Dean + Green Cars
 

Sorry if this was posted elsewhere but i found it very intriguing and thought it might be known what our lovable dean is trying to do now for the world!!! It's just one thing after another for this man =D

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/872/

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Woah! I think my respect for Dean just went up even more! (was that even possible?!)

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

he did it again

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Yeah...his Hummer is REALLY eco-friendly...</sarcasm>

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

why do all green cars or hybrids look so stupid? why dont they turn a a car that is all ready in production int a green car hybrid?

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Making the cars is not the problem, it's persuading the world to buy them.

All eco-friendly cars sacrifice one thing or another to make them environmentally friendly. You have to sacrifice something to gain something...

But most people don't want to sacrifice and still save the Earth. Something has got to give people!

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

so its cheaper to make them look like the way they do then trying to produce the models that are being made?

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

The current shapes of hybrids are more aerodynamic than most current production cars. I believe that the structure of hybrids is also made of lighter materials and the current non-hybrid designs either wouldn't be stable with the lighter materials or the chassis would weigh so much more that a more powerful engine would be needed to haul around what is effectively dead weight, which would defeat the point of a hybrid. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong here)

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

I do agree thought that they need to change the look of the car because there are a lot of cars out there (Cavalier for me) which look better yet still are very aerodynamic. I am sure that if the technology improves over time and the market grows, the look of the cars will improve too.

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Personally I liked the car in the Picture. If it came down to choosing a car by looks. I wouldn't mind having that one. Now as for functionality the only problem I would have is how small it is. I would have to get a trailer to drag my friends around.

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

You're right. No one can ever design a sexy electric car.

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

That is amazing. From day to day i admire Dean more and more. Does this man ever get sleep?


Oh boy, that looks hot! Shame it's not famous enough.
I also like the name - "TESLA". Sounds nice, and very meaningfull too.

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Dean's interaction with Th!nk was previously discussed here:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=58302

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Oh, it's famous enough, just not in the circles of most of America. Being right near where they're designing these things, it's been neat to go there and get to see the project go from ideas on paper to working models. (Also, the Tesla's seats are REALLY comfortable. REALLY.)

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

It might have something to do with the $98,000 base price as well. :ahh: We can buy a lot of ugly hybrids for that kind of money.

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

I think the 98,000$ price tag on the car might have to do with the fact that they are the only people that make a sporty electric car.

-John

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Hey... why not do it yourself... it might not look like much, but it will turn the quarter mile faster than most anything street legal.

Jason

P.S. Why is everyone so excited about "Green Cars"... I like Red ones... they go faster....

P.P.S. If Dean can invent a car that is more efficient than my bicycle, then I really be impressed!

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Even a typical car can be more "efficient" than walking, if what you're worried about is greenhouse gas emission. It's not a big leap to imagine that a sterling-engine-charged electric vehicle could be sufficiently more "efficient" that it betters a bicycle.

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Not many hybrids can match the performance or acceleration of a Lamborghini Murcielago, like the Tesla Roadster does. :p

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

here save some money buy it used......http://motors.search.ebay.com/lambor...00 QQsbrsrtZd

But for 98,000$ it is quite a bit better deal then the lambo.

-John

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

SWEET! Sterling Engines arent just for the tops of coffee mugs anymore! :D

...Hey where do I get one?

...And my question is... how do you 'start' your sterling-engine powered car if it runs on cow poop as mentioned in the article? :confused:

-q

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Um, Maybe you haven't been paying attention. Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, etc.....

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

I just got 2 links in my inbox from the IDSA 2 interesting articles including this sweet picture...


http://money.cnn.com/magazines/busin...8830/index.htm


http://blogs.business2.com/greenwomb...t-to-dean.html

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

So, question is, when will we see dean kamen's heat powered sterling/electric vehicles in the US? :confused:

-q

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

I'd say about the time pigs fly...
Given the hoops a car has to jump through to to be legal on US roads...
and the fact that the oil companies have such power...

Keep dreaming! :ahh:

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Why can't companies stop using their lawyers (to fight changes for the betterment of society on the whole), and just use their engineers to solve the problem? Is the money they spend on lawyer fees (and lobbying politicians) year after year, really less than what they would have spent on engineering a better solution?

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

If this idea could work out, and produced and mnufactured worldwide, it will be put as an invention of an importance about the same as the wheel and the lamp.
Dean Kamen is A-W-E-S-O-M-E .

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

That and the Wrightspeed Electric "Supercar" (That both myself and Brian saw at the Maker Faire, based off of the Ariel Atom) are pretty sexy cars.

The real problem, however, is when do you choose aesthetics over function? And that Brian still has a valid point -- Most hybrid/electric/new fuel cars DO look pretty strange.

Maybe it's just because these concepts are made by American designers. With the exception of a very few vehicles (one or two of which is originally based off of British design anyways), I'm not a huge fan of any cars designed by Americans. Most of them are hard on the eyes, personally.


Anywho, back on topic.

So, what is happing here is basically that Dean is changing the world AGAIN? Who woulda thunk it? ;)

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

there is a company in la that is taking care that you would find on the street and turning them into all electric. if you mod the cars a little bit i am pretty sure there is enough room to make it hybrid.

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Uhmmm.... sure about that? Chevy Volt for release in early 2010, uses one of the new A123 systems nanotech lithium battery packs that are inhearantly safe thanks to their chemistry and the most energy dense batteries ever. Plus... the volts a looker too (back , front) And no, with the amount of money GM is pouring in this project, I don't think it will be just another dead concept.

My take... I WANT ONE! :yikes:

-q

Re: Dean + Green Cars
 

Hopefully very soon. I've seen a Th!nk, and the car is equipped with everything it needs to have for US safety regulations, as far as I could tell...It's also gotten the highest crash test ratings possible. Seems like the only problem should be getting the Sterling/Electric to work really, really well. (Not like we should expect anything less from the Dean and the folks over at DEKA.:p )