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Posted by jonrosen
29th Mar 2012
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This is hardly a step forward in fuel efficiency.
Edited by Beery1
Updated - 30th Mar 2012
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Not a car
What has 2 wheels and carries 1 passenger? (Hint: "car" is incorrect.)
Posted by dmm99
29th Mar 2012
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Yes, it is a car
It has three wheels and is referred to as a car. If you really want to get technical, the vehicle is similar to a microcar.
Posted by tuancnguyen
Updated - 29th Mar 2012
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Horsepower
When you get into a sticky situation on the road, I've always preferred that I have the option of powering out of the situation as well as breaking out of it. When it comes to safety, two options are better than one.
Posted by metaphysician
29th Mar 2012
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Old news
The bit about horsepower and weight is OLD news.. Nothing we don't already, or SHOULD already know. One of the problems is that all the safety stuff and perks we are used to and enjoy, is what adds so much to the weight.
The more 'power' devices, means more weight, for example. Take the devices used for a roll-down window, and a power-window.. It may not be huge, but it's there.. multiply that times 4, and there's a few, to a few dozen pounds... Then think about similar things throughout the car.
Of course, it's those things, and some of the safety items that 'must' be on cars that form a cycle of increasing weight. The heavier the car is, the more (and heavier) safety items need to be installed. which makes the car weigh more, so on and so forth. Add in the devices for the belts, the airbags (especially as many as there are in some cars now) and that adds more. Now, I don't begrudge airbags. They do save lives. However, simply safer driving does that too.
(I'll end it here as I am rambling a bit now)
The more 'power' devices, means more weight, for example. Take the devices used for a roll-down window, and a power-window.. It may not be huge, but it's there.. multiply that times 4, and there's a few, to a few dozen pounds... Then think about similar things throughout the car.
Of course, it's those things, and some of the safety items that 'must' be on cars that form a cycle of increasing weight. The heavier the car is, the more (and heavier) safety items need to be installed. which makes the car weigh more, so on and so forth. Add in the devices for the belts, the airbags (especially as many as there are in some cars now) and that adds more. Now, I don't begrudge airbags. They do save lives. However, simply safer driving does that too.
(I'll end it here as I am rambling a bit now)
Posted by jonrosen
29th Mar 2012
0
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Aerodynamics are equally important
Why did those students omit to mention the importance of aerodynamics although
incorporated in their design?
incorporated in their design?
Posted by kwickset@...
29th Mar 2012
0
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car shape
You're right! Aerodynamics plays a big role in fuel efficiency. They should have mentioned it.
Posted by tuancnguyen
29th Mar 2012
0
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Pollution Control
Remove all the pollution control crap that's installed in a car that gets 22 mpg and watch the mileage go up to 35 mpg +.
Posted by Tinman57
29th Mar 2012
0
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This is hardly a step forward in fuel efficiency.
"Engineers have proven that its possible, at least technically, to drive from coast to coast on only a gallon of gasoline. Granted, however, the vehicle they built goes about 10 to 25 miles an hour, can only fit one compact-sized person..."
Erm... we don't need engineers to prove that it's possible to drive coast to coast at 10 - 25mph on a gallon of gasoline. I can do that on my bicycle on much less than a gallon of gasoline.
Anyway, what these engineers have done is to power a faired tricycle with a little gasoline engine. This is hardly a step forward in fuel efficiency. All it does is waste gasoline by replacing pedal power with an internal combustion engine. Essentially, all it accomplishes is to allow the driver to get fat by sitting idle instead of burning the energy he/she must eat.
Erm... we don't need engineers to prove that it's possible to drive coast to coast at 10 - 25mph on a gallon of gasoline. I can do that on my bicycle on much less than a gallon of gasoline.
Anyway, what these engineers have done is to power a faired tricycle with a little gasoline engine. This is hardly a step forward in fuel efficiency. All it does is waste gasoline by replacing pedal power with an internal combustion engine. Essentially, all it accomplishes is to allow the driver to get fat by sitting idle instead of burning the energy he/she must eat.
Posted by Beery1
Updated - 30th Mar 2012