Eco One: Sports Car Runs on, Made of Biomass
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.27.07
It's one thing to design a car that runs solely on biofuels; it's another thing entirely to design one that is also made out of biomass. Yet that appears to be exactly what Dr. Kerry Kirwan, a researcher at Warwick University's Warwick Manufacturing Group, has achieved with the revolutionary Eco One sports car he and Ben Wood, his student and collaborator on the project, unveiled a few days ago.
Boasting tyres made of potatoes, brake pads made of ground cashew shells and a body built from hemp and rapeseed oil, this speedy racer — which can attain a top speed of 150 mph — runs on a special biofuel made entirely from sugar beet and fermented wheat. Besides for the car's steering-wheel, seat and electrics — which are all made from conventional materials — only the car's chassis is made from a non plant-based material: steel. As a result, Eco One is 95% biodegradable.
Kirwan and Wood built the Eco One over the period of two months at a cost of £20,000 (or roughly $40,000). "If we can build a high-performance car that can virtually be grown from seed, just imagine what's possible for the average family car," said Ben Wood, who noted that it could do 0 - 62 mph in under 4 seconds flat thanks to a Triumph Daytona motorcycle engine.
The next step will be getting this car and the underlying technologies out into the mainstream car market. Kirwan and Wood have already been approached by several officials in the motor sports industry keen on supporting their efforts. Might an Eco One-type vehicle soon replace our trusted Priuses?
Via ::Daily Mail: British racing greens - from zero to 150mph on potatoes and cashew shells (newspaper), ::Gizmodo: Eco One Sports Car Races at 150 MPH, Made from Salad (blog)
See also: ::Toyota Drives Ultimate Eco-car a Step Closer, ::Ecoigo - Another Smooth Green Ride in London, ::An Eco-Friendly Flying Saucer
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
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- 90-95% Cost Reduction in Algae Production Claimed by Solix Biofuels
- Coal Pellet Stove Introduced in Uganda
- CAT Surgeries Offer Impartial Advice on Alternative Energy
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That looks a lot like the Ariel Atom.
So, instead if rusting, will it go bad? Do you have to park it in the fridge?
No, but you do have to water it regularly.
Quote:
Besides for the car's steering-wheel, seat and electrics — which are all made from conventional materials — only the car's chassis is made from a non plant-based material: steel
Um, lets see
In fact, the only things that appear to be plant based are:
Yet they claim that it's 95% biodegradable?!? The engine alone has got to be more than 5% of the weight or volume or any other measure of the car.
So you made a composite body out of hemp instead of foam and fiberglass. Whoop de doo.
The only interesting thing I see here are brake pads made from cashew shells, but given what they're doing I wouldn't be surprised if they performed horribly and were unsafe for production vehicles. But hey, they got some headlines so who cares.
great Pic of LA, now people know why we must be working on LEV mine is 85# and has 3 wheels (2 in front)
1200 Watts 48 volts 48 ah.
I wanted to ask if you can check on a electric scooter called MOTORINO XS.
At first greenwit comes up, but they do not speak english, the lady at the van cover BC office only says "Im sorry" and there is NO INFORMATION ON IT...? The mane man at Greenwit-Steve only told me one time, usa people have to buy a whole CONTAINER OF THEM..........? and since they are NOT LEGAL IN CA, I cant get one unless I buy a Container..........
No manuels, No pictures but one(1)
Can you please check where Motorino XS electric scooter stand one 1000-1200 watts come from, so I can get more than 1 One picture and some information on them.
greenwit is really wrote up, but just call them or email them,
alex kattas in Las Vegas NV
lasvegasak2@aol.com