View Full Version : Green sports car set for launch
edesignuk
Mar 3, 2008, 05:42 AM
A "zero-emission" sports car with a top speed of nearly 100mph is set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
The hydrogen-powered Lifecar, based on the design of the Morgan Aero-8 roadster, produces little noise and only water vapour from its exhaust.
The lightweight model packs advanced fuel cells and an energy storage system that gives the car a range of 250 miles (400km) per tank of hydrogen.
It has been developed by a consortium of UK companies and universities.
"Figures suggest the car should be capable of doing 0-60 [miles per hour] in about seven seconds," Matthew Parkin of classic sports car manufacturer Morgan told BBC News.
106009BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7265267.stm).
Not exactly the performance of a "sports car", but certainly a step in the right direction. It looks fantastic!
skunk
Mar 3, 2008, 06:17 AM
Not exactly the performance of a "sports car", but certainly a step in the right direction. It looks fantastic!It does look great, and quite honestly who needs 100mph+ performance these days, except on the track?
Do they do a pick-up version?
Queso
Mar 3, 2008, 06:34 AM
Do they do a pick-up version?
This do you? :p
http://www.crumblenet.co.uk/~tim/mf/lookingnice.jpg
Abstract
Mar 3, 2008, 06:43 AM
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44452000/jpg/_44452492_lifecar_416.jpg
I'm not driving that penis.
It does look great, and quite honestly who needs 100mph+ performance these days, except on the track?
Exactly.
I'm sorry, but if we're going to "go green", we're all going to have to make some sacrifices, and for now, top speed may have to be one of them. Actually, I wouldn't even say it's a "sacrifice". Most people don't go above 80-85 mph anyway, so despite what the limitation is on paper, this car isn't very limiting or obtrusive to most lifestyles in a practical, real life sense.
edesignuk
Mar 3, 2008, 06:44 AM
I'm not driving that penis.I will, I think it's gorgeous!
Abstract
Mar 3, 2008, 06:47 AM
The hood is way too long. What if you rear-end someone and hurt them?
skunk
Mar 3, 2008, 06:51 AM
The hood is way too long. What if you rear-end someone and hurt them?Nothing a bit of Lube won't fix.
0-60 in seven seconds? Pretty slow out of the hole. Probably a bad weight-to-thrust ratio.
Do you guys know about the Tesla Roadster? It's a modified Lotus Elise with a fully electric engine:
106012
Tesla Motors (http://www.teslamotors.com/)
Car and Driver article (http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/green_machines/2008_tesla_roadster_short_take_road_test)
edit: 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds on wet pavement, Car and Driver says!
bartelby
Mar 3, 2008, 07:34 AM
It looks fantastic!
It certainly does!!
Reminds me a bit of the new Morgan, but not as ugly!
EDIT: Now I've read the article I can see why :o
Abstract
Mar 3, 2008, 07:39 AM
0-60 in seven seconds? Pretty slow out of the hole.
Oh come on.....7 seconds isn't bad at all. It's not great for a sports car, but it's not even THAT bad. The RX-8 can only do it in 6 seconds, and it's old tech. The base model BMW barely does better than this thing as a manual, and as an automatic, they're tied. Not bad, really.
Oh come on.....7 seconds isn't bad at all. It's not great for a sports car, but it's not even THAT bad. The RX-8 can only do it in 6 seconds, and it's old tech. The base model BMW barely does better than this thing as a manual, and as an automatic, they're tied. Not bad, really.
Sorry, I wasn't serious, my punning must've been terribly off this morning.
richkent72
Mar 3, 2008, 04:55 PM
"... produces little noise and only water vapour from its exhaust."
Shame they neglect to tell us how the hydrogen is produced. Last time I looked it wasn't exactly green :rolleyes:
Antares
Mar 3, 2008, 05:47 PM
That is one beautiful looking car. I would buy it on looks alone (as long as the price is right).
Fuel Cells are the future.
stevegmu
Mar 3, 2008, 05:54 PM
I'd be hard-pressed to call these electric cars sports cars. Sporty-looking, but front wheel drive an an automatic transmission pretty much disqualify this and others from being real sports cars.
theBB
Mar 3, 2008, 07:02 PM
I'd be hard-pressed to call these electric cars sports cars. Sporty-looking, but front wheel drive an an automatic transmission pretty much disqualify this and others from being real sports cars.
You may have a point with the hybrdi ones, but electric cars do not have the same transmission requirements. I believe their power versus revs relationships are not the same as gasoline engines. Do not discount them so easily.
Chundles
Mar 3, 2008, 07:06 PM
You may have a point with the hybrdi ones, but electric cars do not have the same transmission requirements. I believe their power versus revs relationships are not the same as gasoline engines. Do not discount them so easily.
Yeah but the other half of a sportscar is feel, front drive + auto may be quick but it doesn't have that sportscar feel.
stevegmu
Mar 3, 2008, 07:29 PM
From what I have seen of electric cars, they use gear-less transmissions. They may be zippy- like the EV-1, but have the feel of a golf cart.
mperkins37
Mar 3, 2008, 08:33 PM
I looked into a Tesla roadster, Real sportscar, with real sportscar price tag.
160000.00 + 6500 for road assistance (they tow it back to California if it needs repairs.
Pretty much out of the budget.
Still... Beautiful design.
Sexy & Quick. No gas involved, Plug it in and charge it up. off you go.
skunk
Mar 4, 2008, 03:06 AM
I looked into a Tesla roadster, Real sportscar, with real sportscar price tag.
160000.00 + 6500 for road assistance (they tow it back to California if it needs repairs.
Pretty much out of the budget.Cheapskate.
Scarlet Fever
Mar 4, 2008, 03:18 AM
"... produces little noise and only water vapour from its exhaust."
Shame they neglect to tell us how the hydrogen is produced. Last time I looked it wasn't exactly green :rolleyes:
Depends on how it's produced. Hydrogen is usually produced by the passing of current through H2O. If the current is produced by the burning of fossil fuels, then it's not that clean. If it's made by a renewable energy source, then it is.
I read somewhere that it's 'greener' to charge your electric car though mains power than it is to burn petrol in internal combustion engines. I wouldn't think that includes the massive energy requirements to construct the battery, though. Sadly, that technology is still terribly inefficient.
Abstract
Mar 4, 2008, 04:05 AM
I read somewhere that it's 'greener' to charge your electric car though mains power than it is to burn petrol in internal combustion engines. I wouldn't think that includes the massive energy requirements to construct the battery, though. Sadly, that technology is still terribly inefficient.
But regardless, there's still a lot of parts in a combustion engine that ALSO require a large amount of power to create. That includes a battery inside. If the power required to produce the parts in the engine is needed to build any/every car, and the actual ownership/use of the car is cleaner, then there is an overall payoff.
I don't know the technicality of it all, but the use of hydrogen sounds like a step in the right direction.
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