Lightening the load to better fuel economy

The evolution of carbon fiber

One of the greatest ways to increase fuel economy is to reduce weight. Thus, exotic materials, such as carbon fiber, have excited automakers with the possibility of much lighter, yet stronger, cars. Unfortunately, costs have kept these materials from mainstreaming.

Recently, however, BMW announced that its Megacity electric car would use carbon fiber. As the Megacity is planned as a volume vehicle, it's use of carbon fiber implies the possibility of some cost-effective angle.

Likewise, Daimler also announced it will increase the use of carbon fiber in its Mercedes SL class. Of course, the SL class is an expensive class of vehicle, so perhaps carbon fiber isn't quite there yet.

Regardless, a new study by Lotus demonstrates that most vehicles could be made 38 percent lighter by 2020 at a cost of just 3 percent, while improving fuel economy by 23 percent. Furthermore, the Lotus study also achieved an additional 13 percent reduction in powertrain weight using hybrid technology.

Cost-effective, safe fuel economy. For what are we waiting?

Carbon-fiber Megacity EV intrigues

Nice body

BMW confirmed today that it will sell the Megacity compact electric car under an unconfirmed sub-brand by 2013 in the Chinese market.

Beyond that, details are sketchy, however, according to Cars.com, "the car will feature carbon fiber-reinforced materials." Since BMW has a carbon fiber facility in the US, Cars.com suggests a US version wouldn't be shocking.

Who cares? Some version will make it to the US.

Instead, I want to hear more about the carbon fiber, especially considering the Megacity appears to a volume car, which suggests volume pricing. Is carbon fiber finally set to become cost-effective and competitive?

Could carbon fiber be the key to fuel economy?

Corvette ZR1 will test carbon fiber

GM will use the Corvette ZR1 to study the feasibility of carbon fiber in hopes that it will lead to an increase in demand for the material and, therefore, cheaper production costs.

"Carbon is one-fifth the weight of a composite, which is half the weight of steel," says Tom Wallace, vehicle line executive for the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac XLR, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Opel/Vauxhall GT. "Although carbon fiber is expensive today, so was aluminum in the beginning, so was magnesium in the beginning."

A composite future: Is plastic the key?

I was very excited to hear that Toyota was using carbon fiber composite materials to design its new FT-HS hybrid concept. More important, it appeared that Toyota wasn't just using composites to help with design - as many automakers do - but as a first step towards carbon-fiber composite vehicles. As carbon fiber is so light, it can provide significant improvements in fuel economy simply by reducing the weight of a vehicle without any loss in safety. Still, carbon fiber is very expensive.

Carbon fiber, however, isn't the only composite being used in automobiles.

A group of GE reps let me know about GE's plastic composites during the debut of GM's Volt electric concept vehicle. Currently, these plastic composites are far cheaper than carbon fiber composites. In addition to reducing weight, plastic composites provide car designers with a revolutionary tool to sculpt vehicle design into elegant, beautiful and extremely aerodynamic works of art and science. More important, plastic composites are already being used. Even better, GE's new plastic composites are being developed using recycled water bottles.

Honda: Fuel cell cars mass-produced by 2018

Honda is claiming that fuel cell cars could be mass-produced by 2018. "In 2018, I believe the development (of a fuel-cell car) will have been very advanced," Honda president Takeo Fukui said in an interview with Kyodo News today. "It will become a real possibility to a large degree." (more)

A "real possibility"? Wow! We've been hearing about this "real possibility" for decades. Sure fuel cell vehicles might be mass-produced by 2018, but they might still cost more than 100,000 apiece, maybe even much more.

I became interested in hybrid cars because of my interest in the hydrogen economy and fuel cell vehicles. Ultimately, however, I realized that fuel cell cars were at least a decade away from reality and hybrids became, minimally, the short term solution to foreign oil dependency and global warming. Still, it appeared that hybrid vehicles, such as the Prius, were also providing a foundation for fuel cell vehicles. Consequently, I came to believe that investing in such hybrid vehicles made the path to fuel cell vehicles shorter. Even before full fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles could utilize small fuel cells to increase their fuel efficiency - another step in making full fuel cell vehicles cheaper.

Lately; however, I have become somewhat annoyed by fuel cell vehicle talk. First, the vehicles cost almost $1 million apiece. Second, where are these vehicles going to fuel up? Third, the best of hybrid technology could be used, in just a couple of years, to mass-produce carbon-fiber plug-in hybrid vehicles with a capability of more than 100 mpg for a cost less than $50,000 apiece. Small hybrids could be far cheaper.

What the hell are we talking about 2018 for then? Let's do everything we can to today, not wait until 2018. Besides, mass-producing hybrids, especially next generation hybrids, creates a very nice platform to slowly develop fuel cells until costs can be driven down.

Everything in place for carbon fiber plug-in hybrid vehicles

I love Toyota's hottest concept vehicle, the FT-HS hybrid sports car because it uses carbon fiber and next generation hybrid technology. While the FT-HS isn't a plug-in hybrid, the fact that it utilizes lithium-ion technology demonstrates that plug-in technology is close at hand, as lithium-ion battery technology will be key. More important, the fact that the 0-60 in 4 seconds FT-HS hybrid could be sold for $60,000 further highlights the fact that ultra-light, advanced hybrids don't have to be ridiculously expensive. Add this technology to a Prius, not so focused on speed and power, and the costs will be far less. The technology to build carbon-fiber plug-in hybrid vehicles that could increase U.S. fuel economy by more than 50 percent is basically available today and the technology pays for itself via fuel economy.

Climate change demands fuel efficiency, not ethanol

"The most direct impact of climate change will be on China's grain production," deputy director of the National Climate Center, Luo Yong told the Science Times newspaper.

What about America's grain production? Is America some how immune?

Global warming and climate change are almost assuredly going to result in massive natural disasters, droughts and severe weather swings that could destroy entire crops for years or even decades. What condition would the U.S. be in if our food and fuel crops were wiped out by a climate change disaster, even if just for one year? How can you fight global warming if you don't have any grain to convert to fuel? How many people would starve?

Isn't it time to accept the serious possibility that going green by going yellow might be impossible and even harmful?

Technology provides the possibility of producing automobiles, even SUVs, that are 75 percent more fuel efficient than today based on Today's technology - not on fuel cells nor the hydrogen economy.

Carbon-fiber plug-in hybrid vehicles would enable the far majority of Americans to use only electricity to power their vehicles almost ALL of the time. Still, in an emergency, such hybrids could still use ethanol, gasoline, diesel, hydrogen etc. if electricity was not available.

Isn't it time to set aside political pork and payoffs? Isn't it time to get serious?

Check out Toyota's hybrid sports car

So, you've heard about the FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept that is supposed to debut at the Detroit Auto Show. A 0-60 mile per hour in 4 second hybrid sports car with 400 hp can claim the attention of both many hybrid fans, as well as sports car fans. What really has me interested about this vehicle, however, is the use of carbon fiber. With its ability to cut the weight of many automobiles in half, but also making them stronger, carbon fiber holds great potential. Carbon fiber plug-in hybrid vehicles, for example, could essentially end the need for liquid fuel for most in the U.S., enabling the far majority of drivers to drive purely powered by electricity. Of course, you'd still be able to fill up with liquid fuel when needed.

Anyway, for some cool pictures of the FT hybrid, check out Winding Road.