A few years ago Nissan produced a very lightweight motor for their Nissan ZEOD RC (Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car). The basic statistics were 88lbs (40kg) with a three cylinder 1500cc capacity fitted with a turbocharger. It produced 400hp - which at the time was a better power-to-weight ratio than a comparable Formula One engine. The plan was to run the ZEOD RC as an … [Read more...]
Toyota Has Upsized Its Hyper Efficient Engine
What I find interesting is that the larger vehicle manufacturers are still developing the internal combustion engine. Clearly development has been ongoing for decades despite the recent desire of several Governments to ban them - which is something that I feel is shortsighted. I still think that there are a market for this type of power unit with oil or vegetable based … [Read more...]
From Oil to Electrons
I read an interesting article in The Economist magazine recently that described how some oil companies are “cross-dressing”, in other words, making them look like the opposite to what they are. It is clear that today, Governments and the mainstream media are in love with electric cars. This means that the oil companies are seen as the enemy and although Governments get … [Read more...]
Goodyear’s Concept KERS Tyre
Goodyear is developing a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) tyre for cars and motorcycles. The concept is simple - take the heat generated by the tyre as it is rolling down the road and convert it to energy. They have also figured out a way to capture the energy when a tyre deforms under load. The tyre company has mixed piezoelectric material into the compound and they also … [Read more...]
Update on Ford’s Production Changes
When President Trump was inaugurated, he was quick to follow up on his campaign message of bringing jobs back to America. At that time he lauded Ford for cancelling plans to move production to Mexico from Michigan, even though the decision was made long before Trump’s election victory. In June of last year, Ford announced that it would move the production of the Focus model … [Read more...]
