Aptera's Super-MPG Electric Typ-1 e is a cool, environmentally friendly car

Visit Aptera for more information about this really cool car.



The Typ-1 uses a commoditized, 'ruggedized' 3-phase motor controller designed for vehicular applications, and a 3-phase motor made by a company in Southern California. The rear drive suspension, and the drive reduction, are all designed and made by Aptera. Since the Typ-1e (electric) and the Typ-1h (series plug in hybrid) have different battery needs, this may result in different battery manufacturers for the two models. The Typ-1e is designed to use a 10 KWh pack, while the Typ-1h uses a smaller pack. The cycles and DOD are different for both applications. They will announce further information regarding the battery lifespan and warranty policy well before they begin manufacturing the Typ-1 next October.





Diesel or Gasoline? The first prototype, the Mk-0, was a parallel hybrid Diesel and achieved an average of 230 MPG at a steady state of 55 MPH. This was pure Diesel/mechanical drive with no electric assist. Diesel is attractive for its Carnot efficiency and the increased enthalpy of Diesel fuel vs gasoline. However, diesel contains lots of unburned hydrocarbons and NOX compounds, and it's impossible to get a small Diesel engine certified for emissions in California. Therefore, the typ-h uses a small, water-cooled EFI Gasoline engine with closed loop oxygen feedback and catalytic converter. This engine is coupled to a lightweight 12KW starter/generator. It's very clean and quiet.
*All info comes from the Aptera website.

Belmont University and Vanderbilt University Partner with Zipcar to Bring Car Sharing to Nashville

Belmont University and Vanderbilt University today announced their partnership with Zipcar, the world's largest provider of cars on demand by the hour or day, to provide Zipcars on campus to university faculty, staff, and students as an environmentally friendly alternative to the costs and hassles of keeping a car on campus. The partnership marks Zipcar's entry into Nashville, bringing it to more than 50 cities, including operations in London, England and 27 North American states and provinces.



Beginning today, a total of seven self-service Zipcars -- five at Vanderbilt and two at Belmont -- will be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cars will be available to all staff and students aged 18+, with gas, maintenance, insurance and reserved parking included in low hourly and daily rates. Zipcar was selected as the Universities' car sharing partner based on its superior technology and operations, membership experience and track record of providing peer universities with a proven, cost effective, and environmentally-friendly transportation solution.

"At Vanderbilt, we are aware of the impact our students transportation choices have on our campus, the Nashville community, and the environment as a whole," said Lance Hale, manager of Vanderbilt's Office of Traffic & Parking. "By bringing car sharing to our campus, we can encourage students to leave their personally owned vehicles at home during the school year, while teaching them to make sustainable transportation choices that we hope will extend beyond their college years."

Read the entire article in the Wall Street Jounals Market Watch.

150 miles per gallon car developed by AFS Trinity Power Corporation

This is what we need to have available with the costs of fuel so high now. You might even be able to justify a drive in the country or cross-country in this car. I may just have to order one as soon as they are available.
~Corey Webbspun



AFS Trinity Power has developed patent-pending technology that makes it possible for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to achieve 150 MPG, go 40 miles in all-electric mode, and use gasoline for additional unlimited miles in hybrid mode.

In July 2007, in order to very quickly demonstrate all of the key attributes of this technology, the company mounted an effort to build two fully operational XH-150 SUV prototypes using off-the-shelf components. The two vehicles—modified Saturn Vue SUVs—were built in less than six months. They were unveiled on January 13, 2008 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (Press Announcement) and (Salon.com test drive report).

On April 8, 2008, AFS Trinity started a cross country tour to give Americans their first onroad look at what CNN and others suggested may be “the car of the future.” The XH-150 arrived at the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 20, 2008 (Video of Congressional Ride-and-Drives). On May 2, 2008, AFS Trinity and Ricardo announced a joint Extreme Fleet™ program that will slash gasoline and diesel use by car, SUV and truck fleets. (Press Release).

Find out more at the AFS Trinity Power Corporation website.

300 Miles to the Gallon Car

Three hundred miles per gallon and a Jetsons-style look are enough to get anyone excited. But ever since the word got out on it last month, Aptera’s innovative Typ-1 three-wheeler has been the target of relentless theorizing and conjecture across the Web. Is it real? Does it have what it takes to be a practical vehicle for daily transport? Is it stable enough to drive? Does it even actually drive? Well we wondered some of those things, too, so we scouted out if a drivable prototype really exists.

It does.





Read the entire article about this cool car in Popular Mechanics.