Re: "Fishy" Diesel Concept Car

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8129979/ 'Fishy' 70-mpg diesel concept car unveiled DaimlerChrysler project was shaped by a tropical fish MSNBC Updated: 3:29 p.m. ET June 7, 2005 DaimlerChrysler on Tuesday unveiled a diesel concept car that gets more than 70 miles per gallon, reduces some pollutants by 80 percent, seats four and looks like something that popped out of a Caribbean reef — only magnified. The company attributed the high mileage and lower emissions to new technology and an aerodynamic design based on the biology of a boxfish. The fully functional car was on display at a company technology exhibit in Washington, D.C. DaimlerChrysler said it had no plans to mass produce the vehicle, but that some of the technology would show up in future vehicles. In a statement, DaimlerChrysler said its engineers "for the first time looked for a specific example in nature which not only approximates to the idea of an aerodynamic, safe, comfortable and environmentally compatible car in terms of details, but as a formal and structural whole." Stronger, lighter frame With the help of biologists, the engineers settled on the boxfish, a cube-shaped, tropical fish whose anatomical structure was used to design a vehicle body with a wind drag coefficient of just 0.06 in the wind tunnel. The boxfish, the company said, "is also a prime example of rigidity and light weight. Its skin consists of numerous hexagonal, bony plates which provide maximum strength with minimal weight and effectively protect the animal from injury." DaimlerChrysler researchers used those principles to design external door panels that are 40 percent more rigid than conventional designs. Designing an entire body around those principles, DaimlerChrysler said, would reduce total weight by one third "with undiminished strength and crash safety." 84 mpg on highway The low drag and lightweight components are key reasons for the fact that the 140 horsepower concept car gets 20 percent better mileage than other diesels of its size, DaimlerChrysler said. Combined city/highway driving delivers about 70 mpg, DaimlerChrysler said, while highway driving at 55 mph gets around 84 mpg. The vehicle also uses a new diesel filter technology that reduces smog-causing nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80 percent, the company said. A mixture based on animal urine is sprayed into the exhaust system, neutralizing the nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water. European automakers have long touted diesel engines, which get 30 percent better fuel economy and emit 20 percent less carbon dioxide than comparable gasoline engines. But diesel's biggest hurdles in the United States have been the smog-forming nitrogen oxides and the perception that diesel engines are noisy and smoky. Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler have been trying to reintroduce diesels to Americans, showcasing engines that are much quieter and less polluting than predecessors. A diesel-powered Jeep Liberty is available as is the Mercedes E 320 CDI diesel sedan. Volkswagen sells Beetle, Golf and Jetta diesel models. © 2005 MSNBC Interactive © 2005 MSNBC.com

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Originally posted by snorth The company attributed the high mileage and lower emissions to new technology and an aerodynamic design based on the biology of a boxfish.

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When I first saw the picture of the car, I thought it reminded me of a trunkfish, which is a type of boxfish. http://www.seascapevideo.com/stock_footage/Spotted_Trunkfish.html Perhaps the next thing will be a revival of the tailfins of the 1950's, except the new ones would look like fish fins [:D].

That's yet another JOKE from the auto industry. Seriously, what would you rather drive, this: [img]http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050607/050607_newcar_hmed.hmedium.jpg[/img] or this: [img]http://l3research.com/_Archive/Jpegs/l3_sideshot_reduced.jpg[/img] The second one has been around for years- my wife Sunny and I have even taken a ride in it. It's a biodiesel hybrid called the Enigma, and it was entirely constructed with off-the-shelf parts. The important things are that it gets 80 MPG, and you can actually put in in pure electric mode as well, where it has a 25-mile range. As you can see, it's beautiful. It has regenerative braking, just like the gas hybrids. It was designed and built by college students at San Diego State University, and for years, the spinoff company, L3, who you can check out at http://www.l3research.com (they also make a diesel hybrid motorcycle that's available and inexpensive) has been trying to get financing to mass produce the car. They have the supply chain all figured out, and believe they can make the cars at a cost of about 30k. That's not bad at all, considering what it is! So, to summarize, the big auto manufacturers "struggle" without end to come up with something close to 80 MPG, and when they come out with high fuel economy cars (that still don't hit the mark), they intentionally make them look dorky and don't market them. And then there's reality. Millionaires, if you're reading, give the L3 folks a break- they, and the world, deserve it.

Ybiofuels, technology for much more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly engines is available. Read on: http://www.washingtonfreepress.org/73/gasEngineUseDiesel.htm Again, the question is why don't the auto companies snatch up stuff like this? Even though GM looks like it's going belly-up, the company reminds me of an addict who rejects help.

Even more to the point than the Enigma, though, is the fact that Dodge has had the Intrepid ESX3 Diesel/Electric concept for a long time. That's a mainstream-looking car from the SAME company as this fish car!! Why didn't they go with the Intrepid instead of this thing?!?!

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Originally posted by snorth
Even more to the point than the Enigma, though, is the fact that Dodge has had the Intrepid ESX3 Diesel/Electric concept for a long time. That's a mainstream-looking car from the SAME company as this fish car!! Why didn't they go with the Intrepid instead of this thing?!?!

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Hasn't the Intrepid diesel hybrid been around since 1996? I remember hearing about that a LONG time ago!!! The public is so being played. We need to get the word out.

Yep, 1996 or 1997. One of the so-called "issues" with it, though, was the cruddy US diesel fuel. But they seem to have "found" a way around those issues with this latest car. [:(!]

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Originally posted by ybiofuels
That's yet another JOKE from the auto industry. Seriously, what would you rather drive, this:

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I would rather drive one of these [:D]: [img]http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/BDX/BDX279/bxp47938.jpg[/img] Seriously though - the sports car does look nice. It looks like they are using the same engine as in the Lupo, and building a different car around it. The 30K price is a bit too high for the average American though, but I suppose you have to start somewhere.

I did some research and posted the following at my blog: Some may remember hearing about a Dodge hybrid diesel car that looked cool and got incredible fuel economy all the way back in the mid-1990s. The following is from allpar.com, which thankfully archived the development of Dodge's diesel hybrid Intrepid:

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Intrepid ESX The Intrepid was Chrysler's first attempt to exceed 80 mpg without losing space or acceleration. The total project cost $3 million to make, and Chrysler estimates that, if produced, the ESX would cost $80,000. Most of the cost is from the exotic materials and electronic components. The engine is derived from a series hybrid-drive propulsion system meant to use 40% of gasoline's potential energy (the typical car only uses 15% of gasoline's potential energy). The car is powered by three engines. The first is a VM Motori S.p.A. 1.8-liter three-cylinder, turbocharged diesel, whose energy is diverted to an 180-pound, 300-volt battery and two oil-cooled electric wheel motors. The electric motors are also part of the regenerative braking system, where energy normally lost through the disc brakes recharges the motors... The rear suspension, where the two 100-hp electric motors are located, is the semi-trailing arm type with coil-strut shocks. Panels are made of ultrathin-gauge aluminum, cutting the weight by 600 lb.. The controls for parking, reverse, and forward are located on the windshield wiper knob. The styling was incorporated in the 1998 Intrepid production car. Specs: Dodge Intrepid ESX hybrid-electric car, 1997 * Vehicle: rear-engine, rear wheel drive, hybrid propulsion, 5 passenger, 4-door sedan * Engine types: I-3 SOHC diesel, 2 valves/cylinder, with 2 electric wheel motors * Regenerative braking (brakes act as generators to recapture energy and convert it to electricity) * Power: 75 bhp diesel + 2 x 100 hp electric motors = 275 bhp * Torque: 135 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm * Fully electric power steering * Acceleration: 0-60 in 15 seconds (this was decreased in 1998 to around 9 seconds) * Transmission: none * Wheelbase: 113.0 in * 600 Bolder Technologies spiral-wound lead-acid batteries producing 300 volts DC (180 lb), stored under the hood * Length: 195.0 in * Curb weight: 2880 lb * Estimated 55 mpg * Low emissions - below Tier 1 Specs: Dodge hybrid, 1998 * Same as above, except: o Engine types: I-3 SOHC diesel, 2 valves/cylinder, with 2 electric wheel motors o Power: 80 bhp diesel + 2 x 100 hp electric motors = 280 bhp o Torque: 135 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm o Acceleration (0-60): 9 sec (for 3.2-liter) o Curb weight: 2880 lb Dodge Intrepid ESX2 The second run was the ESX2, with a more modest goal of 70 mpg. CC calls it a "mybrid" (mild hybrid) because its reliance on electrical power is not highly dependent on the battery. This system contains two motors that work in parallel: a 1.5 liter, 74-bhp direct-injection diesel and a 20-bhp AC induction electric motor. Coupled with the powertrains are a 5-speed electronically shifted manual transmission, a nickel-metal hydride battery pack, and controlling equipment which includes components from the Patriot hybrid race-car program. The main power comes from the diesel engine. The electric motor charges the batteries, adds to the acceleration, and powers the reverse gear. To cut down on cost and weight, Chrysler fit the car with a cheap, unpainted thermoplastic body attached to an aluminum frame. The shape has low aerodynamic drag. Inside, trim is constructed of carbon-fiber and seats are constructed from tube frame. The final cost: only $15,000 more than a regular Intrepid, or about $37,000. Intrepid ESX-3 The ESX3 costs only about $7,500 more than a comparable gasoline-powered car, down from a $15,000 premium with the ESX2, and $60,000 with the ESX. The ESX3's mild hybrid electric (or "mybrid") powertrain combines a clean diesel engine, electric motor, and lithium-ion battery to achieve 72 miles per gallon (3.3 liters/100 km). That is two miles per gallon better than the fuel efficiency of its predecessor, the ESX2 in 1998, and close to PNGV's goal of up to 80 mpg (2.9 liters/100 km). A unique electro-mechanical automatic transmission (EMAT) provides the fuel efficiency of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic. The lightweight body uses injection-molded thermoplastic technology that cuts weight and cost. The ESX3 weighs 2,250 pounds (1020 kg) while meeting all federal safety standards. The vehicle is more than 80 percent recyclable. Rethinking the car's electronic and electrical systems cut several pounds from the weight of electronics while providing an ergonomic system of controls and indicators, high-performance audio and video systems, and a state-of-the-art telematics package. Elements have already been incorporated into other vehicles. The recently unveiled Dodge Durango hybrid prototype vehicle has 20 percent higher mileage. A thermoplastic hardtop will be available on the Jeep® Wrangler for the 2001 model year, while EMAT transmission technology is being developed for future production vehicles.

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You might be thinking, "What the fudge?!" (or something similar). It doesn't help that it's a very attractive car: [img]http://img28.echo.cx/img28/7461/esx31m4iw.jpg[/img] WHY DIDN'T THIS CAR GET MASS-PRODUCED???????

Great write-up and analysis! You should e-mail that to the author of that MSNBC article!

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Originally posted by snorth
Great write-up and analysis! You should e-mail that to the author of that MSNBC article!

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[:D]Thanks. I will. Here's an update from my blog that actually ties the two together quite nicely:

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WHY DIDN'T THIS CAR GET MASS-PRODUCED??????? As if that isn't insulting enough, this is the final paragraph of the article I quoted above:

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Elements have already been incorporated into other vehicles. The recently unveiled Dodge Durango hybrid prototype vehicle has 20 percent higher mileage. A thermoplastic hardtop will be available on the Jeep® Wrangler for the 2001 model year, while EMAT transmission technology is being developed for future production vehicles.

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So the parts are okay but the sum of them ...isn't? Wait a minute, I think I've heard language like that before...

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The fully functional car was on display at a company technology exhibit in Washington, D.C. DaimlerChrysler said it had no plans to mass produce the vehicle, but that some of the technology would show up in future vehicles.

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-from June 7th MSNBC article about new "Fishy" car, which I talk about a couple blog entries back.

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Originally posted by ybiofuels

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Originally posted by snorth
Great write-up and analysis! You should e-mail that to the author of that MSNBC article!

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[:D]Thanks. I will.

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Strange. I can't find the name of an author anywhere. If anyone does, let me know.

I am a firm believer in aesthetics combined with function and feel this is the only way to encourage Joe Public to embrace alternate technology. Mainstream auto manufacturers generally seem determined to skirt around this by offering either form OR function - rarely both (the Prius is the only mainstream offering that does do so that comes to mind at this time). Either it is strategy or just being lazy - which no sales / PR / snow job has yet convinced me of otherwise. Apparantly this is of no consequence to companies like DC / GM - despite massive drops in market share and claims of financial 'hardship'. But without punters like me and you, how else are they going to fund those expensive executive retirement packages? Ian B.