Posts Tagged ‘fuel efficiency’

Volkswagon Wows With 300MPG Car

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

“Volkswagen has made a car it says can travel 313 miles on a gallon of diesel, and that emits just 24 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre travelled.

The XL1, which seats two adults, combines a 0.8 litre two cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor. The car is constructed around a carbon fibre reinforced polymer monocoque to reduce the weight to just 795 kilos. German rival BMW is also making an electric carbon fibre car, while Mercedes is to make carbon fibre parts.”

What do you think?

What influences your taste in cars?

Strange Bike And Monorail Fusion May Revolutionize City Travel

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Safe, weatherproof, environmentally friendly, and a good workout, too!

  • Geoffrey Barnett’s ingenious new invention combines a recumbent (lying down) bicycle with monorail technology, creating the “Schweeb.”
  • The invention may provide an alternative means of city travel, and it’s cheap and ecologically-friendly, to boot.
  • Apparently, recumbent cycling is faster than upright cycling, and a monorail would be the safest way to get around crowded cities quickly.

Facts & Figures

  • “Schweeb” is derived from the German word “schweben,” which means “to float” or “suspend.”
  • Barnett worked on the design for six years while he lived in Tokyo, and opened a 200 meter (650 foot) track in Rotorua, New Zealand in 2007.
  • The Schweeb can reach speeds of up to 35 mph.

Best Quote

“To me, as a cyclist, it’s just obvious, you should be able to ride over the top of traffic, so I came up with the idea of a weather-proof capsule that is completely safe.” – Geoffrey Barnett, Inventor