CPUs don't make sense !

[slvr_phoenix]

Such a design exists and was starting to be considered prior to September 11th, 2001. In the aftermath of that event these next generation plants were deemed to be too vulnerable to large scale terrorist attack and the plans for beginning construction were put on hold.

As sad as that is, I can actually believe it. :\ (Not that they would actually be too vulnerable, but that the bright sparks that run the US would <i>deem</i> them to be too vulnerable.) Meanwhile I bet the waste soot from coal plants is still an unregulated material. And I bet the US government is still concerned about people using an XBox as a guidance system for a ICBM.

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Zoron]

There is a car being developed in Japan... has 8 wheels, is electric, and (believe it or not) has a top speed of 400 km/h. Of course, it costs about $320,000... but why should that stop ya?



(It takes 320 batteries to power it, and it runs for 300 KM before needing a recharge)

<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>

 

[slvr_phoenix]

**ROFL** That's a scary car. You might as well just buy a plane. :O

Hmm... I wonder if one could invent a solar-powered plane... I mean with plenty of wingspan for solar panels and a very lightweight design with just one passanger...

Of course, for that matter, maybe someone should invent a purely solar powered car that can sustain 400km/h indefinately on a sunny day.

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Zoron]

Yes, it is scary... it can outrun their bullet trains...

The consumer version of the car will max out at 190KM/h... but that is still scary fast for an electric.

<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>

 

[slvr_phoenix]

Faster than a speeding bullet train. Able to leap Godzilla in a single bound...

Damn.

Who needs an electric car (or any car for that matter) that goes that fast?

And maybe more to the point, who needs one when you're in <i>Japan</i>? I mean it's not like we're talking about a lot of long flat roads or anything. :O

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Zoron]

Well, who needs a car that can exceed 300km/h or even 200km/h? Hell... even exceeding 140km/h doesn't make sense, considering the speed limit is 100km/h here.

They built because they could... and to prove that electric can perform on par or exceed internal combustion engines.

<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

Actually it can't. Due to the weight of batteries and motors exceeding that of gasoline tanks and engines, electric cars will continue to be at a performance disadvantage for some time! Even a 400km/h electric car could be exceeded by a similarly sized gasoline powered car with similar engine and fuel weight.

Yes, there are such cars, they tend to be built for holding land speed records.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Zoron]

Ahh... but the electric car doesn't have a single engine... it actually has eight; one per wheel. What I was referring to is the fact most people believe electric cars are slow and can barely travel at the speed limit. An electric with a top speed of 400Km/h ought to dispell that myth.

Now... you try building a car that has one internal combustion engine per wheel.

:tongue:

<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

Most electric cars are purposely made slow in order to extend battery life. After all, having a standard model electric car that can go even 120MPH, but only for 2 miles, isn't practical.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[slvr_phoenix]

**ROFL** That's one reason that I doubt I can ever get an electric car. I travel about 90 miles a day between work and home. :\ Even if I could recharge at work (which I doubt my employer would appreciate) that's still 45 miles each way.

A <i>good</i> hybrid however could be cool. Now if only they designed a hybrid that could survive the kind of traffic I drive in <i>while</i> carrying a decent load of cargo. :O

I'm kind of surprised though that you don't hear a lot about electric motorcycles. Wouldn't their much lower weight be ideal for an electric conversion?

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Rugger]

Battery storage/weight would be my guess. That and chicks like to feel the vibration between their legs!

__________________________________________________
<font color=red>You're a boil on the arse of progress - don't make me squeeze you!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

There's not a lot of space on a motorcycle, you could easily put the motors inside the wheels and use the entire frame to store batteries, but that would give you a significant amount of unsprung weight for the motors.

If you can live with that, motorcycles could be practical for the purpose.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

I heard a Harley chick say "they don't vibrate, they THROB", lol.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Zoron]

I am also aware of that fact... I'm just eluding to the idea that most of the public believes electrics are slow and can't possibly keep up with internal combustion engines.

Obviously the thing that keeps this car from being practical is the amount of batteries needed to power it.... that is the single largest cost component in building the car. But as research continues, I have little doubt things will improve.

<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>

 

[Rugger]

LOL - no wonder there're so many biker chicks!

__________________________________________________
<font color=red>You're a boil on the arse of progress - don't make me squeeze you!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

I remember research a few years back to make flywheels capable of replacing batteries!

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

Have you ever noticed what they look like after a few years of riding topless in the blazing sun?

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Rugger]

No...

__________________________________________________
<font color=red>You're a boil on the arse of progress - don't make me squeeze you!</font color=red>

 

[Rugger]

New <A HREF="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22208" target="_new">battery tech</A> by Toshiba. Hope for Hybrids...

__________________________________________________
<font color=red>You're a boil on the arse of progress - don't make me squeeze you!</font color=red>

 

[slvr_phoenix]

There's not a lot of space on a motorcycle, you could easily put the motors inside the wheels and use the entire frame to store batteries, but that would give you a significant amount of unsprung weight for the motors.

If you can live with that, motorcycles could be practical for the purpose.

Maybe one day, when I win the lotto, I'll get around to trying to build myself an electric motorcycle then. I'm still toying around ideas to make a wheel (probably the rear) actually be made out of two wheels that split apart at low speeds (but come back together when you start to accelerate) so that the bike holds itself up at stops. (Partly cuz I'm lazy and don't want to put my foot down, but also partly because a bike that won't tip could have an optional hardtop to use on rainy days.) So maybe one day I'll make myself a totally deranged electric motorcycle and everyone can laugh at me.

Of course before I do that, I'd probably pimp out my 200K mile '98 Mercury Sable with a small block V8, a totally new suspension, wider tires, a more responsive transmission, etc., etc., etc. I mean who would expect a Mercury Sable to race? Until then I have to settle for racing my Ford Taurus SHO in Grand Turismo 2.

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[slvr_phoenix]

I remember research a few years back to make flywheels capable of replacing batteries!

What, like the turning of the flywheel is actually a static electricity generator like a Van de Graph that can run the car or something? (Doesn't the alternator already do that?) Wouldn't you still need a battery to crank the engine over? I'm so totally confused. Cars aren't exactly my best of subjects.

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Crashman]

Uh, d00d, no need to go with a dividing wheel, just build a 3-wheel model that leans. You already have the Honda Spree 3-wheeled moped as an example, but you could go big (like a real trike) and have all the wheels lean together. With no other forces on the bike (ie, stopped) it would self center...upright.

The big problem with having all 3 wheels lean on a traditional trike is that the driveshaft angles are too extreme. But for an electric trike, the power cables are flexible enough, and the motors can go in the center of the wheel. No more driveshaft dillema makes the leanable 3-wheeled electric trike an easy solution.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[slvr_phoenix]

Have you ever noticed what they look like after a few years of riding topless in the blazing sun?

Yeah. Ugh. It takes a real bug-eating man to appreciate a sun/wind worn woman like that. Of course real beauty is on the inside. Yeah...

Besides, (generally speaking of course) biker chicks are like women that play Vampire LARPs (Live Action Role Playing games). They're just not right in the head. :\ You've really got to be wary around them because you never know what damn crazy thing they'll do next. **ROFL**

Err ... not that I have any experience in this. No... I don't want to talk about it. :O

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

 

[Crashman]

Oh, if you like, I can do that V8/RWD conversion for you. Just pick up a wrecked mustang with a good engine and I'll use the engine, transmission, rear axle, rear suspension, and transmission tunnel from the mustang on the sable (allong with some 2x2 square tubing and a little flat sheet to fill the voids). From there feel free to add all the mustang engine hop-ups you want, or have the engine rebuilt to race specs.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[slvr_phoenix]

New battery tech by Toshiba. Hope for Hybrids...

I read a better article on this at Vulture Central. I figure it must have been one of the Associated Press pickups. Still, it's a cool new battery. I'll take one for my laptop and a huge pile of them for my electric motorcycle.

<pre> <font color=purple>Yes I'm insane, but it's a <font color=blue><i>good</i></font color=blue> kind of <font color=red>crazy</font color=red>. </font color=purple></pre><p>@ 184K -> 200,000 miles or bust!