Four Wheel Hub Motor Porsche EV

More and more, the EV (Electric Vehicle) is gaining in acceptance due to the advancements in battery technology. Gone are the days of the little DIY shop piecing together motors and controllers from other industries. There are now some real choices and the market is ready to meet the demand.  Electric Vehicles have been around for more than 100 years.

The Oil barrons of the early 1900’s made sure that the Electric Vehicle would not stop their profits. It used to be that a family would not need to travel more than, say 10 miles on the outside, to whatever they needed to do. Today’s driver is more demanding. The electric Vehicle has come a long way toward meeting the needs of today. Most families already have two, if not more, cars in the driveway, yet on average, they only travel less than 30 miles a day. This is where a Plug-in Hybrid or Electric Vehicle shines.

Well, the jury is still out on these devices.  Some say they really work, others say that they are scams. Most engineers will tell you that you can’t go around the “Laws of Thermodynamics,” but others say they really do work.  As gas prices soar, so do the claims about these devices.  I am not saying that there are not some out there that seem to work, I am just saying that a lot of testing has been done and the results fall far short of the claims.

Most of the units you see take a simple approach to producing their “Gas Savings” while others take a more complicated approach.  In theory, the idea seems sound; take an anode and cathode, put them in a solution of baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) and distilled water as an electrolyte, add energy (from your battery) and Poof, instant savings.

Well it is just not that simple. The energy to produce this “Gas” which consists of hydrogen and oxygen is disproportional to the amount of energy gained from the “Gas”.

Once again, I am not saying that ALL these devices don’t work.  I have seen a couple devices that really do look promising.  They put out a great deal of HHO due to the type of membrane construction. They actually can measure the output and give solid numbers as to what the device can achieve.  I have seen other commercial units where the company really doesn’t know what the unit produces, yet continue to make claims that can’t be backed-up.
It all comes down to “caveat emptor”

Gas Saving and Emission Reduction Devices Evaluation

The EPA has downloadable test reports for specific products that have tested under the Aftermarket Retrofit Device Evaluation Program, also known as the “511 Program.” EPA evaluates aftermarket retrofit devices which are claimed to improve fuel economy and/or reduce exhaust emissions. The purpose of the program is to generate, analyze, and disseminate technical data; EPA does not approve or certify retrofit devices.

EPA Downloadable Reports:
EPA Reports

Gas-Saving” Advertising Claims
Source: Federal Trade Commision
Be skeptical of the following kinds of advertising claims.
•    “This gas-saving product improves fuel economy by 20 percent.”
Claims usually tout savings ranging from 12 to 25 percent. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. In fact, some “gas-saving” products may damage a car’s engine or cause substantial increases in exhaust emissions.

The gas-saving products on the market fall into clearly defined categories. Although the EPA has not tested or evaluated every product, it has tried to examine at least one product in each category. See “Devices Tested by EPA” at the end of this brochure for category descriptions and product names.
•    “After installing your product on my car, I got an extra 4 miles [6.4 kilometers] per gallon [3.8 liters].”
Many ads feature glowing testimonials by satisfied customers. Yet, few consumers have the ability or the equipment to test for precise changes in gas mileage after installing a gas-saving product. Many variables affect fuel consumption, including traffic, road and weather conditions, and the car’s condition.
For example, one consumer sent a letter to a company praising its “gas-saving” product. At the time the product was installed, however, the consumer also had received a complete engine tune-up - a fact not mentioned in the letter. The entire increase in gas mileage attributed to the “gas-saving” product may well have been the result of the tune-up alone. But from the ad, other consumers could not have known that.

•    “This gas-saving device is approved by the Federal government.”
No government agency endorses gas-saving products for cars. The most that can be claimed in advertising is that the EPA has reached certain conclusions about possible gas savings by testing the product or by evaluating the manufacturer’s own test data. If the seller claims that its product has been evaluated by the EPA, ask for a copy of the EPA report, or check www.epa.gov for information. In some instances, false claims of EPA testing or approval have been made.

Yes, it is Moonshine! You now can make it at home legally. If you have the room and the mechanical aptitude, you can apply to the government to get a permit to make your own ethanol.

*Note: It is illegal to distill alcohol without first obtaining a Federal permit through TTB. Failure to obtain a Federal permit prior to engaging in this activity is a criminal offence under the Internal Revenue Code. You Don’t Want the Revenuers coming after you!

In order to get a permit, you need to apply to US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
It is illegal in the United States to operate a car on 100 percent ethanol, with exceptions for off-road vehicles like Indy cars and farm equipment. State Regulators need to adapt by certifying pure ethanol for cars.

Making your own ethanol can be a risky venture.  There are people on the web that make beautiful copper stills that will make a small amount of ethanol with a minimum of cost.  The only problem, you need and outside area to produce the fuel.

Not much is different from the moonshiner’s days of distilling grains for alcohol. In fact, they are identical. Cook your mash over a high heat flame, let the steam escape through condensing coils and there you have it.  Well, not that simple.

Until now!

Leave it to Silicon Valley to step in and take charge.  A couple of SV entrepreneurs have come up with a novel way to make your own Ethanol from water and sugar. Their company E-Fuel 100 MicroFueler produces a device that distills a low cost sugar/yeast blend and water to give you 35 gallons a week.

The unit is about the size of a washer-dryer and comes with a 50 foot hose.  There is no flame to worry about and the operation in very quite. This could be a game changer in the alternative fuel arena. For more info : http://www.efuel100.com/

These are commonly referred to as (HEV’s) Hybrid Electric Vehicles.  With the soaring cost of gasoline, auto manufacturers are ramping up production of more hybrid models for consumers to choose from. Toyota and Honda were the first to market these vehicles and have led the pack ever since while the U.S. Big Three are finally realizing that they are falling (once again) behind in this technology.

There are four different principles to Hybrid Vehicle designs

A Hybrid Vehicle is any vehicle that uses more then one source to propel it. Generally, these types of vehicles contain a petrol motor (Gasoline or Diesel) and a secondary electric motor. Most of the Hybrids on the road today use the electric motor to offset the use of the petrol motor, thus extending the MPG of the vehicle. 
There are many people and grassroot organizations that are taking matters into their own hands by adding additional batteries to not only increase the MPG, but to run the vehicle directly on electric power. Plug-in kits and companies that supply them are gaining in popularity.

If you already have a Hybrid such as a Toyota Prius or Honda, you can extend your driving range while decreasing your MPG. 
Below, we look at the different types of Hybrid Vehicle technology that are in use today.

Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Parallel Drivetrains.

In a parallel hybrid electric vehicle, both the engine and the motor can drive the wheels . Both the Honda Insight and the Honda Civic Hybrid are parallel hybrids.
Parallel drive trains are mechanically more complicated than series drive trains. For one thing, a transmission is required to allow the engine to drive the wheels. Then there must be a means of coupling the engine, motor, and transmission. Finally, the controller necessary to make all these components work together is more complex than in the series drive train.

Series Drivetrains

In a series hybrid electric vehicle, an electric motor is the only means of driving the wheels . The motor obtains electricity either from a battery pack or from a generator powered by an engine in much the same way as a portable generator. A controller determines how power is shared between the battery and the engine/generator set.

Series Hybrid Drivetrain

• Split Parallel Hybrid

Series/Parallel Drivetrains

Series/Parallel Drivetrains. The Toyota Prius made popular a new concept that combines many of the advantages of the parallel drive train with the series drive train’s ability to maintain engine operation near its most efficient operating point Variations on this design have shown up in the Nissan Tino Hybrid, which was sold for a short period in Japan, and is being incorporated into a hybrid vehicle developed by Paice Corporation