Archive for the ‘Automotive’ Category
What to expect from GM now the Gov owns them
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009If I was buying a new car right now, I think it would be a Jetta TDI. I’ll let this video explain:
My Career Plans
Thursday, May 7th, 2009My career goal is to make a bunch of money so that I can spend my time focusing on my passions:
- My religion (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- My family
- My liberty
- Food (eating, not cooking) - My wife is a rock’n good cook.
- Recreation - particularly skiing, biking, and basketball.
- Cars
How the heck am I going to do that? Ummm . . . I’m not sure; but I am living by some principles that will help me get there:
- Spend less than I make
- Only use debt as an investment tool (education, home, business, etc.)
- Never use debt to buy a toy
- Tithe 10%
- Save 10%
- Continue my education (in and out of school)
- [I keep writing "I" or "me" but really everything I just listed fully involves my wife and family so I should use "we"]
My talents are:
- Teaching - my key is focusing on underlying principles.
- Long, hard, manual labor - keeping my head in the books for more than a few hours is taxing, but when I’m doing physical work I get in a zone where I become almost unstoppable. I HATE leaving a job undone.
- Fixing things - this talent really manifested itself when I competed in automotive repair. At the request of my teacher, I entered and won a competition at the local level. That spring-boarded me to state and national competitions where I took 1st and 2nd respectively. Before that point I knew I enjoyed it, but I had no idea how good at it I was.
Throughout the path of my career I would like to:
- Work in the automotive industry - I think market research would be a good fit.
- Work in the renewable energy industry - solar, wind, hydrogen, geo-thermal, and others fascinate me!
- Write a book - I have one outlined already. I should write a post to tell you about it.
Near term:
I am using my time at the Census Bureau to gain some experience working with surveys and data. I might even pursue a Master’s degree in survey methodology or applied economics. I think this will position me well to make a transition into market research. I hope to end up in positions where not only do I analyze markets, but I also develop strategies for capitalizing on them.
My current job, while not particularly fulfilling, has been a great opportunity for my wife and I to get on our feet. We both graduated from college last year. We followed that shortly with a new baby.
Blogging has introduced me to a whole new skillset. I am working to become proficient in:
- Basic Wordpress development
- Web writing
- Web Analytics
- Various forms of online advertising
- Basic web design using Photoshop and/or Illustrator
- My latest project was a blog for my mom: http://mamacrane.com
So, going back to the orginal question of how I plan to make a pile of money, I obviously don’t know. But I think I am positioning myself well to take advantage of opportunities that come my way.
What do you think? Am I headed in the right direction? Are there other essential skills I ought to be developing?
Note: I hate MLMs and am not interested in getting involved in one. I have to throw that out there because this last year, for some reason, has brought on a bombardment of MLM proposals. MLMs do not fall under my career goals.
Tesla is Over-Promising with the Model S
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Tesla Motors recently revealed their up and coming Model S. It’s beautiful, luxurious, and if it lives up to all of its promises it will be a certain hit. They received over 500 orders the first week. It seems to me, however, that some of their promises are a little too grandiose—the $49,000 price and the late 2011 delivery date just seem too optimistic.
To frame my opinion and argument correctly, it is important to note that I have nothing against Tesla. In fact, they are impressing me more than any other automotive start-up. They delivered their 250th car last month while most companies are still toying with prototypes. Last year I called Tesla an “American car company to be excited about” and I predicted that they would end up benefiting from the recession. I’m still excited about this company.
Tesla promises Model S will be an amazing car at an amazing price:
- 4-door Electric Sedan (manufactured in-house)
- Seats 7 (back 2 seats are for children and dwarfs only)
- 0-60 in 5.9 seconds
- 160, 230, or 300 mile range
- Base price: $49,000 (after federal tax rebates)
- Deliveries start in late 2011
Now compare those promises to what they are currently delivering in the Tesla Roadster:
- 2-door Electric Coupe/Convertible (manufactured by Lotus)
- Seats 2
- 0-60 in 3.9 seconds
- 244 mile range
- Base price: $101,500
Delivery Date
To fulfill these promises Tesla has 2.5 years to raise the needed capital; build, buy, or lease a factory; set-up all its tooling; hire and train its workers; and start producing cars. Keep in mind that this all has to be done by a company that has never built a car from the ground up. Until now, they have only been building and installing electric power trains in specialized cars built off site by Lotus. In the meantime, this small company has to continue fulfilling orders for the roadsters (already well behind schedule). I predict that as 2011 approaches, Tesla will announce delays and push back delivery dates.
Price
I was shocked to see that Tesla is promising a price for the Model S that is half what they are charging for the Roadster. I knew that subsequent Tesla cars would become more and more affordable but I never anticipated such a quick dive in price. The batteries are by far the most expensive component of these cars. While time and technological advances will certainly bring the prices down, I can’t imagine that 2.5 years is enough time to see that type of reduction. I predict that Tesla will be forced to raise the price as they get closer to delivery.
I hope I’m wrong
Over promising seems to be in style with automotive start-ups. I hope they don’t do it on purpose, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they do; maybe it has become a necessary evil in order for the companies to generate hype in hopes of attracting investors. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I am ready to see an automotive start-up live up to its claims and promises. Will Tesla be the one?
100mpg Hummer H3 by a Provo Utah Company
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009Raser Technologies, based in Provo, UT, is a company I’ve been keeping my eye on for a couple years. They caught my attention because they have been working on some uber-cool technologies that have huge potential. They have held my attention because they are so close to where I grew up. A couple of my family members even bought a few shares of Rasor stock (RZ).
Until last week the company was not very well known. That all changed this week when they debuted a 100mpg Hummer H3. It is a 700 volt electric vehicle with a 4 cylinder gasoline engine that acts as a “range extender.” The gas engine has no mechanical connection to the wheels. All it does is turn a generator that charges the batteries, powers the electric motor, or even provides power for off-vehicle electric devices (should be nice for construction workers).
Check it out:
I love cutting edge technology. Stuff like this is paving the way for a whole new generation of automobiles. I do however, have to throw in a warning. Don’t expect to be able to afford one of these, at least not for a few years. This Hummer has 3 large (and expensive) lithium ion battery packs. Even if the Raser components (motor, generator, and controller) can be cost effective when mass produced, the batteries are not—at least not yet. Mobile devices (mostly cell phones) have pushed battery technology to a point never before seen, but it still has further to go. I wonder how far away we are from having vehicles like this in our driveways. 3 years? Maybe 5? Maybe more? I’m excited to see.
Toyota & Mercedes are Proving that Hydrogen FC and Battery Electric are Perfect Compliments
Thursday, March 19th, 2009I have written a couple of times about the debate between hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and battery electric (here and here). Proponents of each are busy slandering the other. Meanwhile, Toyota and Mercedes are quietly proving that the two technologies are perfect compliments.
Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV)
Toyota is the world wide leader in hybrid vehicles (thanks to the Prius). They are applying what they know about gasoline-electric hybrids to make FCHVs. Take a look at this diagram:
Essentially, they have replaced the gasoline engine from their hybrid drive-train with a hydrogen fuel cell. This allows for a zero emissions vehicle that has a range of over 500 miles and refuels in roughly the same amount of time it takes you and me to fill up with gasoline.
Mercedes is doing the same thing only with a bus.
But Battery Electric is 3x More Efficient Than Hydrogen!
I know, I know, but remember how Toyota is developing a plug-in version of the Prius? It’s a Prius that you charge at home, then drive 30-40 miles on 100% battery power. Doesn’t it seem reasonable that they will apply the same technology to the FCHV? Imagine! All of your quick drives use only efficient battery power charged from the grid. When you need longer range, however, the hydrogen fuel cell kicks in and provides it for you.
I think this is the most promising alternative fuel arrangement that I have seen. It has all the convenience of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (or gasoline for that matter) plus the efficiency of a battery electric vehicle.
Thoughts?
Hydrogen Fuel Cell vs Battery Electric (the debate simplified)
Thursday, March 12th, 2009In the world of alternative fuel vehicles there is a vicious debate over hydrogen fuel cell vs battery electric vehicles. At times it seems no less heated than John McCain vs Barack Obama (here is a small example).
Who Cares?
I strongly believe that one or both of these technologies is nearing a tipping point—a point where the technology will spread like a virus through the entire automotive industry. It will be a boom that reshapes the automotive industry similarly to the way cell-phones reshaped telecommunication. I certainly think it is worth understanding the pros, cons, and potential of each technology.
The Debate Simplified
Hydrogen and battery electric vehicles each produce great driving, zero emissions, electric vehicles. There are many arguments for and against each, but it is necessary to filter out all of the brainless rhetoric to get to the bottom of the debate. I say brainless because there are a lot of stupid arguments about how one technology or the other is not affordable. Go figure! How many people could afford a cell-phone in 1989? Another argument that is far less stupid, but equally insignificant is that of infrastructure. Infrastructure ALWAYS follows successful products (notice how 3G technology is only available in select cities right now—if the technology proves successful, the infrastructure for it will quickly spread).
Once you get past all that, the debate is quite simple:
- Proponents of Hydrogen: Fuel cell vehicles have longer driving range, shorter refuel time, and require no major lifestyle changes when compared to today’s gasoline vehicles. Battery electrics, on the other hand, are more limited in range, not as quick to refuel, and are a bit different to own than today’s vehicles—mostly because you have to plan time to charge them.
- Proponents of Battery Electric: It is 3 times more efficient to produce electricity and store it in a battery than it is to convert the energy to hydrogen then back to electricity again to power the car.
Searching for the Holy Grail
Both technologies are desperately searching for ways to overcome their shortcomings: hydrogen needs to improve its efficiency (here) while batteries need to be faster charging and have longer ranges (here and here).
Can They Compliment Each Other?
Toyota and Mercedes both seem to be proving that hydrogen fuel cells are perfect compliments to batteries. In fact, they even seem to solve each other’s weaknesses. Maybe the whole debate is a mute point? More on that soon.
Regenerative Shock Absorbers
Monday, March 2nd, 2009Shock absorbers collect the energy caused by bumps in the road so your spine doesn’t have to. Conventional shock absorbers turn all that energy into heat and send it escaping into the atmosphere. Regenerative shock absorbers, by contrast, convert the energy into electricity. It can be used to charge the battery, or help power various electrical devices on the car.
A group of MIT students invented just such a shock absorber. They claim it can increase overall fuel efficiency by 10%.
Zack Anderson , senior in electrical engineering and computer sciences, holds a GenShock prototype up to a Humvee coil spring where it is installed. (Photo / Donna Coveney via mit.edu)
It will be exciting when we start to see cars that combine regenerative shocks, regenerative brakes, and solar panels—all sources of energy that conventional vehicles completely waste.
Red Bull’s Formula One Team Gets a Boost of 83 Horsepower From Regenerative Braking (KERS)
Thursday, February 19th, 2009Red Bull’s Formula One team has a system that will enable them to use their brakes for slowing down and speeding up. It’s called Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Red Bull’s team claims that the energy recovered from braking will be used in 83 horsepower boosts that last up to 6.5 seconds.
I’ve ridden in a VW Golf that had a 50 hp nitrous oxide boost. It was enough to push me back in my seat. I imagine this 83 hp boost will be quite a weapon for the drivers who have it.
Here is a quick computer animation that describes the car and the technology (2min):
This is an awesome technology that is already being implemented in pretty much all hybrid, EV, and hydrogen applications (just not in 83 hp boosts).
My Backseat Flight in an F-16
Thursday, February 12th, 2009I broke the sound barrier and experienced a turn that brought on 7.5 Gs.
Jeremy Clarkson of the BBC show Top Gear had a similar experience to mine except he was in an F-15. Here is a 10 min segment from his show that tells the story from the training to the flight (if you want to skip straight to the flying, scroll ahead to minute 6 of the video):
Here is a 1 min demo clip of an F-16 so you can see the difference in the two jets:
My ride came shortly before I left the Air Force ROTC in 2006. It was only possible after a trip to Colorado Springs where I was trained on altitude sickness and its symptoms. There I was put in an altitude chamber so that I could experience and react to the early signs of altitude sickness. Within seconds of losing cabin pressure, your body and reactions slow way down. You have to be able to put your mask on and engage your oxygen before you pass out. That is why you are always instructed on commercial airliners to put your mask on before helping those around you. After my training I received a “Chamber Card” that made me eligible for my ride.
I drove to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. I was examined by a “flight surgeon” to make sure I was “fit to fly.” I received briefing after briefing to teach me how to avoid screwing something up, passing out, or barfing on the controls. They said I would have to scrub every inch of the jet if I puked on it. 
Finally, they suited me up in all the gear:
- Helmet
- Mask
- Visor
- G-Suit (When the jet goes into a turn, your G-suit fills with compressed air and squeezes your calves, thighs, and abs to help keep the blood from rushing out of your head—you also have to strain every muscle in your body to avoid passing out)
- Knife to cut the parachute cords (without it I could get stuck in one of the three trees in southern Arizona’s desert).
- Flight suit
- etc.
I met the pilot and sat in on his mission briefing. I think I understood one word in the entire 30 min discussion: bogey. The pilot told me after the briefing that we would be flying a dog-fighting mission and that I would get to experience some great maneuvering.
Once in the jet I was blown away by the incredible visibility. You can see in almost every direction except backwards. The cockpit bubble extends beyond the sides of the jet so you can even look down.
At take off, the acceleration pins you pack in your seat similar to a fast car, but it holds you there for like 30 seconds straight.
Flying in formation with other jets was one of the best parts. It’s amazing to look out and see another jet flying above or beside you. The pilots commonly greet each other with a friendly birdy finger. When one of the other pilots flipped us off, I responded with a wave. He responded over the radio, “Ah crap! I flipped off the Mormon!”
Breaking the sound barrier was anti-climactic. I watched the gauge pass Mach 1, but otherwise didn’t feel or hear anything special. G force was a whole different story. Anything above 5 Gs feels like an elephant sitting on your head. I had to strain with every muscle in my body. I never passed out or vomited, but I did experience tunnel vision on a couple of turns (you can literally see your peripheral vision go black as the blood leaves your head). Had those turns been any sharper or held any longer I’m certain I would have passed out.
One hour in that jet was one of the most physically taxing things I’ve ever done. I went home and slept for 12 hours straight.
I think I started dreaming about this flight when I first saw the movie Top Gun. I experienced it once, then walked away from the Air Force and never looked back. More on that later.
