Backstory: Breaking the gas ceiling
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - Ask Jerrod Bouchard what he did on his summer vacation
and he'll let you peek at the car he helped create, a teardrop-shaped
three-wheeler that gets 600 miles to the gallon - if you pedal. But if
you're feeling lazy, this human/solar-powered hybrid, which plugs in at home
and pops out solar panels while parked, will zip off at 50 m.p.h. for 50
miles. No pedaling required.
Of course, miles per gallon in this case is only an energy equivalent. The
"fish," as Jerrod's team of nine fellow students dubbed the bullet-proof
vehicle, doesn't burn gasoline - just a little electricity and some
calories. No need for a traditional fill-up. Ever.
And that's just the point at the first student-led "vehicle design summit"
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): to build commuter cars
more efficient than anything the world has ever seen. It's a sort of garage
mechanic meets computer geek event - a rogue student summer camp for the
best young vehicle-engineering minds in the world. Their goal: create four
cars that carry people and luggage - and get 300-plus miles per gallon. And
do it all in eight weeks.
http://tinyurl.com/kxre6But Detroit doesn't care; they still have geo. and cheney in office.