we'll all drown!!
 

So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm


Epic trip for 'alternative' car

A car that runs on just hydrogen and solar power has completed a journey
through Australia - the first crossing of a continent for a car of this
type.

The organisers say the gruelling 4,000 km trip shows greener alternatives to
the traditional internal combustion engine can be developed.

The exhaust emissions of the Japanese-built car consist of pure water.

Sydney's Lord Mayor sampled a glass of it when the experimental vehicle
arrived there from Perth.

The car was designed by students at Tamagawa university in Tokyo.

Vehicle viability?
"We could have done it in four days but we didn't want to take any chances;
we wanted to show this could be done," said organiser Hans Tholstrup who
pioneered solar-powered car races in Australia two decades ago.

The most challenging conditions during the nine-day trip of the vehicle were
found in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney.

There the region's steep highways coupled with high temperatures made life
extremely uncomfortable for the team, says the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney.

The car - named Apollondine after the ancient Greek gods of the Sun and the
water - travelled a total of 4,084 kilometres (2,533 miles)

"If you're asking when this technology could be commercially viable, then
the answer is 'how long is a piece of string?'," Mr Tholstrup added. "It's
interesting that clever university students have come up with this design,
instead of the major car companies." He said sooner or later the major car
companies would be using the building blocks his team have pioneered.

we'll all drown!!
 

Cast_Iron wrote:
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm

Epic trip for 'alternative' car

A car that runs on just hydrogen and solar power has completed a journey
through Australia - the first crossing of a continent for a car of this
type.

Where does the hydrogen come from?

--
Steven O'Neill
www.bridgetolls.org

we'll all drown!!
 

Steven M. O'Neill wrote:

Cast_Iron wrote:
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm

Epic trip for 'alternative' car

A car that runs on just hydrogen and solar power has completed a journey
through Australia - the first crossing of a continent for a car of this
type.

Where does the hydrogen come from?

Australia, I expect - getting it through customs is more trouble than
it's worth :-)

The trouble with hydrogen is that it's rather difficult to store to take
with you - either you need some very big cylinders to put it in, or you
need an absorber (which is quite heavy) or to make it VERY cold so that
it can be transported as a liquid. For this reason we're not likely to
see many hydrogen powered vehicles soon.

For more information check out sci.energy.hydrogen

we'll all drown!!
 

Aidan Stanger wrote:
Steven M. O'Neill wrote:

Cast_Iron wrote:
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion
engine the oil company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm

Epic trip for 'alternative' car

A car that runs on just hydrogen and solar power has
completed a journey through Australia - the first
crossing of a continent for a car of this type.

Where does the hydrogen come from?

Australia, I expect - getting it through customs is more
trouble than
it's worth :-)

The trouble with hydrogen is that it's rather difficult to
store to take with you - either you need some very big
cylinders to put it in, or you need an absorber (which is
quite heavy) or to make it VERY cold so that
it can be transported as a liquid. For this reason we're
not likely to
see many hydrogen powered vehicles soon.

For more information check out sci.energy.hydrogen

Mercedes seem to be managing it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3323527.stm

we'll all drown!!
 

"Aidan Stanger" wrote in message
...

The trouble with hydrogen is that it's rather difficult to
store to take with you - either you need some very big
cylinders to put it in, or you need an absorber
(which is quite heavy) or to make it VERY cold so that
it can be transported as a liquid. For this reason we're
not likely to see many hydrogen powered vehicles soon.

And then three of them will come a long at once (if you're on London's 25
bus route).

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

we'll all drown!!
 

"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm


Epic trip for 'alternative' car



I think the UK Government should pass a law to make this technology
compulsory for all company cars.

we'll all drown!!
 

Mark W wrote:
"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm


Epic trip for 'alternative' car

I think the UK Government should pass a law to make this technology
compulsory for all company cars.

BMW and DaimlerChrysler are already working on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell power
as a viable alternative to existing technologies. BMW have suggested that
they expect to be able to offer such engines within 5-8 years. It's
currently looking like the best alternative to petrol/diesel engines but it
wouldn't be feasible to make it compulsory just yet.

JOOI, why only for company cars?

we'll all drown!!
 

"Mark W" s@o wrote in message
...

"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm


Epic trip for 'alternative' car



I think the UK Government should pass a law to make this technology
compulsory for all company cars.



Why company cars, you could do it for all?

we'll all drown!!
 

"Stimpy" wrote in message
...
Mark W wrote:
"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm


Epic trip for 'alternative' car

I think the UK Government should pass a law to make this technology
compulsory for all company cars.

BMW and DaimlerChrysler are already working on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
power
as a viable alternative to existing technologies. BMW have suggested that
they expect to be able to offer such engines within 5-8 years. It's
currently looking like the best alternative to petrol/diesel engines but
it
wouldn't be feasible to make it compulsory just yet.

JOOI, why only for company cars?




I want to punish company car drivers!

we'll all drown!!
 

"Mark W" s@o wrote in message
...

"Stimpy" wrote in message
...
Mark W wrote:
"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
So there's no alternative to the infernal combustion engine the oil
company's say?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/3350715.stm


Epic trip for 'alternative' car

I think the UK Government should pass a law to make this technology
compulsory for all company cars.

BMW and DaimlerChrysler are already working on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
power
as a viable alternative to existing technologies. BMW have suggested
that
they expect to be able to offer such engines within 5-8 years. It's
currently looking like the best alternative to petrol/diesel engines but
it
wouldn't be feasible to make it compulsory just yet.

JOOI, why only for company cars?




I want to punish company car drivers!



Which would mean that companies would just give employees they currently
provide with company cars, allowances to buy private cars with, on a
contract hire arrangement! I'm surprised more don't do it as the company car
tax regime removes most financial advantages anyway.

Mikael