Republicans Buy American, Democrats Don't

According to a new study by Strategic Vision, these are the top 5 vehicles most popular with Democrats:Honda Civic Hybrid Volvo C30Nissan LeafAcura TSX WagonFord Fiesta Sedan Here are the top 5 vehicles most popular with Republicans:Ford Mustang ConvertibleAudi A8 Mercedes GLFord ExpeditionFord F150Now, there is a very interesting trend here.  Only one of the Democrat picks is built by an American automaker, and NONE of them are built in...

Another one bites the dust...

Another EV maker down.  Azure Dynamics is filing for creditor protection after Canada's investment regulatory agency denied their request to issue new shares, which Azure needed to do to generate operating capital. That's because Azure wasn't selling many electric vehicles, not enough to support operations.I am somewhat disappointing, because Azure is a relatively mature player, and wasn't going after exotic 3-wheel cars or anything fancy,...

H1-B Posting At Work

At work today, the company posted a notice in the coffee room that it was pursuing an H1-B sponsorship.  I have not seen an H1-B notice in a while.  The engineering market is definitely tightening up again, in Michigan....

The Dutch Birdman Is Faking

Take a look at these two frames from Jarnos Smeets test flight video.In the pre-launch frame, there is a large black dot on the left wing, but no matching dot on the right.In the post-launch frame, there are large dots on both wings. That's because the post-launch stuff is CGI.So why the fakery?  Is Smeets just fooling around, or is this project one of those elaborate marketing devices?...

The Truth About Obama's Energy Policy

Obama's reelection team likes to promote the fact that oil and gas production is up during his tenure.  This is great news.However, this cart from the American Petroleum Institute tells an interesting detail. Production is up on private lands.  On Federally controlled lands, production is in fact down.  And much of that is due to Obama's policies and regulations.  Production may...

Consumer Reports Hits Fisker Again

Ouch.But the Fisker is languishing in our lot, going out mostly for short commutes that remain well within cell-phone coverage in case of trouble--a concern in the rural area surrounding our track. Just this weekend, for example, the speedometer and energy meter display disappeared when driving, on top of having several other rogue warning indicators appear last week. It is expected we'll be revisiting the dealership soon. We've had cars in...

Obama's Straw Men

Obama loves to argue with straw men.  His latest tactic?  Accusing people who oppose his energy policy as being "flat earthers". "We've heard this kind of thinking before. Let me tell you something. If some of these folks were around when Columbus set sail, they must have been founding members of the Flat Earth Society. They would not have believed that the world was round."  (quoted from Edmunds.com)Um, no.  Truth is Mr....

Replacing Gas Taxes

GM has an open letter on its blog, here, opposing pending legislation in Washington (State) which levies extra fees on EVs to compensate for lost gas tax revenue.  GM correctly argues that adding fees on EVs will discourage people from buying them.  However, lost gas tax revenues are looming problem.  As gas cars become more efficient, and some people switch to hybrids and pure EVs, revenue from gasoline sales will drop significantly.  ...

Malloy Hoverbike Model Flight

The guy working on a hoverbike (twin propeller ground effect aircraft) has built and tested a scale RC model. This is a big step, because having a stable control system is key to having a safe bike. See http://youtu.be/EpMZBp20JoI....

Epic Win Video.

Darth Vader.Playing the Star Wars theme on bagpipes.Riding a unicycle.EPIC WIN....

Review: Mag-na-port Porting

There is a gun customization and smithing outfit in Harrison Twp, MI, called Mag-na-port Intl. Mag-na-port is famous for inventing an EDM process to cut trapezoidal ports into gun barrels.  The idea is that by venting the gasses upwards, you reduce muzzle jump and felt recoil. I have always wanted to get some of my guns ported, so I finally took the plunge and dropped off my Beretta M9 9mm, and...

EREV Advantages

The beauty, from an engineering point of view, of the EREV (range extended electric vehicle) architecture, is that in theory the range extender technology could be adjusted to be the most efficient or cost effective, without changing the essential function of the vehicle.  For example, if a new engine maker such as Cyclone Power or EcoMotors, or perhaps some future Sterling engine developer package an emissions compliant powerplant which could...

"White Box" Range Extender Engines

Consumer Reports blog has an interesting interview with Henrik Fisker, the daddy of the troubled Fisker Karma (he must feel somewhat like Paris Hilton's dad).In one of his answers, Fisker states that he sees a market for range extender engines which are non-brand, because they are no longer the core of the automobile. When do you predict electric cars and plug-in hybrids will become more affordable? Over the coming years, I could see several opportunities...

Review: Detroit Tire & Wheel Co. (Old Redford)

The other day, I noticed a nasty bulge in the sidewall of the right rear tire on my car. Bulges are something you want to be careful with, because it means that the layers of rubber that form the critical sidewall of your tire are delaminating, or weakened in some other way. There is a risk that the bulge will rupture and you will find yourself with a shredded tire at highway speed.The new tire dealers...

Fisker: Half-Baked

Ford was roundly (and rightfully) scolded by the automotive press and by consumers for shipping a buggy, slow MyFord Touch infotainment system. But, if Sync crashes and reboots on you, the car is driveable. There are growing reports on internet forums that Fisker's Karma suffers from software bugs that make the car unsafe.  For example, this report on FiskerBuzz.com:complete blackout while driving situation driving at 7pm pst this evening...

DOE to Carbon Motors: Denied

The Department of Energy has denied Carbon Motors' application for an ATVM loan, which they were going to use to bring to market a purpose built police car running a BMW sourced diesel power train.  Good decision.Carbon Motors' business plan was always bizarre to me.  They admitted, up front, that each vehicle would cost around $60,000, and would have negligible resale value because they were intended for government use only.  The...

Electric Cars Aren't Selling

Another "Emperor is naked" moment.  The combined sales of Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt, the only currently available plug-in electric vehicles, for the month of February were a whopping 1500.  Meanwhile, the F-series trucks sold 47,000 (31:1 ratio).  Chevrolet Cruze sold about 20,000 (13:1 ratio) .   And Ford is about to jump in with the Focus Electric, and Mitsubishi also with the i, offering greater choice...

2013 Fusion Hybrid: 47MPG

I am impressed.  In a press release touting their fuel efficient offerings, Ford claims (no EPA sticker yet) that the 2013 Fusion Hybrid will get 47mpg.  They don't say if that is the combined, city, or highway number, but given that it is a hybrid, best case is probably the city number. If this holds up, Fusion Hybrid beats all other hybrid sedans in production, and even beats the Prius V (44 city).  We'll have to wait for the MSRP...

Hummer Is Dead, But The Brand Slinks On...

The Hummer vehicle brand is dead.But, you can still buy lots of Hummer and Humvee branded stuff.  Like a cheap knife/flashlight combo at Amazon.  I wonder if we'll be seeing Saab branded junk soon, too?...