[TBA]

 
 
Yesterday (September 16th, 2008), GM unveiled the production model Volt.

The Volt is an extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV), not a hybrid.  Hybrids have small electric motors that move the car at slow speeds while a gas engine kicks in on the Autobahn.  The Volt however, utilizes an all-electric 161-horsepower 45KW (100 KW peak) motor capable of moving the car from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds with a top speed of at least 100 mph.

The Volt’s high-voltage battery pack will get you about 40 miles after a full charge from your homes wall outlet.  I know, I know, it’s still electricity so somewhere fuel is being burned or hydrogen is being split, but it’s still cleaner than igniting that Middle Eastern octane and your electricity costs will amount to a gas equivalent of about 50 cents per gallon, so it’s a whole lot cheaper to boot.

Ok, so what happens after 40 miles? 

The Volt has a small onboard gasoline/E85 combustion engine that only runs at one rpm in order to charge the battery pack.  This gas powered engine is not connected to the wheels or transmission, only the generator.  So, overall, you’ll have a total driving range of about 400 miles.  Thus, for each gallon you use to charge the battery you’ll be hitting about 50 mpg. 

Oh yeah, the insides pretty nice too.  There are two vivid 7 inch LCD screens that provide all kinds of data, including battery life, odometer, speedometer, music, etc.

[More Info]

The SHIFT Tricycle designed at Purdue University helps children gradually learn how to balance by providing two rear wheels that change angle as speed is increased.  When the child starts out, the back wheels provide a wider base for extra stability, and as the newbie builds momentum the wheels shift towards parallel, putting more of the balance responsibility on the child. 
Since this is just a concept, I’m not quite sure how well the tricycle handles, how it maneuvers corners, or what happens when you slam on the breaks (are the wheels able to shift back or do they stop at parallel?).  Aside from these questions, the trike seems pretty cool.

With 853 entrants from 56 countries, the SHIFT design won first prize at the International Bicycle Design Competition in Taipei, Taiwan back in 2004.  Not bad considering it’s not even a bicycle. 
The Design was created by Purdue industrial design professor Scott Shim and two students, Ryan Lightbody and Matt Grossman; none of which had ever designed a bicycle (or tricycle) before. 

The trike, “provides more balance at lower speeds when stability is most critical” explains Shim.  Despite the concept that seems like it should have been made years ago, we’re still waiting for a manufacturer to put this thing into production.  Perhaps they’re all scrambling to work around the patent and capitalize on their own adaptation of this great concept. 

[Get It $15,500]

 
No, this isn’t from the new Batman movie.  The Can-Am Spyder Roadster is an actual vehicle approved for street use.  This adult sized dyslectic Big Wheels from the Bombardier company is pitched as a touring style sport bike.  Hopefully it’s as fun as I remember my big wheels being; the clutch went last month so I donated it for a tax write-off.

After inventing the snowmobile in 1958 and the personal watercraft in 1968, the Bombardier company went out on a limb once again with their newest design.  The Can-Am Spyder Roadster is a Y-configuration tricycle laid out like a snowmobile with an ATV like chassis, double-wishbone front suspension, and mono-shock rear.  It sports a five-gear motorcycle shift-box, pumps out 106 horsepower, and tags 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.  With the Mercedes-Benz SL55 covering 0-60 in 4.8 and the Porsche 997 GT2 getting it done in 3.6, the Spyder might not look so flashy, but how fast do you really want to accelerate on this weird contraption? 

With its Ski-Doo like dolphin nose concealing a 1.6 cubic foot luggage space, you can actually travel in the open air without trying to balance what feels like a self-storage Gobot on two wheels.  You do have to remember that without the balance of a two wheeler, you can’t lean your way around corners, so even with the all-in-one brake pedal and anti-roll bar you’ll need to take some caution; if you go flying off there isn’t any water to catch your clumsy ass.  

You should also check with your state before cruising on your new Spyder.  Some states will allow you to take it out with a car license, but others demand a motorcycle license.

The 697-pound Roadster is powered by a very peppy 998cc liquid-cooled V-twin built in Austria by BRP-Rotax.  It can produce 106 horsepower at 8500 rpm and 77 pound-feet at 6000 and has a top speed governed at 110 mph.

Vehicle Layout
Front/mid-engine, RWD, 2-passenger, three-wheeled motorcycle

Engine
1.0L/106 hp/77 lb-ft DOHC V-twin

Transmission
5-speed manual, sequential, foot-operated

Curb weight
697 lbs (dry)

Wheelbase
69 in

Length x width x height
105 x 59.3 x 45.1 (handlebar) in

0-60 mph
4.4 (est)