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Originally Posted by bennelson
Build an Open Source Plug-In Hybrid.
Diesel. Make it be able to run on bio-diesel or veggie oil.
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Biodiesel (B100) is not compatible with current generation diesel particulate filters and methods.
As a new vehicle, it'll have to comply with the current (Euro 5) or oncoming standards (Euro 6) - or their US counterparts.
It ain't worth building if it ain't going to be clean.
And even diesels with DPFs are not clean by the looks of it.
Conversions may be OK in the US, but are a lot harder to get registered in the EU.
Conversions only exist as long as donor cars exist.
Say no to conversions of 1980-1990 cars.
They are simply not comparable to today's emissions and safety standards.
I say natural gas.
Burns clean by its chemical simplicity (the purer you get it, the cleaner it'll burn).
Sure it's still mostly a fossil fuel, but it's easy to make Methane / CH4 / biogas from biological waste stuff.
The basic distribution network exists - at least in Europe.
Many countries that don't have oil, do have gas.
It can still be coupled to a hybrid drive.
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The car could run on solar, wind, and other renewably-sourced electricity.
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It's been done by the Wind Explorer.
Evonik Industries - Specialty chemicals - Wind Explorer
Yup, it's a very minimal car - hardly a car IMO.
It can even use a wing to pull it along.
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What do you think? Is it a good concept? Is it doable?
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IMO the basic flaw is the purpose of the vehicle.
The no limitations / no hassling about - say - lack of boot space issue may look nice on paper, but may well result in a pretty useless vehicle.
It's got to have a practical purpose beyond driving coast-2-coast or coast-2-mid continent.
A commuter-car then ?
Fine, but while many have said they'd built the next-gen über-efficient commuter vehicle, few are on the road.
Around here, most people have 1, or 2 cars at worst.
Few people here have an additional fun car, or a dedicated commuter car.
I'd say the practicality of the 1st gen Insight is very much the lower limit.
- 2 seats
- a fair bit of luggage/cargo space - preferably a bit more useful than on the Insight 1.