Comments on: Will Volkswagen Offer A Hybrid Beetle? Kansas Students Aren't Waiting

By: robert antro

robert antro — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:07:38 +0000

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By: lamia japler

lamia japler — Tue, 08 May 2012 04:01:24 +0000

I think it should really flood the market. The audience is waiting eagerly for its launch... cell phone spy software

By: tapra1

tapra1 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:57:45 +0000

” that is a completely fresh, modern take on the classic “People’s Car.” Several industry pundits have already tagged the 2005 Ragster Concept as the guide for the car’s new styling. If that’s so, it isn’t a radical design when compared Latest Tech News

By: Max Reid

Max Reid — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:47:56 +0000

While automakers are so slow to introduce plugins and electrics, on the other side the renewable industry is rapidly expanding their technology base.

A marine turbine which could generate 1 MW
http://www.greenmuze.com/climate/energy/2939-worlds-largest-marine-turbine.html

Windenergy has already increase their installed base to 160,000 MW.
Where are the plugins & EVs to draw power from them.

By: Kathleen Farmgirl

Kathleen Farmgirl — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 05:26:53 +0000

YOU GO ECOHAWKS! You make me proud to be an American. And I want you to hybridize my Punchbudgey, as my grandkids call it. AWESOME JOB young people!!!

By: David

David — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:43:17 +0000

Just for the record, on average, that 1967 Beetle would put out approximately 100 to 300 times more pollutants and greenhouse gases than the current model.

By: calvin

calvin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:12:03 +0000

As a baseline comparison, the 1967 Beetle weighs 840kg and gets around 35 mpg on a 54hp flat 4. The 1974 Beetle would be around the same specs. For another comparison, the 2009 Prius weighs 1379kg and gets 60.3 mpg city.

Still, what they did was pretty impressive. I wonder how they built/designed the hybrid transmission system and computerized the engine. How much of this was off-the-shelf solutions, and how much was self-made? Are critical gas-electric hybrid components cheap enough these days to be affordable for a college project? How much of a budget did they start with?

I also wonder what they left out of the vehicle to gain so much fuel economy with minimal resources. (e.g. Does this plug-in hybrid have regenerative braking?) And is this a more economical way of getting hybrids on the road? How many people would settle for a 60hp sparsely-furnished vehicle without the modern amenities we're used to (e.g. spacious interiors, airbags, sound-proofing, etc.)?

By: DutchInChicago

DutchInChicago — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:22:39 +0000

So a couple of students build a 52 mpg car in their spare time with a 25 mile all electrical range. Shame on you GM, shame on you Toyota. I hope that you guys are suitably embarrassed.

By: JamesDavis

JamesDavis — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:25:57 +0000

That's really great UK, but we all cannot stop by McDonalds to pick up some grease on our way home...too many of you college engineering students hanging out there. You already have the chicken (car), you should've built the egg (battery) first.

Professor Depcik, go on Scientific American and read about the liquid metal battery and the liquid salt battery and then have your students build a batter something like them...they can hold a super charge.