forget the Mini/Smart/500...

[cokey]

Reading this, I'm listening to 99.5 talk about alternative energy..  fusion, we need mini suns in our cars.. 

Only problem with a lot of alternative fuels is the big companies won't let them in since they'll loss $$..

[krolik]

Two words: Flux Capacitor 

[Speeddog]

Seems this kind of thing comes along every decade or so.
The 3-wheeled car will change the world..... 

Unfortunately, they principally are scams.
Or woefully mismanaged operations that just burn up investment capital.
Or just blue-sky prototypes.


From the mid 1970's, I present the Dale:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_Century_Motor_Car_Corporation


From the mid -80's, I present the Lean Machine:



http://www.3wheelers.com/gmlean.html


From the mid-90's, I present the Sparrow:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers_Motors
 

From the mid 2000's, the Aptera:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptera_Motors

[ducatiz]

Of course, there was one that was successful for 30+ years..

[zooom]

Hey Speeddog.....here's a new incarnation for you to file away...




http://thekneeslider.com/terracraft-tilting-enclosed-reverse-trike-concept/

[Drjones]

Not entirely true. Much of the CNG is trapped in Shale and other substrates and Fracking with toxic chemicals is used to release it(not good).  . . .

Water and sand which is 99% of the fluids used in the fracturing process are toxic chemicals? Wow, I did not know that.   Most of the 1% other components are or soon will be food grade, so you'll be more at risk from harmful chemicals when eating a farm grown tomato.  Not to mention that the shale formations where the fracking happens is > 5,000 ft below the deepest ground water source.

Oh yeah, fracking has been around since the '50's at shallower depths and is used in the process of building Geothermal wells too!

and back to the regularly scheduled show . . .

[redxblack]

You must have an inside line on this stuff, because fracking interests do not have to disclose what is in their fluids. I've never heard of food grade benzene in any form, so this must be some cutting edge stuff.

Also, hydraulic fracking and horizontal hydraulic fracking are not the same thing. Vertical fracking has been around since the 50s. Horizontal fracking is relatively new. What's next, telling us all that the earthquakes caused by injection wells aren't a part of fracking?

[LowThudd]

List of chemicals used in fracking: http://fracfocus.org/chemical-use/what-chemicals-are-used

Cheveron mentions chemicals, but they do not disclose which chemicals.

[ducatiz]

Hey Speeddog.....here's a new incarnation for you to file away...




http://thekneeslider.com/terracraft-tilting-enclosed-reverse-trike-concept/

[Drjones]

You must have an inside line on this stuff . . . Vertical fracking has been around since the 50s. Horizontal fracking is relatively new. What's next, telling us all that the earthquakes caused by injection wells aren't a part of fracking?

Yes, I do. 15 years in drilling and evaluation equipment research and development.

Vertical / Horizontal. Doesn't matter. Relatively the same equipment and methods.

Earthquake! OMGZORR!, a 0.00026% occurrence of richter 1 or below.  Alert the press!

Hydraulic Fracking Poses Almost No Risk for Causing Earthquakes
http://greenrisks.blogspot.com/2012/06/hydraulic-fracking-poses-almost-no-risk.html
 “. . . The waste water disposal wells associated with fracking and secondary well development have been associated with 8 known earthquakes, though there are a total of about 30,000 disposal wells in use, but these earthquakes have captured the headlines and public concern. . . .”

It’s Full Steam Ahead for First US Grid-Connected Enhanced Geothermal System
http://smart-grid.tmcnet.com/topics/smart-grid/articles/2013/04/18/334875-its-full-steam-ahead-first-us-grid-connected.htm

Fracking and a Geothermal Energy Revolution
http://energytomorrow.org/blog/fracking-and-a-geothermal-energy-revolution#/type/all

Fracking Geothermal
http://greeneconomypost.com/fracking-geothermal-4804.htm

EU Ready for Shale
http://www.energyindepth.org/tag/geothermal-energy/
 “. . .most notably, the European Union’s (EU) chief scientific adviser is now expressing support for shale gas development, highlighting the proven safety record of production and the benefits it could deliver. This is in addition to countries across Europe waking up to the reality that the claims made in films like Gasland were intended to scare, not accurately inform.  . . .”

[rule62]

How about a car with 5 wheels?

[Fergus]

Seems this kind of thing comes along every decade or so.
The 3-wheeled car will change the world..... 

I think it keeps coming along because there is some merit to the idea. The problem is execution as a product - acquisition cost is too high,  it's unsafe, crappy performance, unreliable, hits the market when gas prices are low, etc. Someone's got to do it right, like Toyo did with the prius (market-wise, I'm not endorsing the product).

[ducatiz]

How about a car with 5 wheels?

[SDRider]

As soon as I saw the Elio, I figured Mr. Bean would have a problem with it.

LOL!  That has to be the most ill-conceived vehicle ever created.

I love the Top Gear episode about the Reliant Robin.

http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gear-reliant-robin_part-1_2032682.htm

[Rob Hilding]

LOL!  That has to be the most ill-conceived vehicle ever created.

I love the Top Gear episode about the Reliant Robin.

http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gear-reliant-robin_part-1_2032682.htm

What could go wrong

I had a deposit on the Aptera (that Speedog showed earlier) - they kept pushing back the delivery dates and updating the product.
When they lost (badly) at the X-prize competition, it was the final nail. I requested - and received my deposit back.

The concept I was interested in, and still think is the best approach, is a fully electric power plant with a small efficient on-board generator - but in reality they never came close to building that version.

I remember Dick Rutan reviewing the Honda Insight (original version) and saying that on-board generator was the way he thought that car should have been built