Apr 13

Tesla’s Roadster rolls 241 miles on single charge, annoys petrol pumps

Posted in: car, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, green, tesla, Today's Chili

If one drives the Roadster “as it was intended to be driven,” you’ll probably only get around 125 miles out of it before things slowly grind to a halt. If you toss on your economy shoes and take things a bit easier, it’s apparently possible to get well over 200 miles on a single charge. As the story goes, Tesla’s first all-electric whip managed to cruise 241 miles in a Monte Carlo e-rally, running from the town of Valance in France to the Principality of Monaco. Better still, the vehicle’s battery meter showed 36 miles left on the “tank” when it crossed the finish line, giving it a theoretical range of around 280 miles. If all these figures hold up under critical scrutiny, Tesla will set the world record for the longest distance traveled by a production EV on a single charge. Now, if only it could set the world record for most EVs actually produced by an EV company, we’d really feel the need to celebrate.

[Via Slashdot]

Filed under:

Tesla’s Roadster rolls 241 miles on single charge, annoys petrol pumps originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Apr 11

75-megawatt solar plant to power “first solar city” in Florida

Posted in: green, power, solar, solar power, Today's Chili

Given that Florida has accurately been coined The Sunshine State, it’s not at all shocking to hear that America’s first “solar city” will be built in the state’s southwest corner. Or, at least that’s the plan. According to a new report, West Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners is currently developing a new city near Charlotte County, which will get juiced by a massive 75-megawatt solar plant. Said plant will cost around $300 million to build and will be installed by Florida Power & Light; if all goes well, homes will begin construction on a sizable plot of land dubbed Babcock Ranch by 2011. If things don’t go so well, we’re told that the actual power plant will still be erected and fed into the larger grid. In other words, Florida’s gettin’ some solar power, with or without this newfangled concrete jungle.

[Via Fark]

Filed under:

75-megawatt solar plant to power “first solar city” in Florida originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Apr 08

Steam-powered vehicle looks to scald world record

Posted in: green, Today's Chili

Sheesh — what is it with UKers and their stupidly fast alternatively powered vehicles? Just days after Britain’s own Richard Jenkins set a new world record by going 126MPH in a wind-powered vehicle, Charles Burnett III is gearing up to smash a record of his own in the contraption pictured above. Hailed as the planet’s fastest kettle, this steam-powered automobile is currently being shipped to Southern California in order to blister the Mojave Desert and hopefully obliterate the current record of 127.659MPH. For the historians in the crowd, we needn’t tell you that said record was set way back in 1906 by American Fred Marriott, but we won’t be surprised in the least to see this honor head across the pond in late June. Lots more images and nitty-gritty details are positioned in the read link.

[Thanks, Robert]

Filed under:

Steam-powered vehicle looks to scald world record originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Apr 02

Sigma Motorworks developing EV based on Ford Mustang

Posted in: electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, Ford, green, Today's Chili

With Tesla struggling to make ends meet — let alone become a thriving, profitable automaker during a time when all people want are non-gas-powered vehicles — we have to say that Sigma Motorworks has its work cut out for it here. According to head of operations Matias Gorfinkiel, the Sigma GTE is “a test bed for a commercial high performance sports model that [it] will bring to market by early 2010.” Autoblog reports that most of the vehicle is based on Ford’s storied Mustang, with its front and rear differentials coming directly from Ford and the GTE cockpit ripped straight from an older model Pony car. If all goes well (which isn’t likely, honestly), it’ll provide around 100 miles per charge and could hit upwards of 145 miles per hour; of course, finding the funding to put this thing together is another matter entirely, so don’t go placing a pre-order via some Nigerian-based sister site just yet.

[Image courtesy of AutoblogGreen]

Filed under:

Sigma Motorworks developing EV based on Ford Mustang originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Mar 29

GeoBulb LED light bulb uses just eight watts, rings up at $120

Posted in: green, light, Today's Chili

Ah, progress. Right around two years ago, we spotted a LED-filled light bulb that used “just” nine watts and cost a staggering $65. Now, we’ve got yet another option that sucks down even less power and costs nearly twice as much. C. Crane Company has been working on its so-called GeoBulb for a solid three years now, but at long last the device is shipping to affluent homeowners and headstrong Earth lovers. The bulb can provide as much light as a traditional 60W incandescent with just 7.5W, and it features a 30,000 hour (10 years) lifespan with typical usage. Now, the hard part: choosing between cool, soft and warm white.

[Via Times-Standard]

Filed under:

GeoBulb LED light bulb uses just eight watts, rings up at $120 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Mar 27

Wind-powered vehicle hits 126MPH, nabs world record

Posted in: green, Today's Chili, uk

Sorry Mr. Schumacher, but your ten year record just got obliterated (okay, “beat soundly”) by a Briton. On the dry, dusty plains of Ivanpah Lake in Nevada, Sir Richard Jenkins managed to perfectly harness winds of 30MPH in his futuristic Ecotricity Greenbird in order to hit a ridiculously quick 126.1MPH. In all honestly, we can’t even fathom how you hit that speed with just 30MPH of wind, but clearly we’re not up to speed when it comes to physics and engineering. At any rate, the milestone is pretty important for Ecotricity, which is trying to make wind power the go-to alternative energy source within the next score. Now, if only we could figure out a cheap and easy way to generate wind on demand, we’d really be onto something.

[Via BBC]

Filed under:

Wind-powered vehicle hits 126MPH, nabs world record originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Mar 26

Samsung begins production on edge-lit LED-backlit HDTV panels

Posted in: green, hdtv, LED, samsung, Today's Chili

Samsung‘s being a bit ambiguous with this one, but we won’t deny that we’re drooling pretty heavily over these new panels. Said outfit has just revealed that mass production has begun on the industry’s first “ultra-slim LCD panels suited for large size TVs,” and while we’re wondering what exactly it means by that, we can’t help but appreciate the attributes. We’re told that the unique edge-lit LED backlighting offers lighter weight and thinner designs compared to standard direct-lit LED LCDs, and moreover, a 55-inch Samsung HDTV with edge-lit LED backlighting “uses up to 40 percent less power than conventional LCD TVs.” The panels measure just 0.42-inches thick and are being produced in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes. We’re still waiting to hear back from Sammy on whether these are the same ones used in the energy-efficient LCD HDTVs announced at CES or new models altogether, but ’til then, you can feel free to start digging in the couches for spare pennies.

Filed under: , ,

Samsung begins production on edge-lit LED-backlit HDTV panels originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Mar 26

EcoDrain heat exchanger makes good use of warm waste water

Posted in: green, Today's Chili

File this one directly in the “why didn’t I think of that?” folder. As the bathroom gets more and more eco-friendly, the EcoDrain is stepping in to take advantage of all the hot water that goes to waste each time you shower. Put simply, this user-installed heat exchanger transfers heat from hot shower waste water to cold incoming water, essentially cutting water heater usage by as much as 40 percent. Of course, we’ve never seen a plumbing job that was anything close to simple, but for savings like this, it may just be worth the trouble.

[Via Inhabitat]

Filed under:

EcoDrain heat exchanger makes good use of warm waste water originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Mar 12

Electric TH!NK FROST concept vehicle makes snowmobiles cringe

Posted in: concept, electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, green, Today's Chili

Look, we love taking off through the snow-covered trails of Grand Teton National Park as much as anyone, but we can’t say with a straight face that we’d rather take a snowmobile through there than one of these critters. Designed by Anders Gloslie, the TH!NK FROST is an electric vehicle crafted specifically to operate in arctic environments. Based on current drawings, the all-wheel drive contraption can lug two Eskimos around at a time, though there’s no mention of a hybrid version for those looking to take long range excursions. Commercialization, please?

[Via DVICE]

Filed under:

Electric TH!NK FROST concept vehicle makes snowmobiles cringe originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Mar 07

RTEV begins taking orders for Wheego Whip electric car

Posted in: electric car, electric vehicle, ElectricCar, ElectricVehicle, ev, green, pre-order, Today's Chili

If you’re the type of Earth-loving individual who ain’t got nowhere to go in a hurry, RTEV’s ready and willing to take your order a brand new Wheego Whip. The company’s first street electric LSV (low speed vehicle) will begin shipping to early adopters in May, and it’s primed to carry up to two individuals and a few empty cola bottles anywhere you need to go — so long as there’s an AC outlet waiting at Point B. It’s retailing for under $19,000 and includes an MP3 stereo system, remote keyless entry, air conditioning and a sweet 10 percent Federal Tax credit. Of note, RTEV has plans to eventually produce a higher speed model of this very car, and there’s a trade-in program available (with terms that aren’t half bad) for those interested. For all the fine print, give that read link a tap.

Filed under:

RTEV begins taking orders for Wheego Whip electric car originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: