As we’ve already had the car which runs on air, I thought I’d add a general alternative vehicles thread kicking off with This little Lotus Zap, which looks pretty damn amazing to me and I can’t wait to see one bombing down the roads.
There’s also a report of the Toyota Hybrid X which looks interesting.
[quote=“sulavaca”]As we’ve already had the car which runs on air, I thought I’d add a general alternative vehicles thread kicking off with This little Lotus Zap, which looks pretty damn amazing to me and I can’t wait to see one bombing down the roads.[/quote]The technology is getting better and better. The article said that the Lotus has a touring range of 350 miles and recharges in 10 minutes. Not bad at all.
It certainly looks unique. Not quite sure whether I like the looks or not. Maybe it just takes time to get used to.
nice one, sulavaca. bit worried about the low profile tyres off road… perhaps something with more sidewall compliance is not nice to the rim drive? not sure i’d be happy bumping my way across a rocky river crossing with the current wheels though they look pretty flash at what must be something like 20-21 inch rims!
whilst you’re on that site for the lotus zap, check out the lotus 7 Eleven the convenience store car. sorry, the 2-eleven. well, it’s small and fast. not a family car, and not an off road car, but cute. do they come in 4wd?
I thought they were black elastic bands, and they are a bit of a break from reality aren’t they. I hope to see some proper big foot wheels on it, jacked up suspension and a dozen truck horns on it when it comes to production, that’s perhaps the only way they’ll get anyone on this island in one. 
Some interesting videos I found today relating to the history and the present day free energy vehicles.
Fifth Gear’s Honda Hydrogen car
A 25 year old hydrogen powered car WAAAAY before its day and built by one man.
Honda’s FCX concept Coming in 2008? A damn fine looking car!
General Motors - Sequal - Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car
Inventor of the water powered car A must see!
Fuel cells sound great. There was a post here a while back about that commercially available fuel-cell powered bicycle/small motorbike thing. It cost a few USD IIRC but if they got a lot cheaper I’d certainly consider getting one.
Not sure about the water-powered engines though. Not dismissing them out of hand but it would seem that if they worked as they are claimed to, that would violate the laws of physics.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Fuel_Cell
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water-fuelled_car
It certainly would. So I set about yesterday trying to gather some of the parts to make my very own and lay the thing to rest. I found a place that has the tubes for construction and I am setting about the videos and online information today to see if I can’t get a Joe Cell to work.
I found a few nice links in Yahoo today. A line up of perhaps the most desirable alternative vehicles of recent times in the way of sports cars. Some of these figures are quite astounding.
Lotus Exige
Koenigsegg CCXR
Connaught Type-D Hybrid
Tesla Roadster
And the one that’s on my Christmas list, Venturi Fetish
Don’t forget, Mr. Diesel originally made the diesel engine with peanut oil in mind as the fuel. Until he died under mysteriously circumstances after which shortly the petros turned it into a petroleum-using product. I believe the figure leading that man was none other than Peter Paul Bush.
But seriously, I’ve seen quite a few diesels, old benzes, running around on fast food oil. Just requires an inexpensive converter. Hell, I’ve even seen a Hummer atop a mountain on that stuff. So, definitely a viable alternative.
But again, I believe the real issue is consumption habits more than anything else as a first obstacle to tackle. That and mileage standards.
The fastest car on the road at 342mph with a 1.4 liter engine and does about 66 miles per gallon
F’ing amazing!
Oh, but it costs 1 million pounds. Sorry about that.