AutoblogGreen

So you're enjoying a lovely day, driving the twisty Skyline Blvd. in California on your Ducati Multistrada when, through a series of fortunate events, you find yourself trying out the saddle of a different bike that just happens to be a top secret electric prototype using a chassis from the same manufacturer as your personal ride. That's what happened to a guy we know only as thomasj, who wrote about it on the Motorcycles' Journal. He had spotted a suspiciously quiet Ducati 900ss with an overly-large back sprocket and struck up a conversation with the apparent owner. The man turned out to be former Tesla employee Forrest Deuth who has started a company currently known as Hum Cycles which is now in stealth mode and whose mission is to "create the greenest and most fun commuter vehicle on the freeway." Sounds like a great goal to us and if the end product is as good as thomasj thought the prototype is, they just might succeed.

The guest rider found the torque to be mule-strong and unrelenting while the throttle stayed smooth and precise. No shifting was required as he quickly brought it up to the shy side of 100 mph, and then, with the help of some Brembo hardware, back down into legal range again. Like other electrics, it wasn't really silent though it was, thankfully, free of annoying vibration. Aside from speculation, there is precious little to be known about this project at this time but when they are good and ready we are hopeful there will be some beans spillin' here.

[Source: Motorcycles' Journal via Doug@TeslaMotorsClub]

On Friday, we alerted you to the upcoming unveiling that was supposed to happen on Monday of what was purported to be a new electric car like no other. Yes, this was to be a vehicle that could completely reinvent the auto industry, break all the laws of physics and cause small bunches of daisies to protrude from the gun barrels of armies everywhere. Indeed. Well, the appointed time of the unveiling came. And went. No car, no perpetual motion and no daisies were to be seen. Instead, visitors to the website of FOSH Automotive, whose name is not an acronym for "full of sweet honey" but rather is derived from the names of the four individuals who make up this braintrust, had a new message awaiting them.

The company, who apparently were unaware of the large number of people who might be interested in a gas-free, unlimited energy car for $25,000, didn't actually have any pictures or video of their vehicle featuring "some of the sexiest curves and doesn't resemble any electric car you have ever seen." Instead there is a new message that says that, even if their revised unveiling on one of two television networks falls through, next Monday at 9 PM CST there will be a "live video feed" available on their website. We would love to cover that event but, unfortunately, the entire AutoblogGreen staff has a game of tennis with a lovely family of sasquatch booked for that evening which we really can't re-schedule. Perhaps a rain-check? Thanks to Julie, Moshe and Stuart for the tip!

[Source: FOSH Automotive]

Some states have laid out the red carpet for the three-wheeled electric vehicles from ZAP! by offering rebates and issuing executive orders while some states are trying to pull the rug out from under owners by invalidating their registrations. This is now the case in Maine where Xebra owner, Tom Joyal, has received a letter from the state government telling him his little electric Xebra doesn't conform to the state's motor vehicle code and that they are revoking his registration. A spokesperson for the Secretary of State says a number of vehicles, "have been brought to their attention" because people are trying to find ways of coping with higher gas prices. The owner disagrees with the states assessment and claims he is in compliance because it adheres to the definition of an autocycle.

So who is right? After meticulously combing the 251-page Maine Motor Vehicle Inspection Manual (PDF) we conclude that Mr. Joyal appears to be mostly within the boundaries of the law, though he may want to consider installing a roll bar if he wants to be sure to pass inspection. Although the law states that an autocycle is "...an enclosed motorcycle, originally manufactured as an autocycle. It is designed to have no more than three wheels in contact with the ground at any time," an inspector must reject the vehicle if it's does not have said roll bar. The office of the Secretary of State may take another look at the situation and has issued a statement saying, "We certainly want to take an opportunity to review the vehicle and the way that it is configured, see how that fits within the existing confines of state law and see what changes to make to either the vehicle or to the law to make it a viable alternative for people." We hope Mr. Joyal has a lot of patience and wish him good luck.

[Source: WCSH6]

Back in the day, the Ford Pinto was most famous for the occasional gas tank explosion when involved in a rear-end collision. When you design a car with that kind of feature engineering flaw and then combine it with doors that jam shut in the same type of crash, people are going to talk. Nowadays, there's a Pinto in Alaska with fire-orange paint developing a reputation for a exploding off the drag strip starting line that's got people talking. This pony lacks a gas tank so you know all that smoke must be coming from the tires, though the lack of a screaming V8 might try to fool your senses. The car is owned by the president of the Alaskan chapter of the Electric Vehicle Association, Mike Willmon, and can tear up a quarter mile of tarmac in as little as 12.576 seconds and tops out at 127 mph. Yeah, we've seen faster cars too, but we're talking Pinto here! You can get lots of details on the rig at its EV Album page then sit back and watch the electric streak dubbed "Crazy Horse" take on a few "gassers" after the jump.

[Source: Anchorage Daily News / YouTube]

It seems that Changing World Technologies have finally solved the offal odor pollution problem at their turkey byproducts to biodiesel plant and are ready to begin bigger and better things. The company, which uses a thermal conversion process (TCP) to break down waste into fuel and organic fertilizer, wants to raise $100 million to fund an expansion and has filed an S1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to begin the process. The allocation and price of shares in the IPO will be decided by an auction process handled by the offering underwriter, WR Hambrecht & Co, as well as other securities dealers. The company currently produces between 4 to 9 million gallons of biodiesel a year and could reach 54 million gallons a year with the expansion. Although it is currently selling its fuel to industrial boilers, it has been approved by the EPA for use a an additive in diesel. It will have to be improved somewhat to be considered for full use as a transportation fuel.

[Source: Cnet.com / Green Car Congress]

We like the idea of electric bicycles and, apparently, the world does too. We've known that electric bicycles have become extremely popular in China but new numbers reveal they're really starting to catch on in Western countries too. In America, for example, where we have rising fuel costs and an aging population, sales almost doubled to reach 10,000 in 2007. Though they say it's partly because of an increased line-up, Amazon.com is reporting a whopping 6,000 percent increase this summer from a year ago.

In Europe, where bicycle culture has traditionally been pretty strong, demand for battery-powered rides is also on the rise. France matched America's pace in 2007 with 10,000. And while sales in Germany reached 60,000 last year, they expect to double that number this year. As you might imagine, the Netherlands had no problem representin' with 89,000 in 2007 and will likely reach 121,000 by the end of this year.

If you're in the market for a new light-weight ride you'll find a wide range of manufacturers out there with varying quality. The cheapest bikes use lead-acid batteries and you can pick them up for a few hundred bucks. Lithium ion batteries are finding their way into more bikes and, although they might be more expensive (from $1,500 to ridiculous), they offer lighter weight and longer ranges. Happy trails.

[Source: Business Week]

Robert Q. Riley has finished designing and building his XR3 diesel hybrid prototype and now says, "Its your turn!". Yes, with a few simple tools and plans purchased from Mr. Riley, you too can (eventually) cruise the highways in your very own XR3. Engineered to travel 40 miles with lithium ion batteries powering the back wheel before switching on the Kubota diesel engine that power the fronts, the XR3 is said by its maker to get 225 mpg. The beauty of a DIY project like this is that you can do a lot of tweaking. That diesel motor could just as easily be made to run on WVO or some other biofuel. Of course, you could forgo the combustion engine (and tractor sound) altogether and add more batteries. Likewise, you can save a big chunk of the initial cost and only install the diesel.

If the thought of doing all that fiberglass work and metal fabrication seems a little daunting for your mechanical skill level, we have good news for you. During a recent interview on EVcast, the designer/engineer let slip that RQR Enterprises is now working with a kit car company to supply the some of the more difficult bits to save you time and a lot of swearing effort. Of course, you'll still have to add lots of parts yourself but if it came completely assembled you'd miss out on that extra bit of pride that comes from completing a project of this type. Mr. Riley estimates it may cost upwards of $25,000 to build the whole kit and kaboodle on your own. Hit the jump for video of the XR3 on the streets.





[Source: Robert Q. Riley Enterprises]

Kids today. Give them a new toy and before the sun goes down it's been taken apart, hacked, and maybe even improved. Jeff isn't exactly a kid and he picked up this toy some time last January but a Xebra isn't exactly an Playstation so it took a little time. The point is he wasn't totally satisfied with his ride and took it upon himself to bust out the power tools and make some changes. He also made an entertaining and somewhat instructional video of his Xebra hacking adventure which is definitely worth 7 minutes and 51 seconds of your time.

The finished product is faster, goes farther and is definitely better looking. Before the mods, his 3-wheeled truckette had white paint and a top speed of about 38 mph (in the presence of a strong tailwind) and lost lots of speed going up hills. After upgrading the wiring, adding a battery and increasing the voltage, it can go 45 mph and stay strong on the hills. The range seems improved as well. From the picture above you can see some of the cosmetic changes; black paint, l.e.d. lights, 2 inch drop and the bed is long gone. That's all the hacking this little ZAP Xebra is going to get for now. The plan for the future is just to see how many miles he can add to the existing 4,400. Check out all the all the madcap mayhem after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Peterbilt has announced that it has delivered its first medium duty hybrid truck to a lucky customer. VinLux Fine Wine Transport received the vehicle at a Hybrid Vehicle Ride and Drive event in Napa, California. The premium wine delivery service operates a fleet of 35 temperature-controlled delivery trucks and transports over 700 orders a day. Using today's prices to make the calculation, they expect a return on their hybrid truck investments in as little as two years. According to Bill Jackson, Peterbilt General Manager and PACCAR Vice President, "our Medium Duty Hybrid Vehicles have proven to not only provide a 30 - 50 percent increase in fuel efficiency but also "dramatically reduce tailpipe emissions of hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx)."

The delivery corresponded with the kick-off of the Peterbilt Medium Duty Hybrid Demonstration Tour. The tour is designed to give current and future customers across the U.S. and in Canada a chance to try out a Class 7 Model 330 or 335. If that sounds like as much fun to you as it does to us, you can contact your local dealer to find out when they'll be in your area. We aren't sure if we can back this beast into the AutoblogGreen Garage, but if we can, we'll let you know all about it. Press releases after the break.

[Source: Peterbilt]

Good news for those folks who want a gas-free smart looking urban commuter that can take you places with or without a work out. The very cool Ultra Motor A2B electric 2-wheeler we told you about a while back is coming to America this September. Said to have the heart of a bicycle and the soul of a scooter, the German designed/Taiwan constructed machine can get you 20 miles down the road at 20 mph before the need to pedal arises. If that's just not far enough, you can add a second lithium ion battery for double that distance. It's got front shocks, a rear swingarm and a nicely padded seat to make all those miles comfortable too. The Ultra Motor website already lists plenty of dealers so there's a good chance they will be available in your area. Price should be in the neighborhood of $2,599 with the optional battery costing about $399. Hit the jump for the official press release.



[Source: Ultra Motor via Green Car Congress]