RE: Composite vehicles (was: Please allow me to introduce myself...)

["Chris Tromley" <chris_t@microtrac.com>]

Rod Hower wrote:

> Speaking of composites and fuels cells, check out this site,
>
> http://www.anuvu.com/
>
> Does anybody think there is merit to this?  Or are they just rocket
> scientists.
>
> Rod

Rod, maybe they're sincere, but the people who wrote the copy for the site
aren't rocket scientists.  Rocket scientists would know better.

>From the page on efficiency:

"Efficiency is crucial to all aspect of the Anuvu fuel cell vehicle. The
carbon composite body panels are stronger and lighter than steel and are
easier to manufacture and mold. The heating and air conditioning system
within the vehicle is highly efficient, the lights used last longer with
less energy, and with a low co-efficient of drag the Anuvu vehicle has a
greater range while keeping occupants more comfortable. The vehicle uses
in-the-wheel motors that are more reliable than traditional motors and
operate at 95% efficiency. A flywheel is used to re-capture energy usually
lost to braking and to store extra energy. Because the Anuvu vehicle is
efficient in all areas, the vehicle will have a range of 300-700 and be less
expensive to operate than a typical internal combustion engine vehicle."

Carbon composites in a production vehicle?  How much $$$?

In-the-wheel motors more reliable?  How, if they must include gear reduction
to be useful and will be constantly hammered by road irregularities?  And
again, how much $$$?

A flywheel to recapture braking energy?  Has *anyone* made this work in the
real world?

Sounds like an awful lot to bite off for a new automobile company.  Anyone
with any experience in business or new technology would know to run away,
holding your wallet.

I remember years ago Honda introduced a racing motorcycle that had oval
pistons, eight valves per cylinder, a monocoque chassis and 16" wheels.
Each of those features alone was supposed to revolutionize racing.  In fact
each of those features was a big development project on its own - there
wasn't a prayer of getting them all to work on the same bike at once.  As it
turned out, it was so slow and riddled with problems, Honda was rumored to
have *bought* its way onto the starting grid at the few races they went to.
It was the stupidest thing I have ever seen a manufacturer do.

Anuvu seems to be repeating history, unless it's just meant to be a black
hole for investment capital.

Chris