak Preview: 18 Teams Compete in the TdS Championship; Maybe More!
Report #5: Competition Entrants
Report #6: E-Bike & NEV Competition at the 2005 Tour de Sol (Entrants)
Report #7: Team Profiles and Vehicle Specifications
Report #8: Team Profile: Western Washington University: Viking 23 and Viking 32
Report #9: Photos - Western Washington University's entrants: Viking 23 and Viking 32
Report #10: Team Profile: Bassi Scientific
Report #11: Photos - Bassi Scientific Entries in the E-Bike and NEV Category
Report #12: Team Profile: S&S Autosport Toyota Prius
Report #13: Photos - S&S AutoSport's entrant: S&S AutoSport Prius
Report #14: Monte Carlo Rally Entrant: Kyoto Camel
Report #15: Photos - Monte Carlo Rally entrant: Kyoto Camel
Report #16: Team Profile: Self Portraits from Western Washington University
Report #17: Team Profile: Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute
Report #18: Photos - ITAQ Smart Biodiesel
Report #19: Photos - Short Descriptions of the 2005 Tour de Sol Championship Entrants
Report #20: Tour de Sol Events Open to the Public
Report #21: 2005 Tour de Sol Offers Solutions to Energy Crisis
Report #22: Tour de Sol Events at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show
Report #23: 2 Dollars Off Coupon from the Tour de Sol
Report #24: Tour de Sol Events at Empire State Plaza
Report #25: Governor Pataki to speak at the Tour de Sol in Albany
Report #26: WICN Interview with Jim Dunn, Craig Van Batenburg and Gilles Labelle
Report #27: Press Release about Western Washington University's entries
Report #28: Plug-In Hybrid Car Runs in Tour de Sol Monte Carlo Rally and 100 MPG Challenge
Report #29: Team Profile: Methacton High School, "The Lorax"
Report #30: The Reports Reporter Goes to the Tour de Sol to Report
Report #31: Western Washington University Team Members, Michael Seal
Report #32: Team Profile: rEVolutionride.org
Report #33: Team Profile: Carl Vogel
Report #34: Team Profile: Hybrid Attack
Report #35: Interview: Craig Van Batenburg
Report #36: Photos - West Philadelphia High School, "Hybrid Attack"
Report #37: Monday Press Release - Replaced with Report #39
Report #38: Governor Pataki's Tour de Sol Press Release
Report #39: Monday Press Release - Modified Hybrid Vehicle Nears 100 MPG Barrier
Report #40: The Tour de Sol Reports Continue
Report #41: Press Release - Revised TdS Monte Carlo Rally Results
Report #42: TdS Stories at the Boston Globe's Web Site.
Report #43: Team Profile: Bio SMART
Report #44: Photos - Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ), Bio SMART
Report #45: The Green Hornet
Report #46: Photos - The Green Hornet
Report #47: Team Profile: The Lorax
Report #48: Photos - The Lorax
Report #49: Tour de Sol Championship Team Rankings and Awards
Report #50: Final Press Release for the Monte Carlo-Style Rally
Report #51: Tour de Sol Detailed Scoring
Report #52: Team Profile: The Olympian
Report #53: Photos - The Olympian
Report #54: Team Profile: Woodstock
Report #55: Photos - Woodstock
Report #56: Monte Carlo Rally: Just for Fun
Report #57: Photos - Mercedes Benz diesel runs on vegetable oil
Report #58: Press Release: Tour de Sol Victory Saves School's Automotive Academy
Report #59: Philadelphia Daily News Story: West Philly Win Spares Program
Report #60: Demonstration Vehicle: Honda FCX Fuel Cell Car
Report #61: Photos - Honda FCX Fuel Cell car
Report #62: Team Profile: Solar Black Bear
Report #63: Photos - Solar Black Bear
Report #64: Team Profile: Zodiac
Report #65: Photos - Zodiac
Report #66: Team Profile: Plug-in Prius
Report #67: Photos - Plug-in Prius
Report #68: Tour de Sol News Media Web Page
Report #69: Answer to the Pop Quiz
Report #70: Team Profile: Newburgh Free Academy Solar Racing Team
Report #71: Photos - Newburgh Free Academy Solar Racing Team
Report #72: Team Profile: Bassi Scientific
Report #73: Photos - Bassi Scientific
Report #74: Runabout Cycles
Report #75: Photos - Runabout Cycles
For Tour de Sol Reports from 1994 through 2004, see
Report #1: The Tour de Sol Reports Ride Again!
Daylight Savings Time is about to start and that means the Tour de Sol Reports recommence, this time for the 11th year.
The Tour itself is celebrating it's 17th birthday with a multi-faceted event in Saratoga and Albany New York, May 13th through the 16th.
As before, I will talk with the teams and report what I find here. I hope you will enjoy the ride.
Report #2: The 17th Annual Tour de Sol in Saratoga and Albany, NY
17th Annual Tour de Sol to be held May 13-16, 2005 in Saratoga and Albany, NY Featuring New Events, Competitions, and Activities Leading the Way to a Sustainable Energy and Transportation Future
A Green "Car Show" and More
The May 13-16, 2005 event will feature the Tour de Sol Championship and several new and exciting activities, including a green "car show" at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show; a Monte Carlo-style rally for hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle owners; a "VIP Press" day; and a demo-drive. In addition, a 50-vehicle display and Award Ceremony at New York State's Empire State Plaza in Albany will offer superb opportunities to test-drive 3 All-NEW Hybrid SUVs, and to meet with the press and key government and industry representatives.
Events and Activities for the General Public
(Go to www.TourDeSol.org to link to the >> items.)
Friday, May 13:
Press-Only event
The press is invited to an exclusive pre-show event that offers ride
and drives in the NEW over 35-mpg Sport Utility Vehicles from Ford,
Toyota and Lexus, a preview of the Tour de Sol Championship
participant vehicles, and much more.
Saturday May 14:
>> The Tour de Sol at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show >> Monte Carlo-style performance rally
Monday May 16:
>> A culminating event at Albany, NY's Empire State Plaza
Fun, Competitive Events for students, HEV owners, e-bike owners and more!
>> Tour de Sol Championship May 13-16: Students, individuals and corporations are invited to enter the Tour de Sol Championship and showcase their efforts to design vehicles that approach zero carbon emissions and use renewable fuels.
>> E-bike Rally and Competition May 14-16: We invite electric bike owners and e-bike manufacturers to show off their vehicles, offer test-drives, and enter a competitive event.
Additional important links:
>> How to enter the Tour de Sol Championship
>> To learn more about green vehicles, please go to our Green Car Club for a listing of green cars to buy, fun ways of getting around, green car news, discussion groups, and more!
>> Photo essay of last year's Tour de Sol
>> 2004 Sponsors
>> Volunteer Opportunities: Each year, over one hundred people get involved in technical testing, marketing, event set-up and more.
>> Follow this link for a glimpse behind the scenes.
>> Exhibitor Opportunities
>> Field Trip Opportunities coming soon. Sign up to take a field trip to the Tour de Sol.
Report #3: 100 Miles per Gallon Challenge
Press Release:
Contact:
Nancy Hazard [nhazard@nesea.org] 413-774-6051 x18
Craig Van Battenburg [craig@auto-careers.org] 508-753-2431
100 mpg Challenge
National Monte Carlo-Style Rally
May 13-14, 2005
Greenfield, MA. - Mar 25, 2005 -
$10,000 in awards will be given to the most fuel efficient vehicles in the National Monte Carlo-style Rally this May. The prizes will be given to production hybrid or bio-diesel vehicles that travel a minimum of 150 miles, at an average of over 55 mpg. A $5,000 prize will be given to most fuel-efficient vehicle that breaks the 100-mpg barrier. Vehicles can start at any of 15 locations across US and Canada, and must arrive in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. by noon on May 14, 2005.
"The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association has created this all-new Monte Carlo-style Rally for people with advanced vehicles that reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions" says Nancy Hazard, executive director of NESEA, organizer of the 2005 Tour de Sol. www.NESEA.org. "Scores of advanced vehicles will converge at the Tour de Sol finish line at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show, to celebrate how we can reduce our need for foreign oil today."
"Gas prices, along with our dependence on foreign source oil, are on the rise," said Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, Chairman of the House Science Committee. "Reducing our nation's dependence on foreign oil and promoting the use of alternative energies will continue to remain top priorities. New York State is a leader in renewable energy programs and is setting the pace for the rest of the nation. Events like this are vital to demonstrate the exceptional technology produced by U.S. engineers, to develop new solutions to solve our nation's energy crisis."
Self paced Monte Carlo-style Hybrid Rally -
Entrants will travel to Saratoga Springs, NY at their own pace, starting at any of 15 pre-selected starting sites across the US and Canada. Many entrants have already registered from as far as Washington State, 2500 miles away.
There will be 9 categories of vehicles, with a minimum rally distance of 150 miles. The Rally finish ceremony and award presentation will be part of Saratoga's Spring Auto Show on Sat. May 14 at the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, NY, at 3 PM. www.TourDeSol.org
TEST of NEW 30 mpg HYBRID SUV's -
A special challenge has been thrown out to FORD, Toyota and Lexus to see which of the new Sport Utility Hybrids will get the best mileage with their new SUV's. This is the first event that will demonstrate the efficiency of the 3 NEW Sport Utility Hybrids, which the public will also get to see in Saratoga, at the finish line.
Self paced Monte Carlo-style Rally -
Monte Carlo-style Rally participants are invited to join at one of our numerous starting sites around the US and Canada. After they have topped off and their fuel tank sealed, they will drive to the finish line at Stewarts' Shops in Saratoga Springs, NY. There, they will a free fill up with gasoline or bio- diesel, compliments of Stewarts' and Environmental Alternatives - and we will measure the fuel used. There are nine vehicle categories, and the minimum rally distance of 150 miles.
After filling up, Rally participants will join the Tour de Sol, the clean energy and transportation festival and competition, on Saturday, May 14 at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show. $10,000 in awards will be presented at 3 PM. The Automotive Career Development Center is taking the lead in organizing the rally.
Tour de Sol -
From the drawing board...to the show room...to the customer's garage
"The Monte Carlo-style Rally is a perfect addition to the Tour de Sol," says Nancy Hazard of NESEA. "While the Tour de Sol pushes the envelope so that we can all have cost competitive, zero carbon, non-toxic, domestically-produced energy and transportation, the Rally demonstrates what everyone can do today to help reach that goal."
Now in its 17th year, the Tour de Sol challenges auto companies, students, entrepreneurs, fuel suppliers, and government to work together, and design, build, and market vehicles that can meet our transportation needs without compromising our future. From May 13-16, 2005, the general public is invited to see what Yankee ingenuity has created. In addition to talking with advanced vehicle owners participating in the Monte Carlo-style Rally, and students who have built vehicles to compete in the Tour de Sol Championship, attendees will have an opportunity to see three new hybrid SUV's, Honda and Toyota's hybrid sedans, electric bikes and scooters, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. After participating in Saratoga's Spring Auto Show, which is organized by the Saratoga Auto Museum. On Monday, May 16, the Tour de Sol will parade to Albany for a free display on Albany's Empire State Plaza.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the Center for Technology Commercialization are Premier sponsors of the Tour de Sol and Monte Carlo-style Rally. Supporting Sponsors include the New York Power Authority, the U.S. Department of Energy, Toyota, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Honda, and the Federal Highway Administration.
The Tour de Sol is organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), the nation's leading regional education and advocacy association that aims to accelerate the deployment and use of renewable energy, and energy efficiency. NESEA produces major sustainable energy events that inspire and motivate large numbers of people to get involved and make a difference.
For more information on the Tour de Sol and Monte Carlo-style Rally registration, go to
www.TourdeSol.org
or call 413-774-6051.
Monte Carlo Vehicle Categories
1- Toyota Prius Classic ('01-'03)
2- Toyota Prius ('04-'05)
3- Honda Insight
4- Honda Civic Hybrid
5- Honda Accord Hybrid
6- Hybrid SUV - Ford Hybrid Escape, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Lexus 400 Hybrid
7- Custom Built hybrids (modified or built from scratch)
8- Modified Factory Hybrids, including plug-in factory hybrids
9- Bio-diesel, and Clean diesel vehicles
Report #4: Sneak Preview: 18 Teams Compete in the TdS Championship; Maybe More!
It ain't official until NESEA says so, but I've seen a preliminary list of entrants to the 2006 Tour de Sol Championship. Here's what I saw:
Production Category 2 entries 1 returning commercial hybrid team 1 new experimental bio-diesel team
Battery Electric Vehicles Category 8 entries 1 new team 5 returning teams running on lead acid batteries 2 returning teams running advanced batteries 1 lithium ion 1 nickel metal hydride
Maybe 2 additional teams
Hybrid-Electric Vehicles and Alternate Fuel Vehicles Category 3 returning teams 2 bio-diesel hybrids 1 with lead acid batteries 1 with nickel cadmium batteries 1 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) with nickel metal hybrid batteries Maybe 1 additional team
Solar Category 3 returning teams
E-Bikes, Scooters and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles 2 entrants Maybe 2 additional teams
That adds up to 18 teams, plus 5 maybes. I expect the official announcement of entrants and prizes will be in about a week or so. That press release will be posted here.
To my mind, the variety of entrants is one of the best features of the Tour de Sol. It is the place, in the northeast, to see the real-world electric, hybrid-electric and advanced fuel transportation technology on the hoof (he said, mixing his metaphors). And the the people in the teams are anxious to explain just what they did, and why, and how. So make your plans now and come see the Tour de Sol. Details are at the website
http://www.TourDeSol.org
Report #5: Competition Entrants
The demonstration vehicles and entrants to the Sustainable Energy and Transportation Festival and Competition of the 2005 Tour de Sol have been announced. (See the E-Bike and Neighborhood EVs in the next TdS Report.)
The vehicles are entered in Categories, and Divisions within each Category.
Abbreviations: B20 Biodiesel 20 (20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel) B100 Biodiesel 100 (100% biodiesel) CNG Compressed Natural Gas HEV Hybrid Electric Vehicle HS High School ICE Internal Combustion Engine LiIon Lithium Ion NMH Nickel Metal Hydride PbA Lead Acid, RFG Reformulated Gasoline Veh# Vehicle Number
CATEGORY: HYBRID & ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
Veh# Participant-Team Name
Year/Make/Model Propulsion System & Fuel
Vehicle Name State
PRODUCTION DIVISION: light duty vehicles
Demo American Honda Motor Company
2004 Honda Civic Hybrid HEV: Gasoline + Battery
2004 Civic Hybrid California
Demo American Honda Motor Company
2003 Insight HEV: Gasoline + Battery
2003 Insight California
Demo American Honda Motor Company
2005 Hybrid Accord HEV: Gasoline + Battery
2005 Hybrid Accord California
Demo American Honda Motor Company
2004 Civic GX ICE: Natural Gas (CNG)
2004 Civic GX California
Demo American Honda Motor Company
FCX Hydrogen Fuel Cell
FCX California
10 ITAQ (Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute)
2005 SMART ICE: Biodiesel (B20)
Bio SMART Quebec, Canada
70 S&S AutoSport
2001 Toyota Prius HEV: Gasoline (RFG) + Panasonic NMH
S&S AutoSport Prius Oklahoma
Demo Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
2005 Highlander HEV: Gasoline + Panasonic NMH
2005 Highlander California
Demo Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.
2005 Lexus RX 400h HEV: Gasoline + Panasonic NMH
2005 Lexus RX 400h California
12 Vogelbilt
2004 Ford F250 diesel pick-up ICE: Biodiesel (B100)
Vogelbilt Vehicle New York
INDEPENDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
36 Valence Technology, Inc
2004 Toyota Prius HEV: Gasoline + Valence LiIon
Saphion Texas
STUDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
2 West Philly EV Team (HS)
K1-Attack kit car conversion HEV: Biodiesel + battery PbA
Hybrid Attack Pennsylvania
32 Western Washington U. Hybrid Club
Purpose-built HEV: Bio-methane (CNG) + Panasonic NMH
Viking 32 Washington
23 Western Washington U. Hybrid Club
Purpose-built HEV: Biodiesel + SAFT NMH
Viking 23 Washington
CATEGORY: BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Veh# Participant-Team Name
Year/Make/Model Propulsion System
Vehicle Name State
INDEPENDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
19 Electrovaya
2002 Tracker conversion Electric (Battery: Electrovaya LiIon)
Maya-100 Ontario, Canada
STUDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
16 Burlington County Electechs
Burlington County Electechs Electric (Battery: GNB PbA)
The Olympian New Jersey
45 Methacton Electric Car Club
1999 "Lomax" kit car conversion
Electric (Battery: Eagle Picher PbA)
The Lorax Pennsylvania
56 St. Mark's Electric Vehicle Club
1994 Ford Ranger conversion Electric (Battery: Trojan PbA)
Woodstock Massachusetts
50 Tandem Friends School
2005 Purpose-built Electric (Battery: Optima PbA)
Sola Rola Virginia
66 U. Maine Solar Vehicle Team
Purpose-built Electric (Solar+Battery: Trojan PbA)
Phantom Sol Maine
53 www.revolutionride.org (N. Haven HS)
1986 VW Vanagon conversion Electric (Battery: PbA)
Revolution Ride Maine
CATEGORY: SOLAR-ASSISTED ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Veh# Participant-Team Name
Year/Make/Model Propulsion System
Vehicle Name State
STUDENT DIVISION: One-person light-duty vehicles
92 Cato-Meridian HS Technology Team
1992 Purpose-built Electric (Solar + Battery: Ovonic NMH)
Sunpacer New York
7 IHS Solar Car Team (W. Irondequoit HS)
1999 Purpose-built Electric (Solar + Battery: Trojan PbA)
Zodiac New York
STUDENT DIVISION: Two-person light-duty vehicles
20 U. Maine Solar Vehicle Team
1986 Chevy S-10 conversion Electric (Solar + Battery: Trojan PbA)
Solar Black Bear Maine
Report #6: E-Bike & NEV Competition at the 2005 Tour de Sol (Entrants)
The Sustainable Energy and Transportation Festival and Competition has a separate sub-competition for the short-range vehicles like Electric Bikes (E-Bikes) and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs). Here is the list of entrants. (See the full-sized vehicle entrants in the previous Report.)
E-Bike & NEV Competition at the 2005 Tour de Sol
Veh# Participant-Team Name
Year/Make/Model Propulsion System & Fuel
Vehicle Name State
INDEPENDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
33 Bassi Scientific Purpose-built E-Bike Lead Acid Batteries E-Bike Connecticut
34 Bassi Scientific Purpose-built E-Bike Lead Acid Batteries E-Racer Connecticut
35 Bassi Scientific NEV Lead Acid Batteries Low Speed NEV Connecticut
55 Partnerships Purpose-built E-Bike Lithium Ion Batteries E-bike New Jersey
300 Run About Cycles Purpose-built, 3-wheeled Electric (Battery: Valence LiIon) The RunAbout #1 Massachusetts
STUDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
24 Newburgh Free Academy Team Purpose-built E-Bike Lead Acid Batteries (to be announced) #1 New York
25 Newburgh Free Academy Team Purpose-built E-Bike Lead Acid Batteries (to be announced) #2 New York
Report #7: Team Profiles and Vehicle Specifications
If you look back over the Tour de Sol Reports from years past, the pattern was to have a Team Profile that combined the human stories with the mechanical and electrical details of the vehicle that team entered. But I'm going to depart from that model this year.
Instead, I've asked the teams to send me the technical information and some of their story in advance so more of the time spent on the interviews can be about the more unusual aspects of their history and entry.
First to respond was Western Washington University, which is entering Viking 23 and Viking 32. We'll start with those Reports.
Report #8: Team Profile: Western Washington University: Viking 23 and Viking 32
(This report was provided by the Viking teams.)
Western Washington University's Vehicle Research Institute has been designing and building award winning prototype vehicles since 1972. Over 36 vehicles have been completed. For their entry in the 2005 Tour de Sol a group of students formed the Vehicle Research Hybrid Club. They made a formal presentation the WWU's associated student association to receive recognized club status and be eligible to apply for funding. They put together a great power point proposal and were awarded $1,600 to update and improve Viking 23 and Viking 32. Both these cars had previously completed in the TdS. Although this club originally had 25 active members in November it currently has only 7 students who are working on the vehicles and plan to attend the TdS. The team captain is Kate Stenson. The students on the team are all new to hybrid vehicles and this will be their first competition. Dr. Michael Seal, the retired past director of the VRI agreed to be their faculty advisor for the 2005 Tour de Sol.
With the help of a retired electrical engineer from Eaton Corporation Emily Morris has completely rewired the high energy battery system in Viking 23. The Saft NiCd batteries have been reconditioned and individually brought up to full charge.
At last year's TdS the bio-diesel Diahatsu engine overheated and seized. Ryan Cruse and Brian White took apart the engine and the head, which had a slight warp from the overheating, was sent out for grinding. As this engine is not available in the US, Ryan located new gaskets in England and Japan and had them shipped to Bellingham. The engine is together in Viking 23 and is running well.
Viking 32, which has a hydraulic suspension system which allows it to change its ride height, had problems at last years TdS and cracked its front body going over curbs and potholes. This resulted in a redesign of the suspension and the addition of a reservoir for additional hydraulic fluid. The interior of Viking 32 was redone with leather upholstery. The windows are unique as they are round with complicated mechanism that was not working properly last year and didn't seal against the car. Calvin Lin and Sean Aylward worked with Dr. Seal to refit and stiffen the windows to fit properly and should improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Another aerodynamic improvement was completed by Matt Willson who fitted belly pans to the underside of Viking 32.
VEHICLE RESEARCH INSTITUTE WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON 360 650 3045
http://vri.etec.wwu.edu
Viking 23: Specifications
Electric Drive to Front Wheels
UQM 47 HP (12 kW continuous 32 kW peak power brushless Dc motor utilizes Neodymium permanent magnets and water cooling for both motor and controller. System efficiency = 96%
- Regenerative braking controlled with a potentiometer at brake pedal and VRI designed torque control electronics.
- Two speed Subaru manual transaxle with Geo Metro drive axles and hubs, and double Gilmer belt drive to the motor.
Traction battery pack is 233.3 volts and 5.184 Watt hours from 144 Saft NiCad cells in series. Battery pack weight is 306 lbs. approximate cost $5,500.
Biodiesel Engine to the Rear Wheels
Diahatsu Charade 1 liter 3 cylinder 43 HP turbo-charged Biodiesel engine and 5-speed manual transaxle driving the rear axles which have air-cooled overrunning clutches to minimize system friction when operating in ZEV mode on electric front drive only.
Composite Monocoque 2 Seat Sports Coupe Body and Chassis
- Body is vacuum bagged carbon fiber reinforced polymer in a sandwich construction with closed cell PVC foam core.
- Chassis is bonded flat sandwich panels of carbon fiber reinforced polymer with Nomex honeycomb core.
Dimensions: Length = 157''; Width = 70''; Height = 44'' Weight of entire car = 1901 lbs. Windshield: Acura NSX Racing fuel tank capacity = 7.5 gal.
Suspension:
VRI designed and built 4 wheel independent suspension with ``long and short arm'' double wishbones and coil over shocks.
Tires and Wheels: - General XP 2000 II tires, size 205/50 R 15 on front and rear. - Custom 15'' x 5'' alloy wheels.
Brakes: - Yamaha motorcycle disc brakes front and rear, with VRI designed and built rotors. - Honda motorcycle disc emergency brake on front rotors.
Performance: - Estimated efficiency -- 50 mpg city 50 mpg highway - Top speed more than 100 mph
Viking 32: Specifications
Electric Drive to Front Wheels
- UQM 100 hp (50 kW continuous, 75 kW peak power) brushless DC motor utilizes Neodymium permanent magnet and water cooling for both motor and controller.
System efficiency = 96%
- Regenerative braking controlled with a potentiometer at brake pedal and VRI designed torque control electronics
- Two speed Volkswagen automatic shift transmission. Student built and programmed computer that controls the clutchless shifting.
- Traction battery is 330 volts, 4.7 kW hours from two 44 cell strings in parallel Battery pack weight 250 lbs. Approximate cost is $12,000.
CNG Engine to the rear Wheels
- 2002 Honda Civic 1.7 liter CNG engine producing 100 hp (75 kW) drives through a van Doorne system continuously variable transmission (CTV)
Composite 2 + 2 seat sports Body and Chassis
- Body is vacuum bagged carbon fiber reinforced polymer in a sandwich construction with closed cell PVC foam core. - Chassis is bonded flat sandwich panels of carbon fiber reinforced polymer with Nomex honeycomb core.
Dimensions: Length = 14' 5''; Width = 5' 6''; Height = 5'
Weight of entire car = 2,200 lbs.
Windshield: Acura NSX
CNG fuel tank capacity = 6.2 gal gas equiv.
Suspension:
- VRI designed and built semi-active height control suspension allows 8 inches of ground clearance in the high position and 5 inches in the highway mode.
Tires and Wheels
- Michelin 205/60 Radial - Forged aluminum 5 spoke wheels
Brakes:
- Honda disc and calipers on front. Honda disc and Ford SHO calipers on the rear to provide powerful handbrake.
Performance:
- Estimated efficiency -- 50 mpg city 50 mpg highway 0-60 in 5.5 sec
- Top speed more than 100 mph
Report #9: Photos - Western Washington University's entrants: Viking 23 and Viking 32
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_001.html
Western Washington University's entrants: Viking 23 and Viking 32
Viking 23 has appeared in the Tour de Sol many times since its first appearance in 1996. It has changed quite a bit in that time, but the basic body pan and front-wheel-electric-motor and rear-wheel-ICE-engine plan has been consistent.
Viking 32, without its racing decorations ...
and with them.
Report #10: Team Profile: Bassi Scientific
In the E-Bike & NEV Competition of the Tour de Sol, Bassi Scientific has 2 vehicles entered:
Number 33 An E-Bike Number 34 An E-Racer Number 35 A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV)
While Tony Basilicato hails from Georgia, the Team is based at Bradford High School in Connecticut. In 2002, Tony "B" joined the Technology Education Department to build several electric bikes, trikes, neighborhood and racing vehicles.
Tony, now 70 years old, sent his part of the story:
"This whole Bassi Scientific thing was created in '74 (in my mind) while I was waiting to get $1.00 worth of gas for my Thunderbird - on my way to work some 40 miles away from my home where I occupied the position as National Service Manager of the Edwards Company. My thoughts - How can I help America? It was a bad situation but little did I know the need for foreign oil would raise such bleak interjections.
: :
"What came out of my work was 2 different approached to driving vehicles electrically with cordless supplies. I named them - "The Resonant Factor" & "The Impedance Factor".
:
"I have just two prototypes existing - One of each theory. The electric bike incorporates 'The Resonant Factor'. Briefly, a 1/3 hp motor drive - 15 mph - theoretical 75 miles/charge. My son will attempt to run it for 3 hours during the Tour competition w/o pedal assist. The design is some 30 years old - the bike approx. 27. It weighs in under 70#'s and has been equipped with a 4 oz 2hr charger - in the past. It will not be so equipped for the Tour. Main feature. Motor stays cool.
"The Trike is fashioned in 'The Impedance Factor' fashion - It has torque and not quickness. It is driven by a 1/4 hp motor to a speed of about 12 mph. It weighs in about 150#'s and is driven for 1 hour by one 80 ampere-hour battery - Termed industrial EV - it has many times pulled a car. Again - Important aspect - the motor run KOOL - Termed the 'KOOL DUV". To save controversy, I will not resort to factoring the various theories of operation. This EV will be for display only. It has some 30,000 miles on it over the last 30 years.
"The other 2 EV's are basically teaching machines. Both are driven by 1 hp motors. The E-Racer can reach speeds (with my wife @ the wheel) approaching 35 mph. Average speed over a course - somewhere about 25 mph. It will run that speed with a supply of about 64 lbs of batteries ( 2-18 ampere hr. & 4-14 ah in series/parallel). This is more convention with a few trick I have incorporated. It is about as efficient as a conventional EV can be and students must strive to complete and compete. The E-Racer placed 2nd in an efficiency contest in '03 driven by middle school kids that had never driven before and where pitted against seasoned seniors.
"The last vehicle is a slo-speed NEV. It is ideal for teaching students what makes up an EV. It is some what efficient. It has the same components as the E-Racer, but is more of a practical machine. It is still being tested but the result appears that this NEV powered by 4 - 18 ah batteries can maintain a constant speed of 12 mph for an hour or 12 miles. It was designed as to encompass all terrain with only tire changes. I will be driving this vehicle."
:
Tony E Basilicato
Bassi Scientific - Non-Profit/Educational
1253 Alden Drive
Augusta, GA 30906-8755
706-793-8761
bassisifi@aol.com
Report #11: Photos - Bassi Scientific Entries in the E-Bike and NEV Category
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_002.html
Bassi Scientific Entries in the E-Bike and NEV Category
Photos provided by Tony Basilicato.
Several of Tony Basilicato's EVs
A photo from the April 17, 2003, edition of "The Sound" newspaper, Bradford Connecticut.
Photos provided by Tony Basilicato.
Report #12: Team Profile: S&S Autosport Toyota Prius
For over a decade now, part of the message of the Tour de Sol has been that sustainable transportation is practical transportation. Another part of the message is that we are not limited by what we have now. Bob Strattan has been wearing two hats at the Tour for some time now. One reads "See What is Practical Now" and the other reads "Look At What is Coming!" He provided most of this Report.
S&S Autosport Toyota Prius, #70 S&S Autosport, Tulsa, OK
This is the fifth Tour de Sol for Bob Strattan's S&S AutoSport model year 2001 Toyota Prius. It has competed each year since it was the first Prius HEV delivered in Tulsa, OK. It is the defending champion of the Light-duty HEV Production Class. The car has 60,000 trouble free miles and a lifetime average of 45 MPG.
Dr. Strattan is a faculty advisor to the University of Tulsa's Hurricane Motor Works HEV project which has entered prototype HEVs in the 7 previous Tour de Sols.
Bob Strattan has been coming to the Tour as an advisor to the University of Tulsa's teams since 1998 and as a competitor in his own right since 2001.
This year his Prius also is participating in the Green Car Monte Carlo-style Rally as well as the Tour de Sol Championship event. Bob and Vada Strattan are rallying into Saratoga Springs from their home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The 2001 model year Toyota Prius was the first customer delivered Prius in Tulsa, arriving in October 2000. It has been Bob's daily driver ever since, and is rolling up 60,000 trouble free miles. This is its 5th trip from Oklahoma to the Tour de Sol. The lifetime fuel economy average has been about 45 miles per gallon. Careful driving at below interstate speed limits can result in values over 55 miles per gallon. The mileage is better in city driving than on the highway, but goes down in the summer when using the air conditioner, and in the winter due to longer warm-up periods. The highest mileages are usually observed in the spring and fall. This Prius holds the light duty production HEV (4-6 passenger) Tour de Sol records of 53 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) fuel economy and 207 grams of CO2 greenhouse gas emission.
Bob enjoys opportunities to give presentations about hybrid vehicle technology and sustainable fuel issues to civic and professional groups. One of the joys of driving an unconventional vehicle is the getting to talk about it and explain the concept to the public. The public displays are one of features of the Tour de Sol than keeps him returning.
Team Name S & S AutoSport Vehicle Name Toyota Prius Vehicle Number 70 Registered as Car In State Oklahoma Empty weight 2765 Length 14 feet 2 inches Width 5 feet 7 inches Height 4 feet 10 inches Frame material steel Body material steel No. of people 5
Energy Storage System Manufacturer Toyota Chemistry NiMH No. of cells 228 Connection series Capacity 1768 Watt-hours System Voltage 272 Weight 90 pounds
Electric Drive System Manufacturer Toyota Motor type brushless DC Motor rating 33 kiloWatts peak
Electric Control System Manufacturer Toyota Type multiple embedded microcontrollers Fueled Drive System Manufacturer Toyota Displacement 1.5 liters Hybrid Geometry parallel power-split Fuel reformulated gasoline Tank Capacity 11.9 gallons Fuel Efficiency 52 city / 45 highway / 48 combined miles per gallon Emissions test? no
Tires Number 4 Manufacturer Bridgestone Model P175/65, R 14 Type radial
Brakes Front disc Rear drum Regenerative yes
Accompanying the engineering students from the University of Tulsa is what brought Bob to his first Tour de Sol in 1998. The Hurricane Motor Works student teams designed and scratch-built a fiberglass chassis series-hybrid for the HEV Challenge university design competitions held from 1993 through 1995. When they were not selected to continue into the FutureCar and Future Truck competitions, the school decided to continue to develop HEVs and use the Tour de Sol to benchmark their progress.
Initially, the students converted a Geo Metro hatchback into a test mule to develop a parallel hybrid powertrain. This HEV, the ParaDyne, won the prototype HEV category in 1999 using gasoline and in 2002 using E85 fuel. The ParaDyne set the HEV range record of 493 miles and fuel economy record of 47.6 MPGe in 1999 and the won the best ethanol vehicle prize in the 2002 tour de Sol.
The students then designed a built the light weight and aerodynamic carbon fiber and fiberglass prototype HEV Proxima that competed in the 2003 and 2004 Tour de Sol events. This vehicle is still a work in progress, but has taken a back burner to the Challenge X project now underway at the Hurricane Motor Works.
The University of Tulsa is one of 17 universities accepted into the "Challenge X" competition sponsored by the Department of Energy and General Motors, along with many other companies. "Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility" is a 3 year competition where the engineering students use the industrial standard vehicle development process to demonstrate improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions while maintaining performance and drivability. The target vehicle is the Chevrolet Equinox. After completing a year of simulations, analyses and design trade studies, the students will be presenting their results in Detroit in early June 2005. They will receive an Equinox crossover SUV to take apart and put back together in a hybrid-electric configuration for test demonstrations at GM proving grounds in 2006 and 7. Hopefully the product of this endeavor will appear at the Tour de Sol in the future.
These HEV design and competition projects provide excellent hands-on learning experiences for the students and are a good recruiting tool for the school. Many incoming students cite the opportunity to participate in these programs as an important factor for their school selection.
Report #13: Photos - S&S AutoSport's entrant: S&S AutoSport Prius
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_003.html
S&S AutoSport's entrant: S&S AutoSport Prius
Photos provided by Bob Strattan.
Starting out under the Blue Planet Earth Flag.
On display at the Trenton NJ State Museum plaza in 2002.
Displaying the trophies won in 2002.
Photos provided by Bob Strattan.
Report #14: Monte Carlo Rally Entrant: Kyoto Camel
The Monte Carlo style Rally is new to the Tour de Sol this year. It gives folks who are enthusiastic about the Tour another way in which to participate. Now those owning commercial vehicles that make deliberate efforts to be gentler on the environment have another fun way to demonstrate their commitment to the Tour's sustainable transportation message.
Jonathan Bartlett entered the tour in 2003 with his "Kyoto Codex", which was a TDI Diesel sedan. His tee shirt had "TDI Fährfrumpumpen" printed on the back.
He will be driving in to Saratoga Springs from Massachusetts and sent along this report.
Private entry affiliated with: TDIClub.com. Current (this week's) vehicle nickname: Kyoto Camel Manufacturer, year and model: 1996 Volkswagen Passat TDI wagon Power plant: standard VW 1.9 liter turbocharged, direct injected diesel engine Fuel choice: B-100 biodiesel. Operates on petroleum diesel, biodiesel or any blend. Fuel tank capacity: 18.5 gallons Fuel efficiency: annual average of 49 mpg, lower in city, higher on highway Emissions compliance: conforms to bi-annual light duty diesel emissions test in MA Tires: Michelin 185-65-14. Wheels: stock steel. Brakes: Vacuum assisted disc front and rear, ventilated in front. No regenerative braking. Vehicle weight: curb: 3278 lb., gross: 4012 lb., towing capacity with brakes: 2000 lb. Body and frame material: steel Passenger capacity: 5 Registered as: private passenger vehicle in MA Owner: Jonathan Bartlett Team: Jonathan Bartlett and David Glynn
This new-to-me TDI wagon replaces the previous 1996 VW Passat TDI sedan I used in the 2003 Tour de Sol. This is my third 1996 Passat TDI, but my first wagon. I had wanted the wagon body style Passat TDI since 1997, but chose to drive sedans while I searched for the scarce few wagons without a sunroof. I bought this wagon on-line from New Jersey last May when it had just over 150,000 miles on it. I expected it to have over 178,000 by the time of the event. The previous sedan had 250,000+ miles on it during the 2003 tour. I sold it last June with 300,000 miles.
I have chosen to compete in this year's shorter two day Monte Carlo style Rally that NESEA is running in conjunction with the full Tour de Sol. The shorter duration rally fits my work schedule much better than a full four (or more) day TdS event.
I began using biodiesel shortly after competing in the ``130 mph club'' event with the previous TDI sedan at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2001. I was slightly embarrassed by missing the 130 mark needed for membership, but much more so by the black petroleum diesel soot trail my tailpipe blasted into the formerly white salt.
I happened to pick up a copy of the Kansas City paper on my trip back home. There was an article in it about a guy in western MA making biodiesel. I called him, made an appointment to meet, and made my first biodiesel purchase before getting home.
I now have over 175,000 miles of biodiesel use between that sedan and my present wagon, mostly at 100 percent (B-100). I am resigned to blending in petroleum diesel during the sub-freezing temperatures of the New England winters. Even with that wintertime petroleum usage my annualized fuel use is 90% renewable biodiesel and 10% non-renewable petroleum based diesel. If the temperature is above freezing, I'm running B100.
Oh, and I also run biodiesel in my garden tractor, a 1988 Bolens with a 750 cc Mitsubishi three cylinder diesel engine.
Report #15: Photos - Monte Carlo Rally entrant: Kyoto Camel
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_004.html
Monte Carlo Rally entrant: Kyoto Camel
Sometimes you want exactly what you want. This in Jonathan Bartlett's third 1996 TDI Volkswagen Passat, but finally he found the wagon-without-sunroof he wanted.
Photo provided by Jonathan Bartlett.
``Kyoto Camel'': a stock 1996 VW Passat TDI wagon operated on B-100 biodiesel.
Photo provided by Jonathan Bartlett.
Report #16: Team Profile: Self Portraits from Western Washington University
Why do people enter the Tour de Sol? If I ask a dozen entrants and I usually get fifteen answers.
Members of Western Washington University's Hybrid Club and Team Members submitted these self-portraits. Their two entries are:
Viking 32 -- CNG Electric Hybrid
Viking 23 -- Bio-diesel Electric Hybrid
"I have learned a great deal of the problem this country is facing now and will soon be facing without the availability of fossil fuels. I am extremely excited to be able to get involved in a program that could soon help solve this problem or at least slow it down with the hybrid concept now moving stronger than ever. I feel very grateful to have such an opportunity to get involved with such a remarkable program that is the Tour de Sol."
Sean Aylward, VRI Hybrid Club, WWU
"I have been a part of the VRI for almost three years now and I see my going to the Tour de Sol as the result of my hard work. I've only been apart of the Hybrid team for a quarter, but I really feel like an important component of the team. The thing I hope to accomplish in the Tour de Sol is to help the team and make sure that our cars perform well and succeed. I have no idea what to expect at this event because I have never done anything like it, but I am looking forward to a great experience and great challenge."
Emily Morris
"To be a part of something big is hard to come by now days, but being a part of the team that is saving the earth is definitely worth investing some time into. As a kid growing up mesmerized by cars, I had to take advantage of the great opportunity that was right in front of me. Not only do I get to develop my skills as a designer and builder, I also get to protect our environment by reducing pollution and saving energy. Change in society doesn't happen overnight and to me hybrids are a bridge between the current internal combustion cars and the clean energy cars of the future. I hope that in the future I can look back on these days and say `I was on the forefront of the hybrid revolution.'"
Calvin Liu
"When I joined the VRI I never thought I would soon be traveling to New York to be in a national green energy competition. I chose to work on the hybrid team because I know that is where the market will be in the future and what better time to get started in it now and learn the technology? It is really amazing that although we are not a sports team traveling to compete against other schools that we still have a similar opportunity. There are other schools involved in the competition whom we can learn from, and we are all taking steps to making a worldwide impact; that is what this is all about. A positive experience for everyone."
Kate Stenson
"I am involved with the hybrid club because I have been a car dork all my life, but at the same time I realize how major an impact automobiles have on the environment. As an avid outdoors lover I feel compelled to combine my two passions and work for the greater good of both the automotive industry and our natural surroundings. I really enjoy being able to apply my engineering skills in a socially responsible way. I am really excited to meet kindred souls and see all of the other projects that are being produced throughout the industry."
Ryan Cruse
Report #17: Team Profile: Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute
The last time the Tour de Sol had an entrant from Quebec was in 1994, when the University of Quebec Design Department brought a very unusual entrant.
This year Quebec's Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ) has an entry which is unusual in the United States, but finding acceptance in Europe and now Canada, that shows the provincial and Canadian commitment to the same mission as the Tour de Sol.
Director of Research and Development Hugo Marsolais has provided information:
"Our Institute (ITAQ) is a new one. Basically our mandate is to promote the emergence in Quebec of an advanced transportation center of excellence by helping local industries with Research and Design (R&D) services, technology transfer and training. We also work to inform on the general public through special events on the theme of sustainable transportation.
"Good achievements so far:
- A 6 M$ advanced transportation lab, unique in Canada. It provides appropriate R&D tools to Quebec and Canadian researchers.
- We were the spark plug for the creation of an EV company in the Laurentians.
http://www.nev-nemo.com
- Partnership with the ITS (Institute of Transportation Studies) of the University of California - Davis
- Representation to the Quebec government to promote biodiesel: the result (announced in last week's budget) is a 100% tax return for public transportation fleets (buses).
- We will also manage all the R&D aspect of a new EVs : the next generation of the ZENN of Feel Good Cars.
http://www.FeelGoodCars.com
- Technology transfer of the CHEC-HFI (Canadian Hydrogen Energy Company - Hydrogen Fuel Injection) products in Quebec and training of certified installation centers - Hydrogen injection for heavy-duty truck and buses.
http://www.globaltech.ca
"We start this year with the Tour de Sol in a `humble' manner, with only one car. But what a car! A Smart Fortwo Cabriolet that will run on biodiesel made from recycled vegetable oil and animal fat. This is production car that has no modifications.
http://www.Smart.com
http://www.Rothsay.ca/montreal.html
"We hope next year to come with more advanced vehicles, which some would be custom built by our students and teachers."
Truly yours,
Hugo Marsolais, ing.
Directeur R&D
Institut du transport avance du Quebec
http://www.cstj.qc.ca/itaq
I'm not sure being a "spark plug for the creation of an EV company" is the correct metaphor, but we know what you mean Hugo.
Their car, the 2005 SMART Biodiesel runs on B20 (20% biodiesel), and will be driving to the Tour from Quebec as part of the Monte Carlo rally.
Report #18: Photos - ITAQ Smart Biodiesel
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_005.html
ITAQ Smart Biodiesel
Photo provided by Hugo Marsolais.
Hugo Marsolais will be driving this car in both the Monte Carlo Rally and the Tour de Sol Championship. The smart (the first letter of the name is not capitalized) has a lot of options, and is sold by Mercedes-Benz Canada.
Report #19: Photos - Short Descriptions of the 2005 Tour de Sol Championship Entrants
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_006.html
Short Descriptions of the 2005 Tour de Sol Championship Entrants
Entrants in the Sustainable Energy and Transportation Festival and Competition
CATEGORY: HYBRID & ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
Production Division: Light Duty Vehicles
Vehicle Name: 2004 Civic GX Team Name: American Honda Motor Company Demonstration Vehicle: 2004 Honda Civic GX ICE: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
American Honda is pleased to continue offering the Natural Gas fueled Civic GX; named "Cleanest Production Vehicle on Earth" for the 3rd consecutive year by the ACEEE. The Civic GX offers a 20-30% fuel savings, using domestically produced CNG, with a range of 210-240 miles per fillup. Honda continues to support CNG as the "Pathway to Hydrogen." Honda will be exhibiting the hydrogen fueled FCX that is currently being demonstrated by the NYS OGS; as well as the Honda Hybrids, including the Insight, Civic and Accord.
Vehicle Name: FCX Demonstration Vehicle: Honda FCX Electric: Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Vehicle Name: 2004 Civic Hybrid Demonstration Vehicle: 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid HEV: Gasoline + Battery
Vehicle Name: 2003 Insight Demonstration Vehicle: 2003 Honda Insight HEV: Gasoline + Battery
Vehicle Name: 2005 Honda Accord Demonstration Vehicle: 2005 Honda Hybrid Accord HEV: Gasoline + Battery
CATEGORY: HYBRID & ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
Vehicle Name: Bio SMART (2005 SMART) Vehicle Number: 10 Team Name: Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ) Providence: Quebec, Canada ICE: Biodiesel (B20)
The Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ) team wants to demonstrate a fun to drive eco-friendly car. The SMART is a production vehicle which, when powered with biofuels, can deliver substantial reductions in climate change emissions and air quality improvements. Quebec hosts one the largest biodiesel producers in North America using feedstock mainly from recycled source and this is an important R&D niche for the ITAQ.
Vehicle Name: S&S AutoSport Prius Vehicle Number: 70 Team Name: S&S AutoSport State: Kansas ICE: 2000 Toyota Prius, Gasoline + Battery
This is the 5th year for this 2000 classic Prius to compete in the Tour de Sol. The vehicle has been trouble free for 60,000 miles and delivers a consistent 45 mpg in daily driving. The owner is a faculty co-advisor to the University of Tulsa's Hurricane Motor Works HEV team that has built 3 hybrids since 1993 and has competed in the Tour de Sol for 7 years.
Team Name: Toyota Motor Sales, USA Demonstration Vehicle: 2005 Lexus RS 400h HEV: Gasoline + Panasonic NMH
Toyota is committed to environmental responsibility through the design and development of cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. We will continue to focus on developing innovative and practical technologies with minimal impact on the environment.
Team Name: Toyota Motor Sales, USA Demonstration Vehicle: 2005 Highlander HEV: Gasoline + Panasonic NMH
Vehicle Number: 12 Vogelbilt 2004 Ford F250 diesel pick-up ICE: Biodiesel (B100) Team Name: Vogelbilt
This year Vogelbilt is using 100% renewable energy in a new 2004 Ford F250 6.0L Diesel. This truck has been modified for increased fuel economy and also has a generator on the engine PTO to produce electricity.
Additionally, Vogelbilt's electric motorcycle will be on display during the Tour de Sol. The motorcycle was part of the Eco Trekker TV series.
CATEGORY: HYBRID & ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES
INDEPENDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
Team Name: Valence Technology, Inc.
Powered by the Valence U-Charge* Power System, this concept plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a fully functional concept car based on a 2004 Toyota Prius that was modified by EnergyCS. Because the Valence battery offers much more energy than batteries traditionally used in hybrid vehicles, it allows significant amounts of zero-emission driving and fuel efficiencies of 120-180 mpg.
STUDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
Vehicle Name: Hybrid Attack Vehicle Number: 2 Team Name: West Philly EV Team (High School) State: Pennsylvania HEV: kit car conversion, Biodiesel + Battery PbA
The West Philadelphia High School Electric Vehicle Team is returning for its fifth Tour de Sol. This years vehicle, named "The Hybrid Attack", has been a two year project. This hybrid "super-car" has over 300 hp and achieves more than 50 mpg. The front wheels are driven by an AC propulsion electric motor and the rear wheels are driven by a Volkswagen TDi burning biodiesel.
Vehicle Name: Viking 32 Vehicle Number: 32 Team Name: Western Washington University Hybrid Club State: Washington HEV: Purpose-built, Bio-methane (CNG) + Panasonic NMH
With funding from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, students and faculty at Western Washington University's Vehicle Research Institute built Viking 32 to demonstrate the first automotive use of carbon-fiber Viking 32 offers survivable front impact protection at up to 80 kph. In addition, side impact and roof strength exceed United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Vehicle Name: Viking 23 Vehicle Number: 23 Team Name: Western Washington University Hybrid Club State: Washington HEV: Purpose Built, Biodiesel + SAFT NMH
Viking 23 is designed and built by students and staff at the Vehicle Research Institute at Western Washington University. In 1990 a new body was designed by students and built out of carbon fiber. It uses Biodiesel a renewable fuel for its IC Diahatsu engine which powers the rear wheels. The front wheels are powered by a brushless DC UQN motor thus giving it 4 wheel drive.
CATEGORY: BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES
INDEPENDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
Vehicle Name: Maya 100 Vehicle Number: 19 Team Name: Electrovaya Providence: Ontario, CA Electric: 2002 Tracker conversion, Battery: Electrovaya LiIon
Electrovaya has developed a long-range, ultra-safe, low cost zero-emission electric vehicle drivetrain based upon its proprietary Lithium-Ion SuperPolymer® battery technology and several unique system designs. Showcased in a 5-passenger compact SUV, it solves the Achilles heel of electric vehicles with a range of up to 230miles.
Vehicle Name: The Olympian Vehicle Number: 16 Team Name: Burlington County Electechs State: New Jersey Electric: (Battery: GNB PbA)
"The Burlington County Electechs" includes students and instructors from Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Burlington County College (BCC.) They are entering the Olympian, an electric vehicle recently donated by Cinnaminson High School. The team is committed to preparing students for vocations in the high tech automotive and related industries, including the economic, social, and heath related benefits of greener transportation.
CATEGORY: BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES
STUDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
Vehicle Name: The Lorax Vehicle Number: 45 Team Name: Methacton Electric Car Club State: Pennsylvania Electric: 1999 "Lomax" kit car conversion, (Battery: Optima PbA)
The Methacton Electric Car Club is made up of males and females ranging from 9th to 12th grades. Our mission is to explore alternative energy resources one car at a time while providing hands-on learning about alternate power sources for science, engineering, and trade students and the general public. In addition to building a vehicle the team created computer generated fundraising materials, and community outreach.
Vehicle Name: Woodstock Vehicle Number: 56 Team Name: St. Mark's Electric Vehicle Club State: Massachusetts 1994 Ford Ranger conversion Electric: (Battery: Trojan PbA)
"Woodstock" is a true zero emission vehicle. It runs on 100% renewable electricity! This yellow 1994 Ranger was converted to run on battery power by high school students at St. Mark's School. Woodstock's batteries recharge overnight with wind-generated electricity from the grid. Built by physics students, the project gives them an opportunity to explore what engineering would be like, and the importance of efficiency.
Vehicle Name: Sola Rola Vehicle Number: 50 Team Name: Tandem Friends School State: Virginia Electric: (Battery: Optima PbA)The Tandem Friends Schools vehicle is a single person, solar charged commuter car. It was designed and built by the 16 students of the Conceptual Physics class. The hope is that involvement in a far-reaching project such as this will facilitate learning the basics concepts of physics.
(No photo yet.)
CATEGORY: BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES
STUDENT DIVISION: light duty vehicles
Vehicle Name: Phantom Sol Vehicle Number: 66 Team Name: U. Maine Solar Vehicle Team State: Maine Electric: Purpose-built (Solar + Battery: Trojan PbA)
The Phantom Sol was created in 2001 to dispell the myths that electric vehicles are impractical, weak, expensive and not much fun to drive. Originally a GMC-S15 pickup, this car has been drastically re-engineered to produce an economical and powerful vehicle with exceptional performance and sleek appearance.
Vehicle Name: Revolution Ride Vehicle Number: 53 Team Name: www.revolutionride.org State: Maine Electric: 1986 VW Wagon conversion (Battery: PbA)
Since 2002, when students from Maine's smallest public high school put their Vanagon Syncro electric vehicle on the road, the van has become an indispensable daily driver and teaching tool for the school. The 4wd, 7 passenger van is charged by a 5.2kW net-metering photovoltaic array.
CATEGORY: SOLAR-ASSISTED ELECTRIC VEHICLES
STUDENT DIVISION: one-person light duty vehicles
Vehicle Name: Sunpacer Vehicle Number: 92 Team Name: Cato-Meridian High School Technology Team State: New York Electric: 1992 Purpose-built (Solar + Battery: Ovonic NMH)
Since 1992 the SunPacer has participated in the Tour de Sol every year, and captured first place in the One-person Solar category 10 times. This student engineering project aims to improve vehicle efficiency each year. It presently has a range of 80 miles, top speed of 60 mph., and a demonstrated efficiency of 218 miles per equivalent gallon of gasoline.
Vehicle Name: Zodiac Vehicle Number: 7 Team Name: IHS Solar Car Team - W. Irondequoit High School State: New York Electric: 1999 Purpose-built, (Solar + Battery: Trojan PbA)The Zodiac has been going strong for five years thanks to the commitment dedication and countless man hours poured into the vehicle. Through previous competitions we have proven our skills and and hope to wow the competition this year.
Vehicle Name: Solar Black Bear Vehicle Number: 20 Team Name: U. Maine Solar Vehicle Team State: Maine Electric: 1986 Chevy S-10 conversion, (Solar + Battery: Trojan PbA)
The Solar Black Bear was created in the spring of 1999 and has been the Light-duty two-person Solar Commuter Champion for 6 years. The Solar Black Bear is a very practical and usable vehicle that demonstrates the team's enthusiasm and commitment to creating a better tomorrow for today.
Report #20: Tour de Sol Events Open to the Public
There are two places where the Tour de Sol vehicles and teams will be on display for the public.
The first is at the Saratoga Spa State Park at the Auto Museum in Saragota Springs, New York. The Tour will be part of the annual Saratoga Automobile Museum Auto Show on Saturday, May 14, 2005, from 10 am to 5 pm. May 15th is the rain date. Details are at
http://www.saratogaautomuseum.com/springautoshow.html
The Auto Show features hundreds of antique, classic, and show piece vehicles, along with a series of 20 minute workshops. Three talks associated with the Tour are:
10:30 am
"Design and Construct a Prototype Hybrid"
Mike Seal
Vehicle Research Center of Western Washington University
12:30 pm
"Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles"
James Dunn
Center for Technology Commercialization
1:30 pm
"Owning and Servicing a Hybrid"
Craig Van Batenburg
Automotive Career Development Center
The second public event is on Monday, May 16, 2005, at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York, from 10 am until 2 pm. The Award Ceremony will be at 11 am.
Along with the Tour de Sol participants on display, New York State Clean Cities and Clean Fueled Vehicle Programs will have displays featuring the member businesses and partners. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is sponsoring that event.
Make plans to visit the Tour de Sol this year!
Report #21: 2005 Tour de Sol Offers Solutions to Energy Crisis
May 4th Press Release from NESEA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Hazard NHazard@NESEA.org 413 774-6051 x18
James Dunn JDunn@CTC.org 508 870-0042 x108
2005 Tour de Sol Offers Solutions to Energy Crisis
Advanced Vehicle Show in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY May 13-16
Greenfield, MA - May 4, 2005
The unsung heroes participating in the national 2005 Tour de Sol - America's sustainable energy and transportation festival and competition - offer alternative solutions to the energy crisis. People in the Northeast can meet these heroes and see a wide assortment of advanced vehicles when the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) presents the 2005 Tour de Sol in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY May 13-16.
"The world has reached a point where the demand for oil has exceeded the supply," says Nancy Hazard, executive director of NESEA. "Drilling for oil will not solve the problem."
For the past sixteen years, students, corporations, and government agencies who care about climate change and the security, health, and economic implications of oil dependence have been developing and demonstrating clean vehicle technologies at the Tour de Sol. Today, the event embraces three competitions and showcases over 50 advanced vehicles offered by major auto, truck, bus and bike manufacturers, concept vehicles by students and entrepreneurs, and other displays by business and government leaders.
"The Tour de Sol aims to demonstrate that we can reduce oil use and climate change emissions from the transportation sector, which uses two-thirds of the oil and emits one-third of the climate change gases," says Hazard. "We believe that developing and using climate friendly, secure and non-toxic energy to power our economy and our transportation system and improve our health and quality of life is an achievable goal."
On Saturday, May 14 dozens of hybrid and biodiesel vehicle owners participating in the Tour de Sol's new 100-mpg Monte Carlo-style rally will converge at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show held at the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, NY, from 10am-5pm. They will join student and corporate teams competing in the Tour de Sol Championship and E-bike competitions for concept vehicles, which aim to achieve reduced climate change emissions and zero oil consumption.
Other exhibits include:
o Honda's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (the FCX);
o Cars to heavy trucks that run on natural gas;
o All three of the new hybrid SUVs that get 30 mpg or better in the EPA city driving cycle:
the Toyota Highlander, the Lexus RX400h, the Ford Escape;
o Concept vehicles with new lithium batteries;
o Biodiesel suppliers and vehicles;
o Electric bikes and neighborhood vehicles;
o Clean vehicles used in New York State Parks and other state agency displays.
Admission to the Auto Show and the Tour de Sol is $7 at the door.
Children under 12 are free.
$2 off coupons are available on the Tour de Sol web site
www.TourdeSol.org
MORE
On Monday, May 16, the Tour de Sol participants will drive to Albany's Empire State Plaza for a free display from10am-2pm. Here, New York State business and government will join them with displays of real-world examples of clean transportation solutions that their partnership has produced. Governor George Pataki has been invited to speak at the 11am awards ceremony.
"Governor Pataki and the State of New York understand the economic and environmental advantages of advanced vehicles," says Hazard. "It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the Tour de Sol to New York." Major sponsors of the Tour de Sol are the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Center for Technology Commercialization. Key supporting sponsors include the U.S. Department of Energy, the New York Power Authority, Toyota, the New York State Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Federal Highway Administration, New York State Parks, The Automotive Career Development Center, Honda, Environmental Alternatives, and the Electric Drive Transportation Association.
NESEA, organizer of the event, is the nation's leading regional education and advocacy organization that aims to accelerate the deployment and use of renewable energy and energy efficiency. NESEA produces major sustainable- energy events that inspire and motivate large numbers of people to get involved and make a difference.
For more information on the 2005 Tour de Sol, the Monte Carlo-style Rally, E- bike competition, and events in Saratoga Springs and Albany, and $2 off coupons for the Saratoga event, visit
www.TourdeSol.org
or contact NESEA at 413 774-6051.
# # #
NOTE TO ALL MEDIA: Photos are available upon request.
Photo Gallery of Tour de Sol Championship entrants can be found at
http://www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/2005entrants1.html
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
50 Miles Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
413-774-6051
Report #22: Tour de Sol Events at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show
Some notes to help you plan your trip to the Tour de Sol in Saratoga Springs New York ...
The 2005 Tour de Sol The Sustainable Energy and Transportation Festival and Competition
at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show Saratoga Spa State Park
Saturday May 14 2005 10am-5pm (rain date May 15)
Admission: $7, free under 12
- Monte Carlo-style Rally & 100mpg Challenge - Tour de Sol Championship - E-bike, scooter, and NEV events
If it reduces oil use and greenhouse gas emissions, you'll see it at the Tour de Sol! The 50-vehicle display will showcase the winners of the Monte Carlo-style Rally, and Tour de Sol and E-bike participants. There will be many exhibits by auto companies and government leaders that show real world examples of clean transportation solutions that strive for zero climate change emissions and reduced oil use.
- Hybrid vehicles including new SUVs - Hydrogen and natural gas vehicles - Biofueled vehicles - Advanced technologies & fuels - Student and industry-built concept vehicles
With gasoline prices soaring, oil wars in the Middle East, and greenhouse gases 25% higher than at any time over the last 400,000 years, there is no better time to explore transportation options. Developing and using climate friendly, secure and non-toxic energy to power our economy and our transportation system and improve our health and quality of life is an achievable goal.
Presented by
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association www.NESEA.org
Schedule of Events, Saturday, May 14 (rain date May 15)
10:00 am Open
Workshop Schedule - each 20 minutes long, at Tour de Sol banner
10:30 am Tour of Student-built vehicles in the Tour de Sol Championship
11:30 am Design and Construct a Prototype Hybrid Mike Seal Vehicle Research Institute Western Washington University
12:30 pm Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles James Dunn Center for Technology Commercialization
1:30 pm Owning & Servicing a Hybrid Craig Van Batenburg Auto Career Development Center
3:00 pm Monte Carlo-style Rally Awards at the Hall of Springs
5:00 pm Saratoga's Spring Auto Show closes
5:30 pm Autocross event in SPAC E50 Parking Lot
Exhibit Highlights:
Monte Carlo-style Rally & 100-MPG Challenge:
Dozens of owners of hybrid cars and diesel vehicles that run on biodiesel have driven their cars from around the country and Canada to compete in this new fun rally. Cash prizes will be awarded during the 3 pm awards ceremony to the most efficient drivers and the car with the least greenhouse gas emissions. A $5,000 prize is reserved for the most efficient vehicle that exceeds 100-mpg! Special support from Stewart's Shops, Environmental Alternatives, and Automotive Career Development Center.
Tour de Sol Championship:
Over a dozen student-built vehicles competing in the Tour de Sol Championship, which aims to work toward zero oil and greenhouse gas emission vehicles, including two solar assisted vehicles from New York State - Cato Meridian and West Irondequoit High Schools; purpose-built hybrid biofuel vehicles; battery- electric vehicles from Maine to Washington State, and much more. Cash prizes awarded May 16.
E-bikes and NEVs:
Over a dozen electric bikes and neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) will demonstrate new fun ways of getting around your community with zero emission vehicles. Organized by RunAbout Cycles, a range event and awards will be held May 15.
Industry and Government displays:
Clean vehicles for sale from auto companies, and displays from business and government leaders working together to produce clean transportation solutions in New York State and beyond will be showcased.
- Three new hybrid SUVs that all get 30 mpg or better in the EPA city
driving cycle -
Toyota Highlander
Lexus RX 400h
Ford Escape
- Hybrid sedans - 45-70 mpg by Honda and Toyota
- Hydrogen displays including: Honda's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the FCX a hydrogen NEV by the Center for Technology Commercialization the U.S. Department of Energy
- Compressed Natural Gas vehicles - from light cars to heavy trucks and buses
- Advanced lithium batteries for zero emission vehicles - a battery electric vehicle from Electrovaya a plug-in hybrid from Valence Corporation
- Biodiesel suppliers and vehicles - Environmental Alternatives Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute's biodiesel SMART NYS's Vogelbilt Ford250 and more
- Clean vehicles in use in New York State Parks
- Case studies and information resources from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Capital Region Clean Communities organization
Presented by Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
www.NESEA.org
Report #23: 2 Dollars Off Coupon from the Tour de Sol
NESEA has arranged for a $2 discount off the regular $7 dollar admission price to Saratoga's Spring Auto Show. The coupon is available as a PDF document that you can download and print at:
http://www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/Auto_Show_Coupon.pdf
Tell them the Tour de Sol Reports sent you!
Report #24: Tour de Sol Events at Empire State Plaza
Some notes to help you plan your trip to the Tour de Sol in Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York ...
The 2005 Tour de Sol The Sustainable Energy and Transportation Festival and Competition Green "Car Show" and More
at Empire State Plaza Albany, New York
Monday May 16 2005 10am-2pm
Free
Featuring a 50- vehicle display to highlight the winners of the Tour de Sol and show real world examples of business and government working together to produce clean transportation solutions in New York State and beyond.
- Hybrid vehicles - Hydrogen and natural gas vehicles - Biofueled vehicles - Neighborhood vehicles - E-bikes - Advanced technologies & fuels - Student and industry-built concept vehicles
With gasoline prices soaring, oil wars in the Middle East, and greenhouse gases 25% higher than at any time over the last 400,000 years, there is no better time to explore transportation options. Developing and using climate friendly, secure and non-toxic energy to power our economy and our transportation system, and improve our health and quality of life is an achievable goal.
Schedule of Events - May 16, 2005
10:00 am Open
11:00 am Tour de Sol Welcome and Awards Presentation - on the stage:
George E. Pataki, Governor, State of New York (invited)
Daniel D Hogan, Commissioner, Office of General Services
Denise M. Sheehan, Acting Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Robert Callender, VP for Programs New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Helen Eisenfeld, Director of Electric Transportation New York Power Authority
Nancy Hazard, Executive Director Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
2:00 pm Close
Exhibit Highlights:
Tour de Sol Championship Monte Carlo-style Rally E-bike Entrants Sponsor Exhibits
Vehicle and advanced transportation technology exhibits by New York State business leaders, Clean Cities stakeholders, and the Clean Fueled Vehicle Program.
- Three new hybrid SUVs Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX 400h and Ford Escape -
that all get 30 mpg or better in the EPA city driving cycle
- Hybrid sedans 45-70 mpg by Honda and Toyota
- Honda's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the FCX, and hydrogen fueling by Plug
Power
- Compressed Natural Gas vehicles from light cars to heavy trucks and
buses
- Propane-powered ice cream delivery from Schwan's
- Advanced hybrid transit bus in service in NYS by Orion and BAE Systems
- Hybrid Taxi prototype for NYC - by AFTCO and Advanced Energy Conversions
- New Emission reduction technology for trucks and buses - by Donaldson Co Inc. and Cummins Northeast
- Idle emission reduction through electrification the MorElectric Truck by Caterpillar
- Hybrid delivery vehicle - from FedEx
- New ceramic brakes by Star Fire
- Battery electric vehicle - 230 mile range - by Electrovaya with its Lithium SuperPolymer batteries
- Plug-in hybrid vehicle - 120 mpg - with Valence Corp. lithium batteries
- Biodiesel suppliers and vehicles - Environmental Alternatives, Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute's biodiesel SMART, NYS's Vogelbilt Ford250 and more
- E-bikes and neighborhood electric vehicles
- Over a dozen student-built vehicles competing in the Tour de Sol Championship that aim to work toward zero oil and greenhouse gas emission vehicles including two solar assisted vehicles from New York State:
Cato Meridian High School West Irondequoit High School
Purpose-built hybrid biofuel vehicles
Battery-electric vehicles from Maine to Washington State
And much more
- OEM-built vehicles in Tour de Sol's new Monte Carlo-style Rally & 100 mpg
Challenge
Report #25: Governor Pataki to speak at the Tour de Sol in Albany
It has been confirmed that Governor George Pataki will speak at the Tour de Sol event on the Empire State Plaza in Albany New York on Monday, May 16th 2005. He is scheduled to open the ceremonies at 11 am.
Report #26: WICN Interview with Jim Dunn, Craig Van Batenburg and Gilles Labelle
WICN Public Radio's "Business Beat" show on May 8, 2005, featured a 30 minute discussion of the role of alternative fuels and energy systems in American energy policy hosted by Steve D'Agostino. The guests are all involved with this year's Tour de Sol. An MP3 recording is available at
http://www.bestrateofclimb.com/businessbeatmay8.mp3
From
http://www.bestrateofclimb.com/businessbeatmay8.htm
Featured:
James Dunn of the Center for Technology Commercialization
Craig Van Batenburg of the Automotive Career Development Center
Gilles Labelle of the Hybrid Center at Westboro Toyota
Toyota, Honda and Ford all have entries in the hybrid-vehicle sector of the auto market -- as well as in the national 2005 Tour de Sol 100 MPG Challenge to be held in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY, May 13-16. A key question stemming from this event is whether American carmakers -- especially General Motors, which has a market value of only $15 billion on annual sales of $193 billion as well as an S&P junk-bond rating -- should get full-blown into the hybrid- vehicle development game. Or, whether should they instead put most of their R&D resources into fuel-cell technology - as GM is doing. It may be that fuel-cell technology eventually becomes a killer app. But if that ever occur, it could take many years to happen. In the meantime, hybrid vehicles can serve as a transitional technology to help us start weaning ourselves off fossil fuels.
During June (2005), this show will be posted in CD quality the WICN Archive
http://www.WICN.org/programs/archive.htm
Report #27: Press Release about Western Washington University's entries
Provided by NESEA ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Hazard nhazard@nesea.org 413-774-6051 x18 James Dunn jdunn@ctc.org 508-870-0042 x108NOTE TO ALL MEDIA: Photos are available upon request.
Western Washington University's Vehicle Research Institute Enters Two Top Contenders In The National 2005 Tour de Sol Championship
Greenfield, MA -- May 10, 2005 -- The two cars entered by Western Washington University's Vehicle Research Institute are top contenders in the National 2005 Tour de Sol Championship. One of them won the Grand Award in the 2004 Championship. Entries in the Championship competition are ultra-high energy- efficiency vehicles that aim to produce zero climate-changing oil and carbon emissions. The 17th annual Tour de Sol, to be held May 13-16 in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY, is America's longest-running sustainable-energy and transportation festival and competition.
Washington University's Vehicle Research Institute (http://vri.etec.wwu.edu/), located in Bellingham, WA, is returning to the Tour de Sol this year with two entries and student teams. WWU sees competitions as excellent motivators for its students. "We need to get off oil, cut greenhouse-gas emissions and use renewable fuels,'' says Mike Seal, founder and retired director of WWU's Vehicle Research Institute. ``The Tour de Sol is the only competition in the country that is helping us get to that goal.''
Mike Seal has built 32 vehicles with his Western Washington University students over the years, including the vehicle that won the Grand Award in the 2004 Tour de Sol Championship. Most of those vehicles were purpose-built so they could reap the benefits of vehicle-efficiency gains due to weight reduction and aerodynamics. His students also gained experience on how to build very safe, light-weight vehicles.
This year, WWU is bringing its 2004 Grand Award-winning vehicle, the Viking 23, as well as its Viking 32 to the 2005 National Tour de Sol. Viking 23 and Viking 32 placed seventh and third, respectively, overall in the 2004 National Tour de Sol.
Viking 23, an electric/bio-diesel hybrid, was awarded ``greenest vehicle'' in the 2002 Tour de Sol, received first place in the ``light-duty, alternative- fuel, purpose-built vehicle'' category in the 2003 Tour de Sol, and captured the Grand Award in the 2004 Tour de Sol for ``the light-duty vehicle with the lowest greenhouse-gas emissions.'' Viking 23, a purpose-built hybrid vehicle that runs on bio-diesel (a fuel made from vegetable oils), demonstrated that it emits only 61 grams of greenhouse-gas emissions per mile. This is seven times less than a conventional 27 MPG gasoline vehicle, which emits 420 grams of greenhouse-gas emissions per mile, according to the US Department of Energy.
Viking 32, an electric/natural-gas hybrid, uses an internal-combustion engine that is designed to run on landfill gas, which enables it run without the use of oil, resulting in greenhouse-gas emissions that are close to zero. WWU estimates it would take the waste from two cows to create the gas to run this vehicle for a year (12,000 miles). During the 2005 Tour de Sol, Viking 32 will run on compressed natural gas because compressed landfill gas is not available in the Saratoga Springs/Albany area. Viking 32 took first in the 2004 Tour de Sol in the autocross category and the 350-foot acceleration test. Viking 32 has an aerodynamic design and $800,000 in funding from the Federal Highway Administration plus $200,000 in matching funds from WWU. It exemplifies safety and fuel efficiency, and is designed and built to demonstrate new principles of energy management in an all-composite and carbon-fiber vehicle.
The 2005 Tour de Sol's immediate goal is to bring together manufacturers, energy suppliers, government officials, news media, consumers and students for a multi-day "traveling festival" and competition this May 13 through 16 in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY. Tour de Sol's eventual goal is to turn imaginative thinking about a zero oil-and carbon-emission economy into a sustainable effort that produces substantial profits and a cleaner environment.
Highlights of the 2005 Tour de Sol include:
The Tour de Sol Championship, which is for concept vehicles built by students and entrepreneurs seeking to achieve zero oil and carbon emissions.
A Monte Carlo-style Rally, which is for hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicle owners and will feature a 100 MPG Challenge.
Vehicle events, which are designed to create new fun ways of getting around, such as electric bikes, electric scooters and neighborhood electric vehicles.
A "green car show" on Saturday, May 14, at Saratoga's Spring Auto Show, where auto manufacturers will join with Tour de Sol competitors to showcase future vehicle technologies, including three all-new, 30 MPG hybrid SUVs -- from Ford, Toyota and Lexus - plus natural gas, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, next to the several hundred antique vehicles that participate in the Auto Show.
An Award Ceremony and 40-vehicle display on Monday, May 16 at Albany's Empire State Plaza, where NYS Clean Cities stakeholders will join Tour de Sol participants to celebrate the progress made in New York's tate to integrate clean advanced vehicles into everyday use as well as to meet key industry and government representatives.
Monte Carlo-style Rally
Monte Carlo-style Rally vehicles are invited to compete for up to $10,000 and 35 awards for the most fuel-efficient production-hybrid or biodiesel vehicles (which can be production-line or modified) that travel a minimum of 150 miles at an average of over 55 MPG. The overall prize money includes $5,000 for the most fuel-efficient vehicle that breaks the 100 MPG barrier over a range of 500 miles.
To participate, advanced-vehicle owners must join at one of the numerous starting sites around the US and Canada. After they have topped off and had their fuel tank sealed, Rally participants must drive to the finish line at Saratoga Springs by noon on May 14. There, they will get a free fill up with gasoline or biodiesel, compliments of Stewart's Shops and Environmental Alternatives, and officials will measure the fuel used and miles driven.
There are 10 vehicle categories. Tires will be pressure checked to be 50 PSI or less and must have tread. The rally is limited to 50 entries and a total 500-person entourage. All cars must be registered, inspected, insured and meet federal Department of Transportation regulations. The winners and statistics about the Rally entrants will be gathered, analyzed and posted at
http://www.TourDeSol.org
Tour de Sol
Over a half million consumers have visited the Tour de Sol since its creation in 1989 by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), and over 40 million print and broadcast exposures accrue from the Tour each year. The Tour de Sol provides a key platform for vehicle manufacturers, students, and entrepreneurs to demonstrate future designs and current products that aim reduce oil and carbon emissions to zero. The event provides news media the opportunity to provide timely and topical updates on the status of sustainable energy and mobility.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Center for Technology Commercialization are the event's premier sponsors. Additional key sponsors include the US Department of Energy, the New York Power Authority, Toyota, the New York State Environmental Conservation, the Federal Highway Administration, New York State Parks, Environmental Alternatives, and the Electric Drive Transportation Association. The Automotive Career Development Center in Worcester, MA, is a key organizer of the Monte Carlo-style Rally.
NESEA, the nation's leading regional education and advocacy association, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. NESEA aims to accelerate the deployment and use of renewable energy and energy efficiency by, among other things, producing major sustainable-energy events that inspire and motivate large numbers of people to get involved and make a difference. NESEA is a chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (www.ASES.org), a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the development and adoption of renewable energy in all its forms, including solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydrogen energy, ocean energy, biofuels energy, and energy efficiency.
For more information on the 2005 Tour de Sol as well as the Monte Carlo-style Rally and registration, visit www.TourDeSol.org, or contact NESEA at 413.774.6051. For more information on NESEA, visit www.NESEA.org.
To hear a 30-minute Q&A on why American car makers -- especially General Motors -- should fully get into the hybrid-vehicle development market, listen to ``The Business Beat,'' produced by WICN/90.5 FM, the NPR affiliate for Central New England. The guests are James Dunn of the Center for Technology Commercialization in Westboro, MA, Craig Van Batenburg of the Automotive Career Development Center in Worcester, MA, and Gilles Labelle of the Hybrid Center at Westboro Toyota in Westboro, MA. Listen now at
http://www.bestrateofclimb.com/businessbeatmay8.htm
To join an online conversation on why American car makers should fully get into the hybrid-vehicle development market, visit the Edmunds.com hybrid-vehicle forum at
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX?13@@.ef7a43c/16.
Report #28: Plug-In Hybrid Car Runs in Tour de Sol Monte Carlo Rally and 100 MPG Challenge
Press Release provided by NESEA.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Hazard nhazard@nesea.org 413-774-6051 x18 James Dunn jdunn@ctc.org 508.870.0042 x108NOTE TO ALL MEDIA: Photos are available upon request
New EDrive Systems `Plug-In' Hybrid Technology In National 2005 Tour de Sol 100 MPG Challenge
Greenfield, MA -- May 11, 2005 -- The new EDrive Systems ''plug-in'' hybrid technology will be demonstrated during the National 2005 Tour de Sol's 100 MPG Challenge. Hybrid owners can now ``fuel'' their cars from home electrical outlets. This novel hybrid technology enables hybrid vehicles to be plugged in and charged by a common 3-prong, 110-volt home electrical outlet so that owners can use ``green'' electricity, minimize gasoline usage, and have the convenience of long-range driving.
Valence Technology Inc., a manufacturer of the lithium batteries installed in this new vehicle, will demonstrate the cutting-edge EDrive Systems technology in a Toyota Prius during the May 13-16 National 2005 Tour de Sol in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY. ``By combining gasoline power with electricity from a home recharge, a vehicle equipped with EDrive Systems hybrid technology can average 100 to 150 miles per gallon for up to the first 60 miles of the day, compared to 45 to 55 miles per gallon for a conventional Prius,'' states Marc Kohler, a Valence engineer and an EDrive Systems partner. ``The vehicle also has the capacity to run in electric-only mode at neighborhood speeds, resulting in zero emissions.''
This is a quite timely announcement, since President George W. Bush recently called for vehicle technologies that reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and cut greenhouse-gas emissions. In addition, a group of 31 former national- security officials recently wrote to the President citing America's dependence on foreign oil as a ``looming national-security crisis.'' They went so far as to endorse the use of "plug power," referring to hybrid vehicles that can be plugged in for recharging.
``We are excited to have this vehicle, powered by Valence's new Saphion lithium-ion batteries, participating in the National 2005 Tour de Sol's Monte Carlo-style Rally and 100 MPG Challenge, with $10,000 in prizes,'' states James Dunn, co-chair of the Tour de Sol and CEO of the Center for Technology Commercialization. ``This is an example of the exciting technologies we will showcase during the 100 MPG Challenge, to show the public that we have technology today that can help reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as help reduce climate-change emissions.''
The EDrive Systems plug-in conversion product is engineered by EnergyCS LLC and distributed by Clean-Tech LLC, using Valence Technology battery technology. More information will soon be available on the EDrive Systems website at www.edrivesystems.com.
Valence Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: VLNC) in Austin, TX, is a leader in the development and commercialization of Saphion technology, the only safe, large- format lithium-ion rechargeable-battery technology. Valence Technology holds an extensive, worldwide portfolio of patents relating to its Saphion technology and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. For more information, visit www.valence.com or call Judy Rascino at 512.626.7716.
Energy Control Systems Engineering Inc. (doing business as EnergyCS LLC) in Monrovia, CA, provides leading-edge consulting, design and prototyping services for system-integration, management, and monitoring of electrochemical energy systems such as batteries and fuel cells. EnergyCS focuses on applications in the areas of EV and HEV transportation and alternative-energy systems from 24 to 400+ VDC. For more information, visit www.energycs.com or call Katie Romans at 916.240.8077.
Report #29: Team Profile: Methacton High School, "The Lorax"
Press Release provided by Methacton High School Electric Car Club
Club Sponsor: Mr. Savitz
Educating the public on alternatively powered vehicles has been forefront purpose of the Methacton High School's Electric Car Club. The club began with the generous donation of the vehicle itself by John Murphy, who also has been grateful in contributing his time, efforts and invaluable knowledge. Also, the members would like to thank Mr. Savitz, the club sponsor for all his hard work and time.
The car classifies under the ``battery electric'' division, and has won the grand award for ``most efficient light duty vehicle'' at last year's Tour de Sol. To live up to its title this year, the club has made several vital additions. These include the construction of the roll bar, which adds to the safety of the vehicle, and the installment of another battery which adds to the car's power and potential. The car now has seventeen twelve volt batteries, three wheel chassis, a Solectria controller, and an 50 hp AC motor. The car is five times as efficient as the gasoline-powered car in your driveway, achieving 136 MPGe. Next year, the club hopes to add a photo-voltaic roof to increase the vehicle's energy potential.
The roadblocks this year have been several technical difficulties including, mainly the failure of a 12 volt battery that powered the electronic controller for the motor, just weeks before the race. The problem was solved by recharging the 12 volt battery, replacing the fuses connecting the 12 volt battery to the controller, as well as replacing the photovoltaic cell to recharge the 12 volt battery on a continuous basis.
To achieve our goal of greater community awareness the club has been published in newspapers, participates in the Tour de Sol yearly, and goes out directly to the community. The students turn many heads when they drive the three-wheeled car around the neighborhood. Students take a great amount of time to explain to the public how the vehicle operates and how it might change the future of transportation by using alternative energy to decrease our dependence on oil. Although mechanical engineering may not be in the future for some of the students, they nonetheless put in great energy to keep improving the car, and learn from the experience of working with a renewable energy vehicle.
Report #30: The Reports Reporter Goes to the Tour de Sol to Report
For those who read these reports on a regular basis as the Tour de Sol occurs, fair warning. I'm about to head out to the Tour de Sol to start recording interviews and collecting John Helwig's pictures.
While that is going on, the Reports will be sporadicly posted, and when the Tour itself is finished, they will continue for at least a couple of weeks as I type up the interviews. So if you don't see much activity over the next few days just be aware that the Reports have not stopped, just slowed down.
Of course, if you can _come_ to the Tour de Sol, either in Saratoga Springs or Albany, New York, that would be great! Be sure to stop by the NESEA table and say that you read about it on the Tour de Sol Reports.
Report #31: Western Washington University Team Members, Michael Seal
After the press conference on Thursday, I got a chance to talk with Emily Morris, Brian White, Matt Willson, Ryan Cruse, Kate Stenson, Calvin Liu and Sean Aylward who are some (all?) of the team members for Viking 23 and 32.
Ryan: "I'm a huge car dork and I've recently become concerned about our environment. This allows me to be a car dork and a responsible car dork."
They said they were all pretty much responsible car dorks. There are two different aspects to the technology program at WWU. One is the CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing) programs that concentrate on design. The other is the VRI (Vehicle Research Institute) that involves people in the actual construction, tuning and competing.
The other two teams are Formula which builds race cars and Mini-Baja which builds off-road vehicles. "They are not responsible dorks."
I first saw a hybrid vehicle when WWU's Viking 21 competed in the Tour de Sol in 1993. Few of us really understood what it was all about back then. (I know it took me a long time to see the point of two different drive systems in one vehicle.) Now I can buy six different hybrids from three different manufacturers. Where does a program like VRI go from here?
"We need to improve all the systems that are out there right now; pioneer some new ones, more efficient ones." There is a need to fight the stereotypes of hybrids being slow. "We can show that a hybrid can save fuel, still go fast and be fun to drive."
Will there be hybrids at NASCAR and other races?
The electric motor in a hybrid gives lots of torque which will definitely be appreciated in a race car.
VRI is starting to look into different fuels. Viking 32 is sometimes run on bio-methane from cow manure, which is another facet of the program.
Viking 32 was pretty new the last time it was at the Tour. It has about 9000 miles on it now. "We've had some fun going on some curvy roads. It handles very well. It is very stable at high speeds." The electric motor on the front wheels helps pull it out of tricky situations. A two-speed transmission on the front is shifted by an electric solinoid driven by a computer that also balances power between the front (electric) and rear (combustion engine) drives.
They have considered driving the Vikings to the Tour, but being fueled by CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) makes finding fuel tricky. They have considered driving up to Canada where they have many more CNG stations and then coming back down, but it makes the trip much longer.
Later, I had some time to talk with Michael Seal, retired advisor to the Viking teams. I asked why Viking 32's doors were hinged at the back.
"The were called couch doors. The reason for it was that you don't have to open the door very far and you can get in quite nicely. If you are parked near another car, you can still get in the front seat quite easily." Viking 32 has four seats. "With the hinge in the front and a long door, you can only get in the back in tight situations. But they fell out of favor because they flew open and caught the wind. Then the door was gone. They became known as suicide doors. "With modern technology there is no reason for a door ever to open accidentally, because of the modern latching systems. Some of the Japanese show cars are starting to have doors hinged at the rear."
Viking 32 can run at two heights. With the suspension at the elevated position it can run in deep snow, and you have a bit better vision in traffic. The low position is 4 inches lower. That gives a lower center of gravity, less air going under the car, and the front wing (built into the front bumper) and the rear wings provide additional down force for stability. The car automatically lowers when moving more than 30 miles per hour, or it can be set in the low position manually. "The geometry is correct when up or down, but during the transition the wheels have a slightly negative camber." A hydraulic cylinder above the suspension connects to a tiny link wishbone and controls the elevation. The spring, shock absorber and inner wishbone pivot all move as one. "It is quite light, with a very small weight penalty. The power steering pump is used to power the transistion."
"Because the whole thing is made of carbon fiber, the body, chassis, everything, it weighs just over 2000 pounds; about what a Triumph TR2 or TR3 weighed. So we have the weight of a light weight, 2-seat, squeeky sports car in a stiff, monocoque 4-seat car." It has 100 electric horsepower in front and 100 CNG horsepower in the rear.
Report #32: Team Profile: rEVolutionride.org
Two years ago this team from North Haven Island off the course of Maine brought thier electric driven van to the Tour, and talked about efforts to make the island more energy independent and efficient. Ben Lovell brought me up to date.
"We did a few minor maintenance projects on the van to keep it going. We haven't made any major modifications to the vehicle itself. We added anti-sway bars and some things like that."
The battery pack is 108 Volts of Trojan flooded blocks. The Curtis controller and other power electronics is very neatly wired under a ventelated clear plastic cover in the rear. It is very pretty to my eye. You can read the wiring very easily. The van also has a single solar panel on the roof.
"Mostly, for the past two years, we've been setting up a system at our school to be zero-emissions. We don't use any electricity from the regular power supply." The island gets its electricity through an undersea cable. "We've set up a 5.1 kiloWatt solar array of the school, and have a net-metering agreement with Fox Island Electric Cooperative." Net-metering allows them to sell power back to the electric company for the same price as they pay to get it. "Whenever we don't use the electricity to charge the vehicle, it goes back to the grid."
There was a lot of planning that went into this project. They were talking about it when they were last at the Tour. The panels were put on the roof of the school about two months ago.
Between Tours, the van is used to run errands around the island. "We have a small bus, but it's too big to use on the island. Anywhere you have to go is no more that 12 miles. So we just all pile in the van and go to the beach for science class or whatever. It gets used more than once most days. The superintendent uses it to pick people up at the boat and travel around the island.
John Dietter is a teacher at the North Haven community school and advisor to rEVolutionride and the solar panel project.
"These students had written a grant proposal to purchase a photovoltaic system for the school. Fox Island Electric had also written a grant to the Department of Energy to install photovoltaic systems on North Haven and the other island near us. The two of use came together, combined our grants, and were able to purchase more capacity than the sum of our individual proposals." Now identical systems are on both islands. "Their installer came out and worked with our students. That saved a lot on installation."
They have a poster with photos of the students on the roof with the installer. The students are wearing safety harnesses. "The local construction company donated the harnesses and had their safety coordinator teach us how to use them."
Ben was one of the students on the roof. It took less than two days to install the panels. "Our original design had batteries to provide power during power outages. But we eliminated those."
To top it off, the van is being charged during the Tour using biodiesel fuel that they brought with them. They make the fuel from waste cooking oil from the restaurant on the island. This had been a demonstration project for some time, but they started to make large batches this spring.
Report #33: Team Profile: Carl Vogel
Carl, from West Babylon, New York, has become a regular at the Tour de Sol. His Vogelbilt motorcycle always got attention, and he has returned with a newer version, plus his biodiesel powered truck.
This is not the bike we saw before. "This is my second bike. It went cross country with the TV series, formerly called EcoTrekker, now called the Cool Fuel Road Trip that will air this September." He isn't sure which cable channel it will be on; possibly Discover or The Learning Channel.
Doing anything for the second time allows one to learn from the previous experience. "The frame changed. I can get the 10 batteries out very quickly. The other bike took about two hours. The rear suspension is changed a bit. The first had a chain drive; this uses toothed belts." A 6 inch Advanced DC motor drives a 5-speed transmission via a belt, which in turn drives the rear wheel. "I tend to use the first 4 gears only. I can get about 60 miles." The Zappy controller gives the bike regenerative braking and a reverse. "It has worked flawlessly. I'm very happy with it."
His Ford 250 SuperDuty truck is now 13 months old has been run B100 biodiesel since day one. 52,000 miles later it has been to California and all over the place. "I had to pick my route out west to get biodiesel." When he could not get it he would use a mix until he found it again. No changes were required to switch fuels. The truck has a 95 auxillary tank plus the 40 gallon stock tank. The truck is used to deliver biodiesel fuel to Carl's customers on Long Island. The fuel is manufactured on Long Island using virgin soybean oil.
Carl volunteers his time at Farmdale College on Long Island, working on fuel cells and other electric vehicles.
Report #34: Team Profile: Hybrid Attack
The West Philadelphia High School Electric Vehicle Team is returning for its fifth Tour de Sol. Previous entries were a foundly remembered electric Saturn and a hybrid Jeep, still in use. This year's entry is turning heads! I spoke with Devereaux Knight, the team captain and a senior in the club.
"It's a K1-Attack kit car from Slovakia. It is the first one imported to the United States, which they donated to us. We told them we were going to make a hybrid for the competition. They thought that would be good publicity. We gave them the carbon fiber the body and they made the parts." It arrived in the summer of 2003.
Often kit cars are bodies that are put on chassis from production vehicles. But not in this case. The chassis is a custom tubular steel frame welded up for the car.
The body in front is hinged below the bumper and tilts forward to expose the electric motor and controller. "It's a 200 horsepower AC propulsion motor with a Honda transmission that drives the front wheels. In the back we have a turbo diesel Volkswagen TDi engine that drives the rear wheels. We aren't running the electric motor yet. We ran into some problems with the battery box and ran out of time." They were supposed to go in the side of the car, but they are going to redo them when they get back after the race.
So the car is being entered as a biodiesel. It has been running since January using B100, the pure stuff, which is made from waste oil "from McDonalds. We get it from a company that makes it from used vegetable oils."
The car has two really deep bucket seats with five point seat harnesses. The instrument panel is from a Volkswagen.
The car has been getting some community interest. "The Daily News came up yesterday, Channel 6 did a segment on us, and West Side Week, a West Philly newspaper, also talked with us." Is it a chick magnet? "Oh yeah. When we are driving it around a couple of blocks, it's `Oh, can I get a ride?'"
But sometimes the attention makes you nervous. Like the guy on the highway, driving alone, who pulled up along side the trailer and first took a few snapshots and then was shooting with a video camera, all at 65 mph.
When I asked if there was anything I forgot to ask, Simon Hauger, physics teacher and team supervisor, chimed in, "Top speed of the vehicle." So, how fast have you gone? "I've never broken the speed limit, 65 miles per hour."
I asked Simon how this came about. "We have a summer program where the kids lay out their projects for the upcoming school year. The kids had seen that the hybrids in the competition and the one they had built were not getting the type of attention that they should." Two summers ago they came up with the idea of building a fast, cool hybrid that got great gas milage. Sexy and ecological too. "It seemed a bit lofty at the time, when we started sending out donation requests. But materials started coming inand the kit-car company donated the kit. And so we got committed."
Ron Preiss teaches auto shop, and responded to the question if these projects teach applicable skills. "Does this apply? Absolutely! This is our future. This is what these kids are going to be working on. The suspension is ultra high-tech. The drive chain is something we'll see all over the place. It is what the kids should be learning about. They are doing things that guys out there 20 years have never done. It brings math and science and automotive all together and they understand why they need to know all these academic subjects."
Report #35: Interview: Craig Van Batenburg
Craig Van Batenburg created the Automotive Career Development Center, ACDC for short, which is a "hybrid training resource company. We opened in 1998 to help the state of Massachusetts with it's emissions training program, which we still do.
He owns a Honda Insight Hybrid with serial number 157, built in December 1999. "I ordered in June 1999. I went to my local dealer with a check and said, `I want to buy a Honda Insight.' When they asked what is that, I said I would pay retail. So they gave me a receipt.
"As you can see it's in perfect shape because it is all aluminum and the winter has not done much to it. With snow tires this car is fabulous in the snow. I put it into a lower gear, so the electric motor does more of the work. It has so much torque down low that it doesn't spin the tires.
"What I do is train independant service technicians how to work on hybrids, so consumers have an option between the dealership and an independant shop. That's my full time charge. I have all the books, scan tools and equipment needed. For 26 years I ran an independant repair shop fixing Hondas and Toyotas. Our focus now is environmentally clean transportation. We are trying to get technicians, who influence a lot of people's buying decissions, to not only work on them but to drive them. We have some of my buddies are part of the Monte Carlo Rally. They bought Insights on eBay and are driving this way. Both owners of Slipstream Automotive in Boulder Colorado are coming. They fell in love with this after they came to my hybrid class about 4 months ago. They got bit by the bug."
He says there are tons of information on the web site. Links, cool pictures, everything. There is also a CD-rom that is a 112 page booklet for consumers and technicians. "It's a version of a manual I wrote for hybrid technicians turned into a consumer's manual. If you are a hybrid owner and want to understand how it works under the hood, this is what you want, with pictures, diagrams, and explanations. There are also helpful hints for talking with an independent repair shop. The cost of the CD is $29.95 plus $3 shipping and handling; $5 goes to NESEA. You may print the manual once. Any time it is printed after that, we ask that they send NESEA $5, on the honor system."
http://www.auto-careers.org
Craig told an interesting story about the new Honda Accord Hybrid. That car has 6 cylinders, but runs on only 3 cylinders when cruising at 60 miles per hour. "I can get 35, maybe 36, miles per gallon on 3 cylinders." But it is a powerful car, so it can easily drive faster. "But when everyone is going 75 mph, my temptation is to do that too. But then there is so much wind drag at that speed (drag goes up as the square of speed) that the 6 cylinders have to kick in. You go from 36 to 27 mpg in a heartbeat. So the 3-cylinder mode is only for people who have more self control than I do."
Report #36: Photos - West Philadelphia High School, "Hybrid Attack"
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_007.html
West Philadelphia High School, "Hybrid Attack"
Vehicle Name: Hybrid Attack Vehicle Number: 2 Team Name: West Philly EV Team (High School) State: Pennsylvania HEV: kit car conversion, Biodiesel + Battery PbA
The West Philadelphia High School Electric Vehicle Team is returning for its fifth Tour de Sol. This years vehicle, named "The Hybrid Attack", has been a two year project. This hybrid "super-car" has over 300 hp and achieves more than 50 mpg. The front wheels are driven by an AC propulsion electric motor and the rear wheels are driven by a Volkswagen TDi burning biodiesel.
A car that turns heads.
A view of the engine.
We're looking over the hood, which is tilted forward, at the shocks and springs (yellow), the transmission (left) and motor forward of them, and the motor controller at the font.
Simon Hauger in the driver's seat.
Report #37: Monday Press Release - Replaced with Report #39
Report #38: Governor Pataki's Tour de Sol Press Release
GOVERNOR ATTENDS 17TH ANNUAL TOUR DE SOL AT THE EMPIRE STATE PLAZA
Festival Showcases State Efforts to Encourage
Clean Fuel Vehicles and Technology
STATE OF NEW YORK
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER
GEORGE E. PATAKI, GOVERNOR
Press Office
518-474-8418
212-681-4640
http://www.state.ny.us
FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE, Monday May 16, 2005
Governor George E. Pataki today joined the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), New York State officials, and companies displaying advanced fuel technology and alternative fuel vehicles at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. The event marked the conclusion of the 17th Annual Tour de Sol, America's sustainable energy and transportation festival. The 2005 Tour de Sol, which kicked off Friday in Saratoga Springs, showcases alternative-fuel vehicles and related technology that aim to reduce oil and carbon emissions to zero.
``Each year the Tour de Sol highlights the latest innovations in alternative energy technology and advanced fuel vehicles, showcasing the future of the clean energy and transportation industry,'' Governor Pataki said. ``Over the last ten years, we've invested unprecedented funding into the research and development of clean fuel technology and currently deploy more than 4,400 alternative-fueled vehicles in our State-operated fleets. I'm proud that many of the cars and technology featured at the Tour de Sol are being developed and produced in New York -- creating new markets and new jobs for the 21st Century, while helping to clean our air and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.''
Premier sponsors of the event include the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Center for Technology Commercialization. Key supporting sponsors include the New York Power Authority, the U.S. Department of Energy, Toyota, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Automotive Career Development Center, Honda Motor Corp., Environmental Alternatives, the Federal Highway Administration, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the Electric Drive Transportation Association.
Nancy Hazard, Executive Director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, which organized the event, said, ``The students, businesses and New York State government officials, the auto companies producing advanced vehicles, and people using new hybrid and bio-fuel vehicles participating in the Tour de Sol are the new American heroes of the 21st century. And every American is a winner because of their efforts to design, build, and use advanced vehicles that aim to reduce imported oil and climate change emissions today - offering an alternative solution to the energy and climate change crises that threaten life, and our planet.''
Peter R. Smith, President of NYSERDA said, ``The development, advancement, and use of alternative energy and alternative energy technologies are important for our energy, economic, and environmental well-being and future. At NYSERDA, we have worked with Governor Pataki to promote alternative energy throughout New York State, and many of the alternative-fuel and hybrid technologies seen today are the result of NYSERDA's assistance. I am proud that we have taken an active role in supporting alternative energy initiatives and technology, and have been able to partner with NESEA to bring the Tour de Sol to New York's Capital Region this year.''
New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Daniel D. Hogan said, ``Thanks to the leadership of Governor Pataki, New York State is already a national leader in the purchase and use of alternative fueled vehicles and, in fact, every year since 1998, we have exceeded the federally mandated requirements for purchase of alternative-fueled vehicles. By partnering and sharing ideas with organizations, such as the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, we are taking another step to further AFV use in our State and the Nation.''
The four-day event kicked off on Friday, May 13th at Saratoga Spa State Park and included a Monte-Carlo style rally for hybrid and bio-diesel vehicles and culminated with today's vehicle and technology displays and an awards ceremony at the Empire State Plaza. Vehicles from Maine to the State of Washington competed in the 2005 Tour de Sol Championship, showcasing concept vehicles built by students and entrepreneurs and some production vehicles.
High school students from Cato-Meridian High School in Cayuga County and West Irondequoit High School, near Rochester designed and created one-person solar- assisted vehicles, using electricity generated by solar panels fixed on their vehicles and conventional grid-produced electricity that demonstrated a 98% reduction in oil use.
Vehicles on display included Toyota's hybrid Prius, Highlander SUV, and Lexus RX 400h; Honda's three hybrid sedans, the Insight, Civic, and Accord, its natural gas Civic GX and one of its 30 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles the FCX, which is being leased to New York State as part of a cold-weather demonstration program. Also on display was a dual-fuel natural gas snow plow truck recently purchased by the State Department of Transportation, as well as natural gas, propane and hybrid buses and trucks; emission reduction technologies for trucks and buses; new ceramic brakes; bio-diesel suppliers; and lithium battery manufacturers. Many of the vehicles and components are currently in use or being produced in New York.
New York Power Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Eugene W. Zeltmann said, ``Governor Pataki's clean fueled vehicle initiatives are transforming the transportation sector in New York State. NYPA's contribution includes a diverse array of electric-drive vehicles that have traveled more than 4.1 million miles.''
Under the Governor's leadership New York has become a national leader in the effort to encourage energy efficiency, and to promote the development and use of clean energy and renewable energy technologies. New York now invests nearly $300 million annually in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
New York State's Clean Fueled Vehicle Program was created in 1996 through the $1.75 billion Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act. The program was established within OGS with the purpose of acquiring clean-fueled vehicles for State use and testing and evaluating new technologies. The program is operated by the Clean-Fueled Vehicle Council, which includes OGS and representatives from 16 agencies and the State University of New York. In 1995, the State owned just four alternative fueled vehicles. Today, there are more than 4,400 in the State's fleet and nearly 90 percent of the cars and light duty vehicles purchased annually are AFVs. The Governor has committed that 100 percent of non-emergency light duty vehicles purchased by the State will be AFVs by 2010.
For more information on the winners of the 2005 Tour de Sol visit www.TourDeSol.org or contact NESEA at 413-774-6051.
Report #39: Monday Press Release - Modified Hybrid Vehicle Nears 100 MPG Barrier
The press release issued earlier (TdS Report #37) was corrected with this one.
Modified Hybrid Vehicle Nears 100 MPG Barrier
In National 2005 Tour de Sol
Two Advanced Vehicles Demonstrate Zero Oil-Consumption,
Reduced Climate-Change Emissions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Hazard nhazard@nesea.org 413-774-6051 x18
James Dunn jdunn@ctc.org 508-870-0042 x108
Greenfield, MA -- May 16, 2005 -- A modified hybrid vehicle, a Honda Insight driven by Brian Hardegen of Pepperell, MA, neared the 100-mile-per-gallon barrier over a 150-mile range in the National 2005 Tour de Sol held May 13-16 in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY. Two student teams, from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, and West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, PA, took top honors with their purpose-built hybrid vehicles, which use biodiesel instead of gasoline and produce 85% less climate-change emissions compared to a conventional 27 MPG gas car.
During the National 2005 Tour de Sol -- the 17th annual sustainable-energy and transportation festival and competition -- over 60 hybrid, electric and biofuel vehicles from throughout the U.S. and Canada demonstrated that we have the technology today to power our transportation system with zero-oil consumption and zero climate-change emissions. Each vehicle showed new ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while reducing harmful pollutants.
``Each year, the Tour de Sol highlights the largest innovations in alternative- energy technology and advanced-fuel vehicles, showcasing the future of the clean-energy and transportation industry,'' said New York State Gov. George E. Pataki. ``Over the last 10 years, we've invested unprecedented funding into the research and development of clean-fuel technology and currently deploy more than 4,300 clean-fuel vehicles in our state-operated fleets. I'm proud that many of the cars and components featured in this year's Tour de Sol are being developed right here in New York State, creating new markets and jobs for the 21st century while helping to clean our air and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.''
``The students, businesses, New York State government officials, auto companies producing advanced vehicles, and people using new hybrid and biofuel vehicles in the Tour de Sol are the new American heroes of the 21st century,'' said Nancy Hazard, executive director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association in Greenfield, MA, organizer of the Tour de Sol. ``Every American is a winner because of their efforts to design, build and use advanced vehicles that aim to reduce imported oil and climate-change emissions today - offering an alternative solution to the energy and climate-change crises that threaten life as we know it.''
Thousands of people came to see the vehicles and talk with the people participating in the three exciting competitions held during the National 2005 Tour de Sol. There were 41 entrants in the new Monte Carlo-style Rally, with several participating in the Rally's 100 MPG Challenge. The top-placing vehicles in the Monte Carlo-style Rally, over a minimum 150 mile range, were: a Honda Insight driven by Mike Lewis of Portland, ME, averaging 79 MPG; a biodiesel Volkswagen Passat driven by Jonathan Bartlett of Sterling, MA, delivering 77 MPG; and a Toyota Prius driven by Jean Couto of Marlboro, MA, with 61 MPG.
``We were very pleased by the performance of the various production vehicles entered in the Monte Carlo-style Rally and 100 MPG Challenge,'' said James Dunn, CEO of the Center for Technology Commercialization in Westboro, MA. The overall average performance of the 29 Toyota and Honda hybrid sedans exceeded 60 MPG, with a modified Honda Insight from Brian Hardegen of Pepperell, MA, delivering almost 94 MPG and a ``plug-in'' Toyota Prius from Valence Technology Inc. in Austin, TX, averaging 102 MPG over a 150-mile range. The average of the 5 biodiesel vehicles was nearly 53 MPG, including the 20 MPG average of the Ford F250 pickup truck entered by Vogelbilt Corp. in West Babylon, NY. Two remarkable production vehicles were new Ford Escape hybrid SUVs from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority as well as Rad Air in Parma, OH, achieving 35 and 43 MPG, respectively.
The most interesting overall vehicle was the novel ``plug-in'' hybrid demonstrated by Valence Technology as well as Energy Control Systems Engineering Inc. (doing business as EnergyCS LLC) in Monrovia, CA. This is a modified Toyota Prius with a much larger battery pack than the normal Prius, and charged with external grid power. On a 150-mile run, this vehicle achieved 102 MPG on the gasoline used, but also used 9 kilowatt-hours of electricity required to charge the special lithium-ion batteries, which cost less than $1 to recharge. Although this vehicle would be relatively expensive to buy if available today (due to extra battery cost) plug-in hybrids may become a viable future technology.
In the Tour de Sol Championship, which showcases concept vehicles built by students and entrepreneurs as well as some production vehicles, all but two of the entrants approached zero oil use by powering their vehicles with biodiesel, electricity, solar or natural gas. Of these, St. Mark's High School in Southboro, MA, and North Haven Community School, North Haven, ME, demonstrated true zero-oil consumption and true zero climate-change emissions with their modified electric Ford pick-up and Volkswagen bus, respectively, At home, they recharge their vehicles from wind and solar -- demonstrating what can be done when electric vehicles are recharged by ``clean electricity'', which can be purchased throughout the U.S.
Three top-placing teams -- West Philadelphia High School, Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ) in Saint-Jerome, Quebec, Canada, and Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA -- demonstrated incredibly low greenhouse-gas emissions by running their vehicles on biodiesel. The ITAQ entry got 67 MPG in a Mercedes SMART diesel vehicle.
The E-bike and NEV Competition attracted over a dozen vehicles ranging from recumbent electric tricycles, to stand-up scooters, electric bicycles, and 4-wheeled /4-passenger NEVs (neighborhood electric vehicles). What all these vehicles have in common is that they run on electricity and are designed to meet our needs for local ``around town'' trips. The incredible efficiency of these lightweight vehicles truly demonstrates what can be achieved in the field of fuel efficiency. Opti-Bike LLC in Boulder, CO, took first place with its pedal-assisted electric bike.
In addition to the vehicles participating in the National 2005 Tour de Sol, there were over 30 displays from auto, bus and NEV manufacturers, and business and government leaders, all working together to produce clean transportation solutions for the U.S., Canada and beyond. Displays included: Toyota's hybrid Prius, Highlander SUV and Lexus RX 400h; Honda's three hybrid sedans -- Insight, Civic, and Accord -- its natural-gas Civic GX, and the FCX, one of its 30 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles; natural-gas, propane and hybrid buses and trucks; emission-reduction technologies for new ceramic brakes; biodiesel suppliers; and lithium-battery manufacturers.
Monte Carlo-style Rally & 100 MPG Challenge
The Monte Carlo-style Rally was created this year to offer advanced-vehicle owners the opportunity to demonstrate what their vehicles (production-line or modified) can deliver as well as to compete for up to $10,000 in prizes. To compete for the 100 MPG Challenge (no entrant achieved that goal this year) entrants began at one of the 11 official stating sites around the U.S. and Canada and were required to drive a minimum of 500 miles to Stewart's Shops in Saratoga Springs, NY. Other entrants traveled a minimum of 150 miles to Saratoga Springs, for other prizes. Key Monte Carlo-style Rally organizers are the Automotive Career Development Center and the Center for Technology Commercialization, with Stewart's Shops and biodiesel supplier Environmental Alternatives providing the fuel for all the entries. This year, 40 teams entered the new Monte Carlo-style Rally.
E-Bike and NEV Competition
The E-bike and NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) competition was created last year by RunAbout Cycles in Sunderland, MA. E-bike and NEV manufacturers, distributors, entrepreneurs, hobbyists and students are invited to participate in this two-day event. This year, over a dozen entrants went through technical specification checks, displayed their vehicles and participated in a range events of one, two or three hours.
Tour de Sol & Tour de Sol Championship
Over a half million consumers have visited the Tour de Sol since its creation in 1989 by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and over 40 million print-and electronic-media exposures accrue annually from the Tour. The Tour de Sol provides a key platform for vehicle manufacturers, students and entrepreneurs to demonstrate future designs and current products that aim to reduce oil and carbon emissions to zero. The event provides news media the opportunity to provide timely and topical updates on the status of sustainable energy and mobility. This year, over a dozen teams participated in the Tour de Sol Championship, which began in 1989. This event aims to inspire students and businesses to design, build, showcase and use concept vehicles that push the envelope and work toward the ultimate goal of the Tour de Sol.
Sponsors
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Center for Technology Commercialization are the event's Premier Sponsors. Key Sponsors are the U.S. Department of Energy, the New York Power Authority, Toyota Motor Corp., the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Parks, American Honda Motor Co., Environmental Alternatives, and the Federal Highway Administration.
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, the nation's leading regional education and advocacy association, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. NESEA aims to accelerate the deployment and use of renewable energy and energy efficiency by producing major sustainable-energy events that inspire and motivate large numbers of people to get involved and make a difference.
For more information on all of the winners in the National 2005 Tour de Sol, visit www.TourDeSol.org or contact NESEA at 413.774.6051.
NOTE TO ALL MEDIA: All National 2005 Tour de Sol results as well as photos are available upon request.
Report #40: The Tour de Sol Reports Continue
The Tour de Sol wrapped up on Monday, but the Reports will continue for some weeks. I have about 5 hours of taped of interviews to type up, plus a large bundle of pictures to post. I hope to work on getting through them a little every day until they are done. So please stay tuned.
Mike Bianchi
Report #41: Press Release - Revised TdS Monte Carlo Rally Results
This press release was replace. See Report #50.
Report #42: TdS Stories at the Boston Globe's Web Site.
Meg Herbert, Automotive Producer at the www.Boston.com/cars website, participated in the Monte Carlo Rally and wrote four stories about the Tour. The first is at
http://www.boston.com/cars/news/2005/may/0518_tourdesol.html
with links to the others. Below are the first pages from the other three.
On the road hybrid-style
Many people may not know about the Tour de Sol, but for the people involved, it is a chance to showcase a true love of their hybrid vehicles and to be a part of an event to raise awareness of the modern marvel that is the hybrid car.
I had the opportunity to participate in the rally this year and was given the keys to a shiny new Toyota Prius to drive the almost 200 miles to the finish line in Saratoga Springs, NY. Here is a glimpse into what its like to drive in a car and event such as this.
http://www.boston.com/cars/galleries/hybridevent/driveout/1.htm
Tour de Sol
Students, individuals and corporations attended the Tour de Sol over the weekend to showcase their efforts to design vehicles that approach zero carbon emissions and use renewable fuels.
Viking 23 is a student-built biodiesel/electric AWD hybrid sports coupe currently being designed and tested by students.
http://www.boston.com/cars/galleries/hybridevent/alt/1.htm
Monte-Carlo Rally
Hybrid and other low-emission vehicles lined-up recently for the Monte-Carlo Rally - an event in which participants drive a minimum of 150 miles to see who can get the best gas mileage en route to Saratoga Springs, NY.
Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle owners participated in the event. Here are a few we met up with at the finish line.
http://www.boston.com/cars/galleries/hybridevent/tourdesol/1.htm
Report #43: Team Profile: Bio SMART
Canadians have a transportation option not yet available in the United States, namely the "smart" cars manufactured by, but not branded as, Mercedes Benz. (The smart logo is always in lower case letters.) These two-person commuter vehicles were originally a collaboration between Swatch (the Swiss watch company) and Mercedes, intended to appeal to the young, smart set. Hugo Marsolais, the principle engineer with ITAQ (Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute), told me why he brought this car to the Tour as we took a short ride.
How many smarts have sold in Canada? "About one or two thousand per year. World wide, I think they have sold a million."
At first glance, this car reminded me of the Th!nk car. 2-seats, short wheel base, basic transportation. But the smart is much more refined, comfortable and roomy. This one is the Passion model, a convertible, that comes with electric side mirrors and window lifts, nice looking fabric and trim, and air conditioning. "You can go on the highway for hours. My girlfriend and I came from Montreal. We entered the Monte Carlo Rally and the Tour to have fun, meet people, and send the message that we can improve the environment with current technology in cars that are fun to drive, affordable and ecological.
"The three Rs of sustainable development are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Before Reusing and Recycling we need to Reduce. This car is about the first R. My philosophy of research and development is to do the easy things before doing the complex things. Before hybridizing a Hummer, why not just reduce the Hummer? Before searching for the exotic solution, why not check the tire pressure? Make sure the engine is tuned up. Easy stuff! That is the message.
"The smart is a good educational tool to promote the biofuel R&D niche. Our biofuel comes exclusively from used cooking oil and rendered animal fats." So things that used to be a waste product and an expense can now be sold as a resource. In fact the sunlight and carbon dioxide that plants collect during photosynthesis store energy in the oil. It's first use was to cook something. It's second use, instead of putting it into dumps, is to be a fuel. "When it was thrown into a land fill, it deteriorates into methane which is a green house gas 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. It is not just a question of recycling it. There is a positive effect from not disposing of it, plus the positive effect of regaining the stored energy."
Are Canadians ready for that message? "It's moving and part of our mandate. Quebec is a big biofuel producer, but we were not using any of it; it was exported to the United States and Ontario, because they had progressive incentives. As a technology transfer center we have the mission of increasing public awareness" of the benefits of biofuel. "Ontario and British Columbia had incentives for biofuel. Quebec, thanks to our efforts with other partners, now have a tax break for transportation uses. That is not enough, but it is good start."
They are driving the car on B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel), "so far. We intend to run it on B100 when the fuel is available." (Later in the week, he did fuel it with some of the B100 that Vogelbilt brought to the tour.)
Where is the research need? "The problem in Quebec is the cold." B20 works fine in the car as is, and B100 works fine in the summer. "B20 freezes at -18 degrees Celsius." They see that temperature for about 3 weeks each winter. "My center is working right now on thermal management systems for vehicles running on B20, such as school buses, trucks and cabs." The problems are not that different from those of petroleum diesel in the cold, "so there are solutions for these issues."
"People forget that the diesel engine was originally designed in 1901 by Rudolph Diesel to run on peanut oil. 10 years later, petro diesel was formulated to copy the vegetable oil. Since then diesel engines have fumed, smoked, been smelly and deposit carbon."
Hugo said that they intend to create a Tour de Sol-like event in one or two years, but in the winter. "It sounds sadistic. We are discussing it with Michelin." Can you imagine B100 cars parked all night at -25 degrees C?
ITAQ also has involvement with electric vehicles.
http://www.cstj.net/itaq/
Report #44: Photos - Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ), Bio SMART
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_008.html
Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ), Bio SMART
Vehicle Name: Bio SMART (2005 SMART) Vehicle Number: 10 Team Name: Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ) Providence: Quebec, Canada ICE: Biodiesel (B20)
The Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute (ITAQ) team wants to demonstrate a fun to drive eco-friendly car. The SMART is a production vehicle which, when powered with biofuels, can deliver substantial reductions in climate change emissions and air quality improvements. Quebec hosts one the largest biodiesel producers in North America using feedstock mainly from recycled source and this is an important R&D niche for the ITAQ.
Hugo Marsolais explains the smart Passion and how of biodiesel made from used vegetable oil helps the environment.
The engine is low, behind the rear bumper. When the top is up, there is a tall luggage space behind the seats.
The interior feels roomy, mostly because the windshield is well forward. The mirrors and windows are electric. And this model has air conditioning.
Report #45: The Green Hornet
This would be a Team Profile, except this car is not here to compete in the Tour. Larry Jarboe is here with the car which sports a NEDRA (National Electric Drag Racing Association) sign. He is from Great Mills High School in Saint Mary's County Maryland. Larry is a county commissioner there.
"We brought it here for the Great Mills Engineering Club just so we can do the technical testing so we'll know what we have to do to make the car efficient for next year. We've got the speed, now we need the efficiency.
"I like what it said during the acceleration run. `97 decibels - tires squeal very loudly.' The kids will design a different system for next year."
The car is a converted Toyota MR2, with the batteries under the hood and in the small trunk behind the engine compartment. Each battery string is 9 12-Volt Optimas. "On the street we run them in parallel. It's a docile car and we take it nice and easy. At the track we go fast, with the strings in series. The motor is a standard FB4001 Advanced DC, using the Zilla controller made by Otmar Ebenhoech, that can deliver 1000 Amps but we don't put that much through it.
"Our goal here was to come and see some of the new technologies and share ideas, which is what you do when you come to the Tour de Sol. I'm very supportive of tech education: engineering, better fuels, a better future. We have a naval air station and a lot of the kids come from those families."
Last year the kids came to Larry looking for help in building a drag racing car because I was involved with electric vehicles. He helped lay out the requirements so the car would be both raced and used on a regular basis. "Batteries like to be exercised. Most of the innovations in the car were developed by the students. They figured out how to fit in the batteries." The car is registered and insured in Larry's name, and he drives it as his daily car.
On June 11th, the car will be at the Power of DC Race at the Mason Dixon Dragway in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Report #46: Photos - The Green Hornet
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_009.html
The Green Hornet
This converted MR2 can be run as a fast, burn-rubber racing car or as a more docile street machine.
It was put through Technical Testing, even though it was not competing, to see how close-to-ready it was for next year's Tour.
Four contactors (two near the shock absorber tower and two near them middle of the "engine" compartment) can reconfigure.
the nine batteries in the rear, . . .
. . . and nine batteries in the front as one long string in series for speed or two short strings in parallel for range.
Report #47: Team Profile: The Lorax
There are some cars at the Tour that just turn heads year after year, and this is one of them. I asked Steve Leatherman to tell me what was new.
This year they have 17 batteries from Eagle-Pricher to drive the 50 horsepower Solectria AC motor, one more battery than last year. They also added the roll bar to meet Tour de Sol safety rules. "We've been driving it out more in public, in the local area. We drive it about twice a week, most time taking someone with us." But it isn't much of a chick car. "Mostly it's the 30-plus women who say `Oh, look at that cute car'. Then the guys say, `What the hell is that thing?' Some people don't hear anything running. `What does that thing run on? Is it electric?' Yup. Some think the little solar panel in the back powers the car."
It isn't easy to get in or out of. "It fits like a shoe. Once you are in, you are THERE!"
Does only having three wheels make the handling odd? "Surprisingly not. The center of gravity is relatively low."
Next year they want to put a roof on the car, with flexible photo cells.
Report #48: Photos - The Lorax
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_010.html
The Lorax
Vehicle Name: The Lorax Vehicle Number: 45 Team Name: Methacton Electric Car Club State: Pennsylvania Electric: 1999 "Lomax" kit car conversion, (Battery: Eagle-Pricher PbA)
The Methacton Electric Car Club is made up of males and females ranging from 9th to 12th grades. Our mission is to explore alternative energy resources one car at a time while providing hands-on learning about alternate power sources for science, engineering, and trade students and the general public. In addition to building a vehicle the team created computer generated fundraising materials, and community outreach.
Open wide and say "ahhhhhhh".
The roll bar and the flashing light that sits above it are new this year.
A view from the other side, with the rain cover on.
Report #49: Tour de Sol Championship Team Rankings and Awards
Tour de Sol CHAMPIONSHIP Teams and Awards
CATEGORY Subcategory -- Teams
Team name
Vehicle # -- Vehicle name (fuel note)
Location
Awards
ALTERNATIVE FUEL & HYBRID VEHICLES Production Vehicles -- Independent Teams
S&S AutoSport
#70 -- 2002 Toyota Prius (Hybrid-gasoline-electric)
Tulsa, OK
1st Place in Category
10th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (50% reduction)*
8th Place -- Fuel Economy (54 MPG)
5th Place -- Hill Climb (12 seconds)
2nd Place -- Autocross (40seconds)
4th Place -- Acceleration (11 seconds)
ITAQ (Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute)
#10-Bio SMART (Bidiesel)
St. Jermone, Quebec, Canada
2nd Place in Category
4th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (65% reduction)*
7th Place -- Fuel Economy (67 MPG)
3rd Place -- Autocross (41 seconds)
8th Place -- Acceleration (13 seconds)
ALTERNATIVE FUEL & HYBRID VEHICLES Prototype Vehicles -- Student Teams
West Philly EV Team
#2 - Hybrid Attack (Hybrid -- biodiesel electric)
Philadelphia, PA
1st Place in Category
2nd Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (85% reduction)*
10th Place -- Fuel Economy (50 MPG)
4th Place -- Hill Climb (11 seconds)
1st Place -- Autocross (36 seconds)
3rd Place -- Acceleration (10 seconds) Place in Category
Western Washington U. Hybrid Club
#23 - Viking 23 (Hybrid -- bidiesel-electric)
Bellingham, WA
2nd Place in Category
1st Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (85% reduction)*
9th Place -- Fuel Economy (51 MPG)
2nd Place -- Hill Climb (10 seconds)
8th Place -- Autocross (45 seconds)
5th Place -- Acceleration 11( seconds)
Western Washington U. Hybrid Club
#32 - Viking 32 ( Compressed natural gas)
Bellingham, WA
3rd Place in Category
12th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (50% INCREASE)* 630
12th Place -- Fuel Economy (15 MPG)
1st Place -- Hill Climb (9 seconds)
2nd Place -- Autocross (40 seconds)
1st Place -- Acceleration (9 seconds)
ALTERNATIVE FUEL & HYBRID VEHICLES Prototype Vehicles -- Independent Teams
Valence
#36 -- Saphion (Plug-in hybrid -- gasoline-electric)
(Valence Lithium ion batteries)
Austin, TX
1st Place in Category
5th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (64% reduction)* 153
6th Place -- Fuel Economy (74 MPG)
6th Place -- Autocross (43 seconds)
Innovative Technology Award
Vogelbilt
#12 Vogelbilt Vehicle (Biodiesel in Ford 250 pick-up)
West Babylon, NY
2nd Place in Category
Fuel Economy and Climate Change Data not available
3rd Place -- Hill Climb (10 seconds)
4th Place -- Autocross (42 seconds)
2nd Place -- Acceleration (9 seconds)
BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES Student Teams
Methacton HS Electric Car Club
#45 The Lorax
Jeffersonville, PA
1st Place in Category
6th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (63% reduction)*
2nd Place -- Fuel Economy (120 MPG)
2nd Place -- Range (57 Miles)
7th Place -- Hill Climb (14 seconds)
7th Place -- Acceleration (12 seconds)
Burlington County Electechs
#16 - The Olympian
Burlington County, NJ
2nd Place in Category
8th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (55% reduction)*
4th Place -- Fuel Economy (98 MPG)
3rd Place -- Range (41 Miles)
6th Place -- Hill Climb (14 seconds)
5th Place -- Autocross (42 seconds)
6th Place -- Acceleration (12 seconds)
North Haven Community School
#53 - Revolution Ride
North Haven, ME
3rd Place in Category
11th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (0% reduction)*
11th Place -- Fuel Economy (45 MPG)
6th Place -- Range (21 Miles)
11th Place -- Hill Climb (25 seconds)
7th Place -- Autocross (44 seconds)
12 Place -- Acceleration (17 seconds)
Renewability Award -- Recharge from solar panels at their school
SOLAR-ASSISTED ELECTRIC VEHICLES Two-person Student Teams
St. Mark's School Electric Vehicle Club
#56 -- Woodstock
Southborough, MA
1st Place in Category
9th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (51% reduction)*
5th Place -- Fuel Economy (90 MPG)
1st Place -- Range (66 Miles)
8th Place -- Hill Climb (17 seconds)
9th Place -- Autocross 47( seconds)
9th Place -- Acceleration (14 seconds)
2nd Place -- Most solar miles traveled (6.5 miles)
Renewability Award -- Recharge with renewable-produced electricity, Green Tags
SOLAR-ASSISTED ELECTRIC VEHICLES One-person Student Teams
Cato-Meridian HS Technology Team
#92 -- Sunpacer
Cato, NY
1st Place in Category
3rd Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (66% reduction)* 141
1st Place -- Fuel Economy 90(132 MPG)
5th Place -- Range (26 Miles)
8th Place -- Hill Climb (19 seconds)
11th Place -- Acceleration (16 seconds)
1st Place -- Most solar miles traveled (7.6 miles)
Irondequoit HS Solar Car Team
#7 -- Zodiac
Rochester, NY
2nd Place in Category
7th Place -- Low Climate Change Emissions (59% reduction)*
3rd Place -- Fuel Economy (108 MPG)
4th Place -- Range (34 Miles)
10th Place -- Hill Climb (22 seconds)
10th Place -- Acceleration (15 seconds)
3rd Place -- Most solar miles traveled (2.4 miles)
* Climate Change Emissions:
% reduction compared to a conventional 27 MPG gasoline vehicle which
emits 420 grams CO2/mile.
Electricity based on emissions from Northeast power plants.
(California emissions would be less, national average would be more)
Report #50: Final Press Release for the Monte Carlo-Style Rally
National 2005 Tour de Sol Revises Results
Of Monte Carlo-Style Rally
Modified Hybrid Vehicle Nears 100 MPG Barrier
In National 2005 Tour de Sol
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Hazard nhazard@nesea.org 413-774-6051 x18 James Dunn jdunn@ctc.org 508-870-0042 x108
Greenfield, MA -- May 16, 2005 -- Due to fuel measuring inaccuracies, the National 2005 Tour de Sol has issued revised results of the Monte Carlo-style Rally competition, held May 13-16 in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY. The top placing vehicle, a modified hybrid Honda Insight driven by Brian Hardegen of Pepperell, MA, neared the 100-mile-per-gallon barrier over a 150-mile range in the National 2005 Tour de Sol. His vehicle demonstrated 94 mpg, which leaves the 100-mpg Challenge on the table for next year's event.
In the production vehicle division (i.e. unmodified vehicles), the top hybrid- vehicle winners include a Honda Insight driven by Charles Sullivan of Hanover, NH, which averaged 81 miles per gallon, and a second Hybrid Insight driven by Mike Lewis of Portland, ME, which averaged 79 MPG. They achieved the best results for production vehicles in the Monte Carlo-style Rally, which required participants to drive their vehicles at least 150 miles during the competition. While Sullivan got slightly more miles per gallon than Lewis, the difference was too small to determine precisely.
The top finishers in the biodiesel category of the Monte Carlo-style Rally were a Volkswagen Passat driven by David Glynn of Westboro, MA, and Karl Roenig of Clifton Park, NY, which averaged 77 MPG, and a Mercedes SMART car driven by Hugo Marsolais of Saint-Jerome, Quebec, which averaged 75 MPG. While Glynn and Roenig achieved a bit more miles per gallon than Marsolais, the refueling process was too inaccurate to gauge exactly.
The most interesting overall vehicle was the novel ``plug-in'' hybrid demonstrated by Valence Technology as well as Energy Control Systems Engineering Inc. (doing business as EnergyCS LLC) in Monrovia, CA. This is a modified Toyota Prius with a much larger battery pack than the normal Prius, and charged with external grid power. On a 150-mile run, this vehicle achieved nearly 102 MPG on the gasoline used, but also utilized 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity required to charge the special lithium-ion batteries. When computing the total energy used, including the grid power, the net effective mileage was only 67 MPG, which is still highly commendable. Although this vehicle would be relatively expensive to buy, if available today, due to extra battery cost, plug-in hybrids may become a viable future technology.
This year, 41 teams entered the new Monte Carlo-style Rally. This competition was created to offer advanced-vehicle owners the opportunity to demonstrate what their vehicles (production-line or modified) can deliver as well as to compete for up to $10,000 in prizes.
During the National 2005 Tour de Sol -- the 17th annual sustainable-energy and transportation festival and competition -- over 60 hybrid, electric and biofuel vehicles from throughout the U.S. and Canada demonstrated that we have the technology today to power our transportation system with zero-oil consumption and zero climate-change emissions. Each vehicle showed new ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while reducing harmful pollutants.
Monte Carlo-style Rally & 100 MPG Challenge
To compete for the 100 MPG Challenge, entrants began at one of the 11 official stating sites around the U.S. and Canada and were required to drive a minimum of 500 miles to Stewart's Shops in Saratoga Springs, NY. Unfortunately, no entrant achieved that goal this year. Other entrants traveled a minimum of 150 miles to Saratoga Springs, for a host of other prizes. Key Monte Carlo-style Rally organizers are the Automotive Career Development Center in Worcester, MA, and the Center for Technology Commercialization in Westboro, MA, with Stewart's Shops and biodiesel supplier Environmental Alternatives in Brooklyn, NY, providing the fuel for all the entries.
E-Bike and NEV Competition
The E-bike and NEV (neighborhood electric vehicle) competition was created last year by RunAbout Cycles in Sunderland, MA. E-bike and NEV manufacturers, distributors, entrepreneurs, hobbyists and students are invited to participate in this two-day event. This year, over a dozen entrants went through technical specification checks, displayed their vehicles and participated in a range events of one, two or three hours.
Tour de Sol & Tour de Sol Championship
Over a half million consumers have visited the Tour de Sol since its creation in 1989 by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and over 40 million print-and electronic-media exposures accrue annually from the Tour. The Tour de Sol provides a key platform for vehicle manufacturers, students and entrepreneurs to demonstrate future designs and current products that aim to reduce oil and carbon emissions to zero. The event provides news media the opportunity to provide timely and topical updates on the status of sustainable energy and mobility. This year, over a dozen teams participated in the Tour de Sol Championship, which began in 1989. This event aims to inspire students and businesses to design, build, showcase and use concept vehicles that push the envelope and work toward the ultimate goal of the Tour de Sol.
Sponsors
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC) are the event's Premier Sponsors. Key Sponsors are the U.S. Department of Energy, the New York Power Authority, Toyota Motor Corp., the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Parks, American Honda Motor Co., Environmental Alternatives and the Federal Highway Administration.
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, the nation's leading regional education and advocacy association, is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. NESEA aims to accelerate the deployment and use of renewable energy and energy efficiency by producing major sustainable-energy events that inspire and motivate large numbers of people to get involved and make a difference.
For more information on all of the winners in the National 2005 Tour de Sol, visit www.TourDeSol.org or contact NESEA at 413.774.6051. (results tables etc.)
NOTE TO ALL MEDIA: All National 2005 Tour de Sol results as well as photos are available upon request.
Report #51: Tour de Sol Detailed Scoring
The results and detailed scoring of the Tour de Sol competitions have been published on the NESEA website.
http://www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/05pressinfo.html
Below are links to the individual reports in HTML and PDF formats.
Championship Race Summary and detailed scoring:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/Tour_de_Sol-RESULTS_stats_summary.pdf
Electric Bike and Neighborhood Vehicle competition awards and detailed scoring:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/E-Bike_+_NEVs-RESULTS_table.html
Monte Carlo-style Rally awards and detailed scoring:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/Monte_Carlo-style_Rally-RESULTS_table.html
Report #52: Team Profile: The Olympian
Most of the long-standing participants in the Tour de Sol have stayed with one school or team. But this year, the Olympian has changed from Cinnaminson High School to Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Burlington County College (BCC). The constant is Ollie Perry, who taught at Cinnaminson and now advises this team. (Oliver is a founding member of the Northeastern Electric Vehicle Club (NEEVC), which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.)
"Our new group is called the Burlington County Electro-Techs, shortened to ElecTechs. It's a collaboration between BCIT, a vocational high school, and BCC, and anyone else who wants to be involved with our organization. We like to call it a partnership. It's only been in operation a month. I came in, looking for a home for the electric car. I had been involved with Jack Braun at BCC for many years, with my students going there and his students helping on the high school project, that it seemed natural to move there when Cinnaminson lost interest in continuing after I left. So now the car is titled and insured to BCIT.
"BCC already had a Mercury Cougar that they have been converting; it is nearly completed. Another NEEVC member, Paul Kydd, has been working with lithium-ion batteries for use in electric boats." There are plans to put lithium-ion into the Cougar and maybe the Olympian. "With this consortium, we're hoping to get more action and more people involved. It hinges on having someone who can bring everything together and keep things moving." They need something that will become self-sustaining. The administration at BCC and the Burlington County Freeholders and other political connections are all enthusiastic.
"BCIT is teaching automotive technology classes which are also open to adults. And they realize that there is this new wave, hybrids, and that they have to be ready for it. We have to expand beyond the old traditional programs."
Report #53: Photos - The Olympian
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_011.html
The Olympian
Vehicle Name: The Olympian Vehicle Number: 16 Team Name: Burlington County Electechs State: New Jersey Electric: (Battery: GNB PbA)
"The Burlington County Electechs" includes students and instructors from Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Burlington County College (BCC.) They are entering the Olympian, an electric vehicle recently donated by Cinnaminson High School. The team is committed to preparing students for vocations in the high tech automotive and related industries, including the economic, social, and health related benefits of greener transportation.
Ollie Perry is particularly proud of the ElecTechs logo, done by a former student of his.
Under the hood.
The battery box is visible in the back of the car.
Report #54: Team Profile: Woodstock
This bright yellow battery electric pickup truck, which gets its name from the Peanuts cartoon character, continues its message that driving on totally green, renewable energy is possible today. Ken Wells is the faculty advisor to the team. I asked him what is new this year.
"The composition of the team is more girls than boys, this year. Our emphasis has shifted slightly, from wrenches to chemistry, of the atmosphere, and the environmental angle. And the kids are interested in political activism. It's a broader appeal. We've also figured out a way to power easily using 100% renewable, zero emission electricity from the grid. And everybody else could if they knew about it. We're going to be telling the public and handing them things that send them to www.green-e.org .
"We're telling them that it is not the electrons that you are buying. You are not buying any substance. You're buying the pull on the other end of the rope, not the rope. When you buy green electricity, like we are buying Kansas wind power, we're paying to have our portion of electricity that we withdrew from the grid replaced. So it is green, and clean, and zero emission." In years past the analogy was based on the Automated Teller Machines. The dollar bills you get are not the ones put in when you got paid, but the value they represent is your's.
The team has a couple of demonstrations that make the point and to explain to really little kids what energy is and how it works.
Matt Flagg told me what was new on the truck. "We got new solar panels from Evergreen Solar, that are 115 Watts each, that is a significant boast over last year. They provide a trickle-charge to the batteries. A lot of people think they are what powers the truck, but of course they are only supplementing what we get from the grid."
What do you like about being on this team? "The think I like about our car is it isn't just a cool science project. Woodstock is just like anything in anybody's garage, except it is electric and it's clean. People can imagine that they could drive something like this."
Matt is a sophomore, so I asked what is next. "Mr. Wells bought a VW and is setting up a system in his garage to make biodiesel to run it. We're doing things like converting a water heater into something were we can do the chemical reactions. It's not as hard as people think to be clean.
"Mr. Wells is putting in all this curriculum that wasn't there, bringing these issues up, and getting the school into things like this. We had a car at the beginning of this year showing that this is not out-of-this-world stuff. It's far more practical.
Report #55: Photos - Woodstock
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_012.html
Woodstock
Vehicle Name: Woodstock Vehicle Number: 56 Team Name: St. Mark's Electric Vehicle Club State: Massachusetts 1994 Ford Ranger conversion Electric: (Battery: Trojan PbA)
"Woodstock" is a true zero emission vehicle. It runs on 100% renewable electricity! This yellow 1994 Ranger was converted to run on battery power by high school students at St. Mark's School. Woodstock's batteries recharge overnight with wind-generated electricity from the grid. Built by physics students, the project gives them an opportunity to explore what engineering would be like, and the importance of efficiency.
Under the hood is the controller, the motor and some batteries.
The team gets ready to go through technical inspection. The bumper sticker says "Powered by American Electrons".
All the vehicles plugged into the generator set were using renewable sources. The generator was fueled with biodiesel.
"Renewable Row" at the Saratoga Spring Autoshow featured Woodstock, rEVolutionride.org and the Solar Black Bear (with the large tilted solar panel in the distance). Each is a practical battery-electric vehicle recharged by a renewable source.
Report #56: Monte Carlo Rally: Just for Fun
Some of the entrants to the Monte Carlo Rally got in just for the fun of it. In Cynthia Shelton's case, they didn't even have a category for her car, because it runs on vegetable oil. Not biodiesel made from vegetable oil, but filtered used cooking oil. Why would someone who is a musician, artist and writer do such a thing? Let's find out.
Her car is a stock 1973 Mercedes Benz 220D; the D stands for diesel. At least it was stock until "I converted it to run on straight vegetable oil, waste vegetable oil from the local Asian restaurant. I filter it with a sock from the local paint store into a five gallon bucket to get out some of the salts and the chunks. Then I pour it into 24 gallon vegetable oil tank, and it then goes through a 10 micron filter before it goes up to the front to the engine. It is heated all along the way by a coolant exchange and an in-line heater."
The conversion is based on a kit from Neoteric Biofuels, Biofuels.ca . "They are one of three conversion kit makers in the United States. The other ones are in Drury Missouri, Greasel.com, and one in East Hampton Massachusetts, Greasecar.com.
"The extra tank was in the car when I bought it. Back in the 1970s, when you could only fill up every other day, some people cheated by having a bigger tank and getting their fuel 50 gallons at a pop." The 17 gallon tank is still there, used for normal diesel fuel. "I insulated the extra tank with some foam that was lying around.
"We converted it in the first week in January in California. I then drove it back to Massachusetts via Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and home, on vegetable oil all the way. I was interviewing industry players along the way, I had prepared an itinerary that allowed me to pick up oil every couple of days enough to get to the next stop.
"The car is basicly theft proof because no one knows how to start it." The key only turns on the electric power. You then _pull_ on the starter control, half way, until the glow plugs (aka "preheaters") in the cylinders get hot, and then all the way to crank the starter. "It's a manual shift, which is fairly rare. And I love it!
"I would like the government and media to acknowledge that this option exists and stop confusing it with biodiesel, because it is not biodiesel.
"I'm going to do some journalism pieces out of this experience, so watch for them."
Cynthia has a web site with a history of the car and the first cross country trip. It is
www.cynxing.com
Report #57: Photos - Mercedes Benz diesel runs on vegetable oil
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_013.html
Mercedes Benz diesel runs on vegetable oil
Cynthia brought her veggie-Benz to the Tour de Sol display in Saratoga Springs to tell her story about driving on used cooking oil. And she got a TdS Monte Carlo Rally trophy for being the oldest car to enter.
But she was quite surprised when she won an award from the Spring Autoshow judges for "Best Mercedes".
Cynthia pulls up to win her award from the Saratoga Spring Autoshow.
Report #58: Press Release: Tour de Sol Victory Saves School's Automotive Academy
West Philly High Team Wins Award In National 2005 Tour de Sol
Victory Saves School's Automotive Academy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Hazard nhazard@nesea.org 413.774.6051 x18
James Dunn jdunn@ctc.org 508.870.0042 x108
Greenfield, MA -- May 23, 2005 -- The head of the Philadelphia School District has spared West Philadelphia High School's Automotive Academy from the budget- cutting axe after a team of students from the inner-city school won an award during the National 2005 Tour de Sol, held May 13-16 in Saratoga Springs and Albany, NY. ``That program is not going to be touched,'' Paul Vallas, the school district's chief executive, told the Philadelphia Daily News. ``If anything, it might be expanded.''
Two student teams, the one from West Philly High and another from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, took top honors with their purpose- built hybrid vehicles, which use biodiesel instead of gasoline and produce 85% less climate-change emissions compared to a conventional 27-miles-per-gallon gas car. The other top-placing team in this category was from Quebec Advanced Transportation Institute in Saint-Jerome, Quebec.
During the National 2005 Tour de Sol -- the 17th annual sustainable-energy and transportation festival and competition -- over 60 hybrid, electric and biofuel vehicles from throughout the U.S. and Canada demonstrated that we have the technology today to power our transportation system with zero-oil consumption and zero climate-change emissions. Each vehicle showed new ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while reducing harmful pollutants.
Thousands of people came to see the vehicles and talk with the people participating in the three exciting competitions held during the National 2005 Tour de Sol. There were 41 entrants in the new Monte Carlo-style Rally, with several participating in the Rally's 100 MPG Challenge.
The E-bike and NEV Competition attracted over a dozen vehicles ranging from recumbent electric tricycles, to electric bicycles, and 4-wheeled /4-passenger NEVs (neighborhood electric vehicles). What all these vehicles have in common is that they run on electricity and are designed to meet our needs for local ``around town'' trips. The incredible efficiency of these lightweight vehicles truly demonstrates what can be achieved in the field of fuel efficiency.
In addition to the vehicles participating in the National 2005 Tour de Sol, there were over 30 displays from auto, bus and NEV manufacturers, and business and government leaders, all working together to produce clean transportation solutions for the U.S., Canada and beyond. Displays included: Toyota's hybrid Prius, Highlander SUV and Lexus RX 400h; Honda's three hybrid sedans -- Insight, Civic, and Accord -- its natural-gas Civic GX, and the FCX, one of its 30 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles; natural-gas, propane and hybrid buses and trucks; emission-reduction technologies for new ceramic brakes; biodiesel suppliers; and lithium-battery manufacturers.
NOTE TO ALL MEDIA: All National 2005 Tour de Sol results as well as photos are available upon request.
Report #59: Philadelphia Daily News Story: West Philly Win Spares Program
The following was reported in the Philadelphia Daily News (used with permission).
Auto academy is spared cut; W. Philly teacher spot was to be axed
A squad of students from an underachieving city high school custom-built an eye-catching, fuel-efficient sports car that topped the nation's best engineering schools in a national competition.
How were they rewarded?
The principal proposed cutting an auto-shop-teacher's job, leading to the potential loss of two other connected faculty members, and the possible dismantling of the program.
But after a day of budget talks, the school district's chief executive, Paul Vallas, said that West Philadelphia High School's Automotive Academy, fresh off a weekend victory at the eco-friendly vehicle competition, the Tour de Sol, will remain intact.
"That program is not going to be touched," Vallas said. "If anything, it might be expanded."
One of the teachers, David Jenkins, was slated to lose his job in the budget proposed by second-year principal Clifton James, district officials confirmed.
"By removing the teacher's spot and not giving us the resources we need, we feel they are not supporting us," said Simon Hauger, a math and science teacher who led the student team that won the competition.
James wanted to use the auto academy area for students with disciplinary problems, Hauger said. In response to the potential changes, Hauger considered jobs at other schools. Another teacher, Ronald Preiss, requested a transfer.
That would have left the auto program with one teacher.
James did not return calls from the Daily News.
Vallas said that he contacted Hauger on Tuesday to congratulate him and the West Philadelphia team for winning the Tour de Sol.
"At that time, I asked him, 'How much more do you need?' " Vallas said.
The auto academy, Vallas said, will be a "signature program" at the new West Philadelphia High School, now in the planning stages. Vallas hopes to break ground on a facility by next January, but a site has not been selected yet.
"This program keeps the kids off the streets," said Jacques Baptiste, a senior at West Philadelphia, who was on the winning Tour de Sol team that spent two years building a soybean-oil-fueled car with a 300-horsepower engine.
Students in the program often linger in the garage well beyond school hours, on weekends and during school breaks.
Devereaux Knight, another participant, said that he considered moving to New Jersey, where his brother lives, to attend high school.
"The only reason I stayed here is because of the auto program," said Knight, a senior who dreams of opening a garage with some of his partners in the program.
Students said that most of the kids who go through the auto program attend college.
"There is a transportation industry begging for qualified individuals," Vallas said.
Hauger, who spent the day speaking with officials from the district, said, "I hope that they follow through with everything they said."
He said that he and the teacher who asked to transfer will remain at West Philadelphia as long as the proposed position is not cut and other needs are met.
"There is a lot of tension at schools this time of year because of resources that have to be stretched," said Al Bichner, deputy chief academic officer for the district.
"This is just part of the budget dance," Vallas said.
Copyright 2005 Philadelphia Daily News All Rights Reserved Used with permission.
Report #60: Demonstration Vehicle: Honda FCX Fuel Cell Car
Get out your Number 2 pencils. POP QUIZ!
For 100 Trivia de Sol points, what was the first fuel cell vehicle to compete in the Tour de Sol? Hint: It was a hybrid. Extra points for naming the year, the team, and the hybrid fuel.
Pencils Down!
One of the great things about the Tour is the opportunity to be among the first to see Cars of the Future. This year, the Honda FCX Fuel Cell powered car is the one to see. Carl Ferrentino, General Counsel at Homeland Energy Resources Development (www.homeland-energy.com), told me about it.
"This is one of two fuel cell vehicles being leased to New York State by American Honda Motors. It is the first fuel cell vehicle being leased on a long-term basis to states, and the first in a northern climate. Fuel cells produce water as a by-product and water freezes at 32 degrees F. That has been one of the threshold questions on the viability of fuel cell vehicles. This is the 2005 model, delivered last December. It already has had some good experience with people from General Services and the governor's office driving it. They seem very satisfied with its performance in the New York climate." The brochure has a picture of the FCX with a "subZERO" graphic on the door.
"One of the reasons it has been placed in New York is that this state has been very good and far thinking in adopting alternative fuel vehicles. They have many of Honda's natural gas vehicles already.
"Fuel cells running on hydrogen offer the potential of being very clean because the tail pipe emission is only water and water vapor. And hydrogen has the potential of being manufactured from domestic sources and non-fossil sources. Right now it does come from natural gas or petroleum reforming, but there are technologies that will address those concerns.
"Honda and Plug Power, a local company, have a joint project to develop a home energy station that would take natural gas off the home pipe line and give home heating, 4 kiloWatts of electric power and fuel to a hydrogen powered car." What would happen to the left-over carbon? "It would be released as CO2 (carbon dioxide). From a greenhouse gas perspective, it is much more thermodynamically efficient because of the combined heat and power cycle. You would not be wasting heat.
"In Torrence California, Honda has a solar panel that generates hydrogen through electrolysis, compresses it, and fuels their cars. Besides the solar to hydrogen path way, there is the biofuel to hydrogen pathway, the nuclear power pathway, hydropower and others. That is the long range vision for a hydrogen economy.
"The car itself is a dream to drive. It has extraordinary performance and acceleration at low speeds." And regenerative braking, although this car has super-capacitors instead of batteries. "Capacitors can provide quicker discharge and uptake than batteries, with better efficiency. It is a very quiet, comfortable, drivable car. A typical driver takes only a minute or two to get acclimated. A lot of the technology in this car was pioneered in the Honda EV-Plus battery powered car."
Some of the specs, off the brochure:
Model Honda ZC2 Name RCX Dimensions 163.9 L x 69.3 W x 64.7 H (inches) Wheelbase 99.6 Tread front 59 rear 60.2 Weight 1,670 kg Occupants 4
Performance Max speed 93 mph Range 190 miles
Powertrain Method front-wheel drive
Motor AC synchronous permanent magnet
Max output 80 kiloWatt
Max torque 272 Newton-meter
Fuel Cell Stack
Type Honda Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC)
Max output 86 kiloWatt
Fuel Compressed Hydrogen Gas Storage High pressure tank Capacity 3.75 kilogram Max pressure 5,000 pounds per square inch
The two fuel cell stacks, cooling pump, humidifier and fuel cell system electronics are under the front two seats. There are two hydrogen storage tanks, under the rear seat, and four super-capacitors behind the rear seat.
http://world.honda.com/FuelCell
Report #61: Photos - Honda FCX Fuel Cell car
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_014.html
Honda FCX Fuel Cell car
Vehicle Name: FCX Demonstration Vehicle: Honda FCX Electric: Hydrogen Fuel Cell
The short but tall profile of the car is largely due to the seats being raised by the fuel tanks, fuel cells, and associated subsystems under them.
Note the "see-through" side mirror.
There isn't a great deal of "plumbing" under the hood, although the "starter battery" certainly looks out of place. I suspect that's for "hotel loads"; lights, radio, etc.
Report #62: Team Profile: Solar Black Bear
I spoke with Jeff Bargosiewicz, from the University of Maine, about their two entrants. Well there were supposed to be two entrants. The "Solar Black Bear" is here, but the "Phantom Sol" was not in sight.
"We worked on it all year. We bought a brand new motor controller, a Cafe Electric Zilla 2000 ampere, water cooled; brand new batteries; rebuilt the body to make it all nice and clean and neat and everything fits right; totally redid the interior, gauges, you name it; put power brakes in; power steering. This car was in its prime." Or so they thought. Friday morning, the day they left to come to the Tour, the brake slave cylinder cracked. "It blew the piston right out of it. Thank God we weren't moving at the time. It will be here next year, definitely, along with some sort of new car." We last saw the Phantom Sol in 2002; I look forward to seeing it again.
The Solar Black Bear _is_ here, and it is good to see it again. When the Tour de Sol started, the goal was to drive just on sunlight, but that proved to be too challenging for most people, so instead the Solar category entrants competed on the basis of "solar fraction": what percentage of the vehicle's energy came from the sun during competion. But during the summer, the Solar Black Bear is a 100% solar working vehicle! "We drive this vehicle almost every single day during the summer," Jeff said. "The past year, from the Tour de Sol we went home, used it every day. Paul, one of our advisors, drives it from home to work and back; brings his kids to school; goes to the grocery store. All summer, up until November, we did not plug it in once." It ran entirely on the energy collected by the solar panels.
There are 13 BP Solar panels in series, 18 Volts each, delivering 1.1 kiloWatts. "On a very bright day we get about 33 miles of driving. During this year we plugged it in about March, which cost about five dollars from the utility. All the rest of the 1900 miles we've driven since then as been on the sun. This is a true working solar electric vehicle."
Report #63: Photos - Solar Black Bear
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_015.html
Solar Black Bear
Vehicle Name: Solar Black Bear Vehicle Number: 20 Team Name: U. Maine Solar Vehicle Team State: Maine Electric: 1986 Chevy S-10 conversion, (Solar + Battery: Trojan PbA)
The Solar Black Bear was created in the spring of 1999 and has been the Light-duty two-person Solar Commuter Champion for 6 years. The Solar Black Bear is a very practical and usable vehicle that demonstrates the team's enthusiasm and commitment to creating a better tomorrow for today.
Early on the day of the Saratoga Spring Auto Show, the Solar Black Bear was set up, getting some rays.
The mechanism that tilts the array is simple, but clever and effective. There are four posts that support the under-frame of the array, which has pivot pins on both sides. Here we see the two driver's side pins have been pulled so the array is tilted on the passenger's side pins. The silver electric lift cylinder at the front of the load bed pushes up at the center of the solar array, so the angle can be set just so. As the day progresses and the sun rises higher, the cylinder lowers the array until, at noon, it is flat on the under-frame. Put in the driver's side pins, pull the others and push up with the cylinder to track the sun down to the west.
Here you can see the rear passenger's side pin and hinge.
The batteries are all below the diamond plate load bed. The diamond plate comes off easily for easy access.
Note the Solar Black Bear logo on the hood.
The other advantage of the big panel is it provides major shade when the sun gets hot.
Report #64: Team Profile: Zodiac
Being part of a Tour de Sol team is a generational thing for some. Take the story of Leslie Brotsch.
"My brother was on the team and now I am. They started building the car, I believe, in 1994. When he was graduating high school, I was just getting in. He is finishing up at SUNY (State University of New York) Morrisville, graduating with a bachelor's degree automotive technology.
"I've taken all the auto classes at school." Are girls common in those classes? "There is another girl who has been in all the classes I've taken. I've seen one or two in every other class. And we have four girls on the team."
"We are building another car, a Mini Cooper, right now. I do a lot of the body work, fabrication, fiberglass, sanding, Bondo, all the fun stuff.
"And I test batteries a lot. Zodiac had a ground fault caused by a leak in one of the batteries." They cleaned it up and sent it back for reinspection.
The team started working in October. "It's a lot of work; welding, and grinding, and fabrication. A lot of the same things and it gets tiring after a while, but in the end it's all worth it."
What comes after high school? "I'm going to SUNY Morrisville for residential construction. I was going to go into automotive, but my boyfriend is in that, and my brother. And I `shadowed' a dealership for a day. A lot of the guys like it, but don't wish it upon anybody else." And she had her own reasons. With cars you fix it but it then goes away. "With a house or whatever I can stand back and see my accomplishment. Then my ultimate goal is to become a teacher."
Later I talked with Dave Marshall, advisor to the team. He told me that while they are competing with the Zodiac, their main focus is the Mini Cooper they are building. Although it is named after a production car, it is being built from scratch, "just like the Zodiac. The difference is we can have two students in the new car at a time." There are about 20 students working on it.
"We've gone to a full blown tube chassis instead of a square-tube for the Mini Cooper. We're using a Miata suspension, making molds from a 1963 (or 64?) Mini Cooper, and will make a fiberglass body from it."
"All the solar work is done after school. We meet every Monday night from 6 until 9 o'clock, through out the year - once a week, 3 hours. That's not a lot of time, but enough. That way they can also be in other activities, too." Some don't come for the part of the year that their involved with sports, drama club and the like, but then return later.
Among the changes to Zodiac, they added sensors for motor and battery temperature and a better speedometer. "We've sprung the brakes to keep them off the rotors to decrease the drag." But the brakes are not as quick because of the extra travel of the brake pads. "It's something we have to teach the kids when their driving."
Report #65: Photos - Zodiac
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_016.html
Zodiac
Vehicle Name: Zodiac Vehicle Number: 7 Team Name: IHS Solar Car Team - W. Irondequoit High School State: New York Electric: 1999 Purpose-built, (Solar + Battery: Trojan PbA)The Zodiac has been going strong for five years thanks to the commitment dedication and countless man hours poured into the vehicle. Through previous competitions we have proven our skills and and hope to wow the competition this year.
The single drive wheel is in the back, with the motor perched on top. The five solar panels are hinged so they can be tilted left and right to better catch the sun.
The side panels come off fairly easily.
With the sides removed, the components are easy to access. The window in the nose allows the driver to see what is immediately ahead, such as curbs and parking barriers.
Ready to start the hill climb competition.
Report #66: Team Profile: Plug-in Prius
There are some of us who never understood the `complaint' that you had to plug a battery-electric car in. Like I really would miss the trip to the gas station? They haven't given me a free cup or a scratch-to-win card in decades! So when I heard that a plug-in Prius was not only coming to the Tour de Sol, but was participating in the Monte Carlo Rally, I was really excited.
Greg Hanssen, Vice President of Energy Control Systems Engineering (EnergyCS) was explaining the plug-in Prius that his company and Valence Technology have created.
The idea of a plug-in hybrid is to charge the batteries by plugging in every night and then drive as much as you can on 2 cents per mile house current and only then use the 4 cents per mile gasoline. Clearly quoting just the gasoline mileage is not a true measure, but saying "I'm getting 100 miles per gallon" will get people's attention.
"People understand what a gallon of gas costs, but they don't understand what kiloWatt-hour of electricity costs, or even what a kiloWatt-hour of electricity IS! So we've been focusing more on the national security side of the story; the petroleum reduction is really the hot topic right now."
Maybe that's true most places, but the Tour de Sol is not most places. Lots of people who visited the car at the Tour displays wanted to understand the technology and what its benefits are.
"Aside from the battery system in the back of the car and the little display and control module up on the dashboard, this is a stock Toyota Prius. We've taken out the 80 pound, 1.3 kiloWatt-hour nickel metal hydride battery that came with the car, as well as the battery controller, and replaced them with a 250 pound, 9 kiloWatt-hour Valence Saphion lithium ion battery system, with our own EnergyCS control system on top of it. EnergyCS is working with a company in Los Angles called Clean Tech to start a new company called EDrive Systems which will commercialize this system. We expect that by early 2006 we will have a upgrade option for sale, between $10,000 to $12,000. Right now the batteries alone cost more than that. But we are working on ways to integrate it and repackage it, and Valence is working on new chemistries and packaging methods for the battery cells and modules, to bring it down to that price point.
"We supply a 1 kiloWatt, 110 Volts AC battery charger. If the 9 kiloWatt hour battery we provide were totally empty it would take 9 hours to charge it to full. "With the battery fully charged, we trick the Toyota hybrid system, without modifying it. We turn on the Electric Vehicle mode where the car drives strictly on battery below 34 miles per hour. Above 34 mhp we convince the Toyota hybrid controller that the battery needs to be discharged by telling it that the battery is full." The car tries to bring it back down again, to the 80% state-of-charge it likes. "But we keep saying `you are full'. So, even with the engine running, it's putting 6 to 8 kiloWatts from the battery into the electric motors, which lowers the gasoline consumption." The result is that even on the freeway, you're still getting 80, 90 miles per gallon with the electric assist. At low speeds you're getting infinite miles per gallon, because you are not using the gas at all." Instead, you're using the energy from last night's charge. "So combined, we get about 100-to-150 mpg for the first 50-to-60 miles of the day.
The Prius still has the full regenerative braking capability, like normal.
How long will the batteries last? "The Valence guys say 8 to 10 years."
The idea of a plug-in Prius has been around for a while. How does this compare with the California Cars Initiative? "About a year and a half ago, Felix Kramer started CalCars to press for the idea of plug-in hybrids, to push the concept. He put together an internet group, which the New York Times called `garage tinkerers', to find a way to make the Prius a plug-in hybrid. But we could tell that the methods they were trying weren't destined to go anywhere. We sold them our electronics to do the battery monitoring and the control, because we had already figured some of this stuff out. They put lead acid scooter batteries in a Prius with our control system. Even though those batteries were not a really good match to the car, they could see some respectable performance gain. We then moved along to a more advanced battery. My company has been working with Valence on a number of other projects, and it became clear that the Valence module was a perfect fit."
How does Toyota view this with respect to the warranty? "Toyota says you are voiding your warranty, of course. When EDrive commercializes the system we will have some sort of warranty on the battery, the installation and the controller. We are still working some of these details out. Technically, when there is a problem, an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is responsible to demonstrate that what an after-market installer caused it. If the engine conks out, or the emissions control system conks out, we'll say `we didn't touch any of that.' And they'll say, `yeah, but your manipulating the car to run in a way that is not normal.' Then the finger pointing could start. We'll have to work all that out. Fortunately, since we are working with Toyota and one of the best built cars in the world we are not as worried about things falling apart."
Will this be available on the east coast? "When we launch in early 2006, it will be in California. As we add other hybrids into the EDrive system, like the Escape, Lexus and Highlander (which are completely different systems and their own challenges), we will be looking to get certified installers in other areas."
"One of the things we are trying to figure out is how to label the car so people know it's a 125 mile per gallon vehicle. Maybe we'll put a display in the rear window displaying the miles per gallon."
[I wondered how the charge management of the battery was handled. Would every _cell_ get individual attention?] "Yes. Every parallel block of cells, 3.2 Volts, has its own voltage measurement and balancing circuit." [Yippee! Right Answer! Thank you. (I do have some prejudices when it comes to battery management of advanced chemistries.)]
How did they do in the Rally? "By the time we ended our plug-in boost range, where we pulled as much as we could out of the batteries (which were charged the night before), we had driven 90 miles averaging 123 miles per gallon. By the time we drove 120 miles, we were just at 100 miles per gallon. According to our computers, we drove the required 150 miles averaging 90 miles per gallon."
Speaking of the on-board computers, the normal Prius energy usage display doesn't know it's being fooled, so all the little markers start out pegged at 99.9 and the whole screen is bright green. "After 60 miles, when you've used the plug-in energy, it goes down. When it gets to 50 the display looks like a normal Prius."
Report #67: Photos - Plug-in Prius
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_017.html
Plug-in Prius
Team Name: Valence Technology, Inc.
Powered by the Valence U-Charge* Power System, this concept plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a fully functional concept car based on a 2004 Toyota Prius that was modified by EnergyCS. Because the Valence battery offers much more energy than batteries traditionally used in hybrid vehicles, it allows significant amounts of zero-emission driving and fuel efficiencies of 120-180 mpg.
It just looks like a normal 2004 Prius. But what does that graphic on the door say?
"125 MPG / 50 km per liter" Without the sign, how would you know?
Report #68: Tour de Sol News Media Web Page
Steven Jones-D'Agostino, of www.BestRateOfClimb.com , has a web page that contains a comprehensive collection of Tour de Sol items:
Contact Information
Results & Profiles
News Releases
Photo Gallery
Audio Gallery
News Coverage
Related Articles
Related Web Forum
Sponsors & Organizers
The address is
http://www.BestRateOfClimb.com/tourdesol2005.htm
Report #69: Answer to the Pop Quiz
In Report 60, I posed a Pop Quiz question.
http://www.autoaud.com/TdS_Reports_2005/#Report60
The most of the answer is found in the 1998 Tour de Sol Reports.
http://www.autoauditorium.com/ATdS_Report_1998.html#Report20
The fuel? Pasta, a biofuel.
Report #70: Team Profile: Newburgh Free Academy Solar Racing Team
One of the great pleasures of this job (TdS Reporter) is to run into people and teams who I've not seen at the Tour de Sol for a while and to discover they have been very busy during their absence. I spoke with Christopher Eachus to hear what this Newburgh New York team has been up to. He is a physics teacher and the advisor to the team.
"We have three vehicles here. One is a solar car, `Sol Machine #5', registered as an experimental car here in New York state. Then we have a 3-wheeled solar bike, which we just finished building last night." (That is to say Friday, the day before the display at the Saratoga Spring Auto Show.) "And finally we have an E-bike which runs on electricity, but without solar panels. It's very similar to an Electrothon vehicle."
"We have 6 team members here at the Auto Show, and on Monday 60 more members will be showing up in Albany."
"We have been in the solar program for 14 years. We have built a total of five solar cars. In 2000 we were the national high school champions in `Sol Machine #2'. We also took that car to Australia for the World Solar Challenge and came in third. This year we expanded our sights a bit and built this solar bike. Next weekend we will be in Topeka Kansas for the American Solar Bike Race, which is the national championship for solar bike racing.
"The requirements for a solar bike is different from a solar car. For instance the solar panel must be smaller: 1.6 meters squared is your maximum. Your battery load is much smaller. It can be 4-, 3- or 2-wheeled. The bike will be raced in a track competition in Topeka at the Heartland Motor Speedway." More information is at:
http://www.solarbike.org/
"Like with anything, the technology increases and thus the competition increases. `Sol Machine #5' will be raced from Dallas Texas to Los Angles California." The Dell-Winstson Solar Car Challenge starts on July 8th. More information is at:
http://www.winstonsolar.org/race/
"All of the team members volunteer their time to work on these on the weekends, after school. All of these vehicles are driven by the kids, so it is more than an hands-on project. Being able to drive something they built is real thrilling for them.
Kaitlyn Calaluca is one of the students with the team. "Last year I started taking AP (Advance Placement) physics and got involved with the team. Everyone in a physics class helps, whether it's doing fund raising or working on a vehicle. I helped attach the motor and controller on the solar bike."
Chris added, "We are very proud of the program. I hope that other high schools in New York state develope programs like this."
Report #71: Photos - Newburgh Free Academy Solar Racing Team
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_018.html
Newburgh Free Academy Solar Racing Team
While 'Sol Machine #5' was only on display, the solar bike and the E-Bike competed in the Tour de Sol.
Sol Machine #5 features a tiltable solar array which allows for more efficient collection of the sun's rays by positioning the array as close to perpendicular to the rays as possible.
Another view.
The solar bike and the E-bike on display at the Auto Show. Note that the front wheel of the solar bike is both steering and power. The electric motor above the wheel drives it through a chain.
Notice that the solar bike doesn't have a steering wheel. Left and right handles steer the front wheel.
The E-bike also uses the steering handles instead of a steering wheel.
A member of the "Future E-Bike Racers of America" tries out the driver's seat.
Report #72: Team Profile: Bassi Scientific
Tony Basilicato and wife Anne have made a business out of using electric vehicles as education tools. "Bassi Scientific" is that enterprise. We looked at his display at the Auto Show.
"This is a slow-speed NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle). But it really is a teaching machine. It is used for instructional purposes in school. It is inexpensive to build since we use things like copper pipe and plexiglass and weights only 160 pounds. It has a double chassis that will take at least 750 pounds." The seat, which is made in Italy, has a spring suspension and shock absorbers, so the vehicle does not need them on all four wheels. A number of sound effects serve as the horn. "We have a radio receiver and a two-way radio so they can learn about radio. And a PA system so we can wake noise to wake everybody up. We have a special type of lighting system on the car, front and back, to make us visible. Their all LEDs, which draw very little current. We have two sealed 7 Ampere-hour batteries, which we want to conserve. The chargers, made in Canada, eliminate sulfate from the batteries which means the batteries will last almost indefinitely. It is strong. It will do wheelies. It will climb hills. And accelerates from zero to 12 miles per hour in approximately 3 seconds."
What is the syllabus for a education class based on this vehicle? "The problem is that the schools only have clubs. And then only have one vehicle, like a car, to work on. But 60 people want to work on this car where the parts are thousands of dollars. But each person could build one of these, probably for less than $1000, and then have them and use them in their neighborhoods." Used properly, the schools could pay for them by bringing in cars to the shop and converting them to electric vehicles. "We offer this design for no cost. We only ask that you buy the parts through us."
Along with the practical vehicle, they also designed a small racing car. "It uses the same 1 horsepower." It's purpose it to let the students in a school to make several cars and hold competitions. "Competitions make things work. So they have to build it right, reduce the friction, put enough air in the tires, and manage their electric energy to win the race." It isn't a speed race, but rather an efficiency race.
"We want to individualize the training in schools in accredited programs, instead of after-school activities. We want the teachers to know something about it. That is the hardest part."
They also have an electric bicycle. "Tomorrow we will be running this bicycle for 3 hours, for 45 miles, without pedal assist. When we finish we will take the cover off the motor box, and after 3 hours of running that motor will be as cool as the outside air. That says that we did not waste any energy (creating heat). It only runs on 1 amp. It cannot run any faster than 18 miles per hour. While going down hill it produces 10 amps of recharge. That's 10 times as much power to recharge as it uses when it runs."
Bassi Scientific
1253 Alden Drive
Augusta GA 30906
Report #73: Photos - Bassi Scientific
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_019.html
Bassi Scientific
Tony Basilicato with his "teaching machine NEV".
Another view. On the shelf above the windshield are (left to right) a sound-effects box, a car radio, and a two-way radio. The wheels don't have a suspension or shock absorbers, but the seat does.
A closer look at the controls.
Anne Basilicato in the racing car.
In this view of the racing car, the battery packs and chargers are in the rear.
Another view.
The electric bike has the motor mounted above the rear wheel, connected with a chain drive. The battery pack is between the handle bars and the seat support.
Report #74: Runabout Cycles
When most people think about "practical hybrid electric vehicles" they think about cars, trucks and maybe buses. There is another category where the hybrid fuel is carbs; the hybrid cycle.
Josh Kerson came to the Tour de Sol in 2002 to show us his personal project, "The Spincycle" recumbent tricycle. Now he has a business in Sunderland Massachusetts selling its successors named RunAbout Cycles. Elana Hurwitz told me about the two models they were displaying at the Auto Show.
When I saw the vehicle at the 2004 Tour they were beginning to install a Valance lithium ion battery-plus-charger module on the bike. "We sometimes charge that bike using solar panels." The electric drive provides assistance to the rider. The sign claims:
40 - 50 miles range 20 miles per hour
"We have a thumb throttle to operate the electric motor. This is a very stable bike that centers the riders weight. There are disk brakes and a full suspension. As you pedal or brake you are putting charge back into the battery with regenerative braking.
"Shifting gears is the same as on a traditional bike. The pedaling turns the rear wheels and the motor adds power to the rear wheels with a separate chain. Of course you can pedal alone, but using the assist you can climb hills, pull a lot of weight. You can use the motor to back up. The frame is made of aircraft quality 4130 chromolly steel tubing. You have meters that tell you about the level of your battery. The wheels can be changed for different types of terrain and surfaces." For instance wider tires for sandy surfaces. All the wheels are on quickly removed hubs, making it easy to repair tires. And there is a parking brake.
The current bike with the lithium ion battery is about 265 pounds. Josh is working on a lighter weight frame, closer to bicycle frame style, that will weigh a lot less; under 100 pounds. Another model we have on display here has a stainless steel, more ergonomic seat design. That specific bike is being customized so the seat and handle bars will fit her body.
One market for these tricycles is for handicapped people who rides scooters. The scooters are limited to 200 pounds and are not street legal. These trikes can carry more weight and are legal in the street, so they can go to the store, the park and get around town.
Josh told me, "My customers tell me that their lives changed for them. They now have the ability to get around their neighborhood, get around their local town, ride their bike alongside the kids, even for a customer with degenerative leg muscle disease. They are getting exercise and socializing using a clean and quiet transportation." The active elderly and handicapped looks to be a strong part of their market.
RunAboutCycles.com
Report #75: Photos - Runabout Cycles
Photographs from the Tour de Sol:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com/TdS_Reports_2005/photos_020.html
Runabout Cycles
Josh Kerson explains the customized RunAbout Cycle. The seat is missing in this photo, but that allows us to see the lead-acid batteries that are mounted under it and the motor controller mounted behind it. Notice that the pedals are on an adjustable arm that makes finding the perfect position for any individual rider easy. Other things to notice: wheel fenders, a pair of rearview mirrors, and the pair of side-mounted steering handles.
Here is another RunAbout trike, equipped with saddle bags. The lithium ion battery pack and charger are in the white box under the seat. The motor and drive chain are visible in this photo, mount just forward of the rear wheel.