These kids in Philadelphia High School built the worlds first biodisel spots car!!! (and it looks great unlike most hybrid/ high mpg cars). This car gets 50 mpg and 0-60 in four flat, major car companies eat your hearts out. If kids in a intercity school can do this, what excuses do major car companies, really have?

Oh, I forgot car companies are in the bed with the oil industry Both of them are about to lose big time...

Check out the article: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1329941.shtml

 

Interesting story. I would like to see more info on the car though. I suspect it is an ultra lightweight design with a small 4 cylinder turbo with maybe a hint of NOX. Does it have ANY safety features required on today's cars? Although it supposedly runs on soybean oil, what kind of emissions controls does it have?

Great job by the kids and a tremendous product (both car and kids) but I would like to know more about the vehicle not just the amped up headlines...

 

Regarding the emissions question, cars that run on biodiesel have virtually no emissions. There are even biodiesel cars that can run on vegetable oil, however there's one major con...
YOUR CAR'S EXHAUST WILL SMELL LIKE FRENCH FRIES. LOL

I know that sounds crazy but here's and article to back up my claim.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/...ar/P115218.asp

 

Truly a great story on many levels...depressing too. Those of us who recall the 2 fuel problems of the seventies, probably also remember there were a few individuals who went out and made mods to their vehicles resulting in significant increases in fuel efficiency. Remember the guy who drove from Florida to DC, right up to the steps of the Capital building on a single tank of gas with, as he put it, a simple modification to the carb system? They all disappeared into thin air. 30 years later, here we are again. Hopefully we aren't stupid enough to think that this problem is going to "go away" this time.

Is there any real link between car companies and oil companies...I've never subscribed to that theory myself. I just assumed that between the cost of development and the markets apparent willingness to suffer available mileage capabilities, the automakers had little incentive to seriously innovate in the area of fuel efficiency, anyone have insight on validity of this claim?

I'm actually more impressed with the instructor and these kids. That was a pretty sharp looking vehicle. Love the front suspension poking up through the front end.

Bravo West Philadelphia High.

 

Like Senna Spirit said I hope this project doesn't disappear, like guy that drove to D.C on one tank of gas, thats amazing. If a major car company buys the plans for this car IT'S OVER, because there's no way they would switch all of there cars over to run biodiesel fuel.

A major company will probably buy the plans, and make up some phony story at a press meeting about how the plans are not feasible, even though the plans are perfect. Then the plans of will simply disappear (I hope this doesn't happen...).

Senna Spirit, do you have a link so i can read up on that story are that guy that made the trip from Florida to D.C on one tank of gas?

 

Nope, I can't remember if it was during the first or second "oil crisis" but it was on the news, a couple of senators went down to greet him (back in the day when you could drive up the steps to the Capital). Then "poof" never heard a thing about it after that. I remember talking about it with someone in college and we were both thinking...whatever happened to that "idea"?

Who's to say where it went, if it was practical for production or not, etc, etc. But we just seem to have gone dormant for many years since then regarding efficiency. I'm sure the kids in West Philadelphia High weren't redesigning engines for that little monster of theirs, they(their instructor) just modified something existing... So, naturally, one begins to wonder what the great automotive minds at the big three are doing these days.

 

If someone could find out how much it cost, that would be great. Then we could know if this car is possible to mass produce.

 

the attack is a kit car produced in slovakia. kits are available in a variety of configurations and are based on the honda accord chassis.

http://www.k1-attack.cz/

these kids started with some version of the attack kit car. possibly it was donated or provided by a grant. the cost of the kit car is prohibitive. a basic model with without the drivetrain will set you back around $30k if my currency conversion was correct. a fully equipped model with a 240 hp 3L ford engine goes for around $60K.

the article and video IMO is a feel-good story about a bunch of disadvantaged kids and a biased jab at the oil and auto industries. other than the fact that the kids are learning and not on the streets (which is great news) their is little substance to the report. they don't even provide many details about the car because the sole intent was to make the auto and oil companies look greedy and stupid and the kids look like geniuses. it's a shame that CBS doesn't discuss what, if any advancements, the modifications actually promise.

 

Rob M, I agree with you on the report. It was kind of biased to make the oil industries look bad. But, even if the car is a kit car (I highly doubt that if the kids that built this car, did have the funding behind them). They could built a car from scratch thats asking way too much... Remember these are high school students.

These kids did put in more effort then the auto industry was done in years. and the kids should receive some kind of applause or a scholarship (to father their education)...

Remember folks the engineers/mechanics are Highschool kids not automotive industry designers/mechanics/engineers. They went way beyond the call of duty.

 

that's why i was hoping the story would provide some details on how the team integrated the engine and motor into the platform and how they overcame any design obstacles, etc. i do agree that regardless of the specifics of the vehicle it does show what a lot of hard work can accomplish.

the real issue though is that petroleum is still relatively inexpensive and efficient. ever-increasing demand and eventual diminishing supply will lead to alternative fuels in the future. this might sound contrary to common sense, but it's probably best for the U.S. to keep using mineral oil until the easy to get at reserves are gone. the reason i say this is that the u.s. and a few other industrialized countries have the highest standards for emission controls. china and other developing countries have very relaxed pollution controls. it will take them decades to reach standards where we are today. so it makes sense for us to continue using the fossil fuels to ensure that the pollution caused by such fuels is minimal. when it's gone the developing countries will also be using the alternative fuels.

 

Rob M,

Thanks for the link http://www.k1-attack.cz/ If you look at the videos the first link talks about the kids story. They got $15K from the school district and labor and other donations. This is a great story about kids with a project and an amazing teacher and school allowing them to be both productive and imaginative.

Also did you catch that the car has 300 HP. Look closely at the hybrid stickers and listen as they talk about the electric motor driving the front axle and the bio diesel engine running the rear.

Along with Rob M I suspect there is a lot more to this story than reported in a 1-2 minute op-ed piece. They had to have professional help figuring out how to synchronize the two motors and set up the power distribution.

Toyota is selling the Prius in large numbers, yet everyone admits they are selling the car for thousands less than it actually costs. And we aren't talking about a one off prototype.

Bottom line a great achievement and wonderful experience, but certainly nothing to make the auto and oil companies look bad.

 

my bet is that there isn't any synchronization between the diesel engine driven wheels and the electric motor driven wheels. consider that the attack weighs around 1,900 lbs. a lotus elise weighs 2,000 lbs., has 190 hp and goes 0-60 in 4.7's. the hybrid attack is supposed to go 0-60 in 4's. they don't say 4.0 seconds. so it's probably somewhere near the mid 4's range, which could be accomplished by the 200 hp electric motor alone in the attack depending on gearing, etc. the diesel engine is rated at 100 hp. so it's not necessarily even running during the 0-60 runs. the electric motor is supposed to use some form of capacitors to deliver maximum power for a very short period of time. in other words, a few quick starts and back to the garage to get charged. it's not clear to me whether the vehicle runs on either or both power plants at a given time.