Top 8 US Made Electric Vehicles of 2008

Taking a break from diesel power, electric vehicles are also on the rise. For a while the big developments have been overseas. Recently, there has been a surge of electric concepts from domestic manufacturers. Here are the top 8 in no particular order.

Cadillac Provoq

Originally introduced about 2 months ago, the Provoq is GM's newest edition to the E-Flex family of vehicles. It uses a combination of Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Lithium Ion Batteries to achieve a total range of 300 miles. It has all the extras you would expect from Cadillac and doesn't bring harmful emissions.

Chevrolet Volt

The Volt has been in and out of the spotlight for a long time now but the official release date is November 2010. Using "range extending capability," the Volt can achieve a maximum of 640 miles on one charge and 8 gallons of FlexFuel. To recharge the batteries, a turbocharged 1.0L 3-cylinder kicks in when needed.

Chyrsler EcoVoyager

Another fuel-cell / battery team, the EcoVoyager has a maximum range of 300miles. It uses a slightly more powerful, 268hp electric motor for about 40 miles. When the initial charge is drained, Hydrogen will help get you home.

Dodge ZEO

The ZEO is a performance electric vehicle most likely pointed in your younger buyer's direction. It has a range of 250 miles per charge and will go from 0 to 60 in "less than 6 seconds." Wide fender flares rest above a set of 23" wheels and low-profile tires. Not bad.

Jeep Renegade

As with other electric concepts from Chrysler, the Renegade uses the 40 mile lithium ion battery pack. Additional mileage comes from a Bluetec diesel powering a generator. The final number is 110mpg. Off-road will be a little less, but still.

Saturn Flextreme

Saturn's Flextreme is the "cousin" to the Volt. It uses the same battery pack for the initial part of the trip, but instead of the 1.0L Flexfuel motor, the Flextreme opts for a 1.3L 4-cylinder diesel. Saturn also decided to include 2 Segway Scooters. (Maybe in case you run out of gas?)

The Tango

The Tango is an ultra-narrow 2-seater made by Commuter Car Corporation. It is narrow enough to run between lanes in heavy traffic and even park in the small spaces left between 2 cars when parallel parked. According to the Commuter Car website, they are also thin enough to fit 2 in a single lane, which would double freeway capacity.

Fisker Automotive Karma

The Karma is a high-performance electric vehicle set to hit the market in mid to late 2009. It can travel up to 50 miles on battery power alone and when the small 4-cylinder engine takes over, it can hit numbers in excess of 100mpg. There is also a duel running mode where both electric and gas power can be drawn upon to hit 60mph in 5.8 seconds.

I personally like the styling of the ZEO. Vote for your favorite.

Our guest blogger Levi D. Davis is a freelance writer who is finishing his gradutate work at NYU, where he is writing about innovation. He wanted to share the latest news about talented inventors with the readers of InventorSpot.com.

Here's his article:

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The Intel (formerly Westinghouse) Science Talent Search is on us again. The 40 finalists from around the country gathered in Washington D.C. on March 11 to take part in the distribution of $1.25 million in scholarships and prizes.

The Talent Search is the most prestigious pre-college science and technology competition in the United States and its contestants will soon fill the campuses of some of America's finest universities. Each finalist received an Intel Core 2 Duo processor laptop and a scholarship of at least $5,000, with the winner receiving a scholarship for $100,000.

Most of the entries fall under the chemistry, biology, and, increasingly, social science categories, and the winner will probably be a project based on a multi-syllable concept that most of the world cannot understand. However, five finalists submitted entries that are of particular interest to the inventing world:

Talent Search Winner: Prosthetic Hands

Jeremy Evan Blum, 17, of Armonk, N.Y., has developed a method for using sensors mounted in a cast around the residual arm to move prosthetic hands. The sensors sense bulge in the muscles and a microprocessor moves the hand. Blum hopes his model will lead to a cheaper, non-invasive prosthetic in the near future.

The method of activating prosthetic hands today involves implanting expensive myoelectrodes in the arm that detect electrical activity in the muscles and move the prosthetic. It is an expensive procedure, and largely unavailable to many who have insufficient medical insurance. It also is largely out of reach for those living in the developing world, and who are particularly susceptible to industrial and agricultural accidents that cause the loss of limb.

You can see his video here:

Talent Search Winner: Microbial Fuel Cells

Timothy Zuchi Chang, 16, of Rego Park, N.Y., entered the Talent Search with an environmental science project. He designed and constructed microbial fuel cells that concert the bacteria in ordinary wastewater into electricity.

The usefulness of this invention speaks for itself. Chang's fuel cells not only release electrons trapped in the sludge, that are then captured and stored, but also cleans the water. If the fuels cells are developed and become widely available they could make a big difference in a growing world where fossil fuel is becoming scarce, as well as industrializing nations that are discovering how much clean water is needed to compete economically.

You can watch his video here:

Talent Search Winner:Atomic Clocks

Nathaniel Edward Hipsman, 18, of Marietta, Ga., entered a project studying atomic clocks. Hipsman studied 2-spin and 3-spin combinations of quantum mechanical particles. He found that 3-spin models were significantly more accurate than two spin and adding more spins would likely further increase accuracy.

Existing atomic clocks are the most accurate timekeeping devices known, but more accurate ones, accurate down to the nanosecond, could improve the performance of GPS devices, data transmission, and time sensitive scientific experiments.

Talent Search Winner:Solar Cells

Brian Davis McCarthy, 18, of Hillsboro, Ore., has developed a solar cell that uses plant-like materials to generate electricity. Davis used combinations of porhyrins and phthalocyanines. Both are plant-like materials that occur in nature, and are photoactive and photoconducting, qualities of energy producing solar cells. His cells responded electrically to light, indicating that they can be used as solar cells. They could one day be a cheaper and more efficient replacement for today's silicon-based solar cells.

You can watch his video here:

Talent Search Winner:Laser Tweezers:

Hamsa Sridhar, 18, of Kings Park, N.Y., has developed a pair of low-cost optical tweezers. She built her tweezers using about $1,000 worth of materials. Equivalent optical tweezers on the market cost around $100,000.

Sridhar's tweezers use laser light to trap and suspend microscopic particles. She developed a simple single lens mode converter, that demonstrated quicker alignment, decreased sensitivity to sample deviations, and minimal power loss compared to other optical tweezers currently available.

A photo from the website for the invention is here:

Laser Tweezers: Source: aser.physics.sunysb.edu

Congratulations to these remarkable young individuals.

Loremo Update : Electric Model Available

The Loremo (Low Resistance Mobile) was originally introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. Using a 2 cylinder turbo diesel is was able to get just under 160 miles per gallon. Recently, Loremo announced a fully electric version would also be available if diesel wasn't you cup of tea.

E-Loremo

The electric version of the vehicle has been named the E-Loremo or Evolution Loremo. Thanks to a light-weight construction and advanced aerodynamics, the 20KW (27 horsepower) electric motor can achieve a top speed of 105 miler per hour. There will also be an extra 20KW available in short bursts for such things as passing, brining the total output to 40KW or 54hp.

The Germany Company gave no definitive numbers on the topic of battery range for the E-Loremo. However, they did hint at a target somewhere in the 95-125 mile range. According to Loremo, the first prototype should be ready by the summer of 2008 with production available by 2010.

Along with the E-Loremo, came an official entry into the Automotive X Competition. The winner will be chosen based on their vehicles ability to deliver the highest amount of efficiency for the lowest amount of fuel. Feasibility and ease of production will also be a major factor.

Self Inflation Tires- BMW AUDI BENZ AND WHAT ELSE

It's a well known fact that keeping your tires properly inflated has numerous benefits. But sometimes it's just inconvenient to stop and check and re-pressurize. A new self-inflating tire design from Coda Development can fix that and you don't even have to stop.

Actually, all you have to do is drive to make sure your tires are properly inflated. Now before the comments start rolling in about how self-inflating tires are nothing new, let me explain how they work.

Normally, a compressed air tank is used to inflate tires that are too low. This new system uses something called a peristaltic pump to regulate air flow. A peristaltic pump is the same kind of pump used in hospitals to deliver medication through an I-V.

The system uses a rotating wheel that, as it turns, pushes the tube's contents through one end. The movement causes a low pressure area which pulls more "whatever" into the other end. In Coda's case, the car's wheel is the rotating wheel and your air-filled tire plays the part of the tube. A pressure sensitive valve ensures that your tire stays at a constant pressure.

Since the system doesn't require nearly as many parts and is not powered by an outside source, it should be much more reliable and cost less. Coda plans to show off the new technology at the 2008 SAE World Congress in mid April.

Innovation on the High Seas : The X-Bow

The need to conserve oil isn't limited to on-land travel. Ships of all sizes are being redesigned to increase efficiency and decrease oil consumption. The Ulstein X-Bow is just one of the innovations charged to help out.

The X-Bow, named for its "X" shape, comes in several sizes and can be manufactured to fit almost any ship. The design calls for laying the bow in a backward direction while also increasing the height. The vessel will be able to withstand more submersion as well as higher waves.

According to Ulstein, the benefits will also reach into the environment. The design reduces the amount of drag on the splitting end of the vessel. It also makes the hull distribute airflow more evenly. The reduction in drag and more efficient airflow will decrease the amount of fuel needed to maintain speed and decrease total transit time. The hull design will also increase stability in the open ocean and reduce the rolling sensation when on rougher waters.

The X-Bow also serves as a means of protection. The cargo is what makes money. If it arrives broken or damaged, you make no money. Ulstein's design drastically reduces the chances of deck movement and increases the amount of usable space for certain applications.

youthsprouts

The Ulstein Group is also working on new designs for smaller applications and ways to improve the current design.

The LIFEcar : A Zero-Emissions Sports Car, What is it?

A few years ago, a partnership between a handful of British Companies began developing a zero-emissions sports car that was still fun to drive. The 100mph concept is finally complete and will be presented at the Geneva Motor Show.

A large part of the partnership was QinetiQ, one of Europe's largest science and technology companies. The Morgan Motor Company, a legend in British Sports cars, is also a key contributor on the LIFEcar team.

The LIFEcar stands for (Lightweight Fuel Efficient Car). It draws power from fuel cells that convert Hydrogen and Oxygen into electricity which is then fed into small electric motors. When designing the body and frame, weight reduction was of the highest priority. By reducing the overall weight, less power is needed to move and sustain speed. In its final form, the LIFEcar is able to cruise almost effortlessly using a 24Kw system. Most competitors use at least 85Kw.

The lightweight design and highly efficient fuel cell system give the LIFEcar a top speed of about 100mph. No official acceleration numbers have been released as of yet. The designers also incorporated regenerative braking and ultra-capacitors into the drive system. As you stop, energy in stored in the capacitors and then released during acceleration to help reduce fuel consumption even farther.

The vehicle cost about £1.9million ($3.77 million) to finish and brought together some of the best minds Europe has to offer. They hope to continue developing more efficient systems for future cars.