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Old 03-14-2012, 02:37 PM   #1 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
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"SeaScape" human-electric hybrid pedal boat

Once in a while I like to mess around by electrifying small boats (EG: solar powered Laser sailboat, canoe), but I have long thought that a hybrid pedal-electric boat would be the cat's meow for tooling around on a small lake (or on the St. Lawrence on a calm day).

A company has made a high-tech 24v boat with independent pedal mechanisms and user-adjustable levels of electric assist.

I've ridden one of their Bionx e-bikes, and it really is quite slick how they work: with torque sensing, the system "amplifies" your effort. (Thus the company name.)

Boat specs:

24 volts
lithium chemistry (not 100% clear on this, but Li if it's like their bikes)
up to 5 kts (~8 km/h / 6 mph)









From: SeaScape 12 Powered by BionX | electric assisted intellignet watercraft

At the cottage my family goes to, the pedal boat (non-hybrid!) is the most used vessel in the fleet. I could see a hybrid version getting more use: more suitable for younger or older captains, or just taken on longer trips by the usual suspects.

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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
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