Electric Cars: From the Paris Motor Show

[AZEqualizer]

An article on Edmunds 'Green Car Advisor' about the Paris Motor Show:

Electric cars are the hot topic at this year's Paris auto show, with General Motors, Renault, Nissan, Smart and many lesser-known car manufacturers showing off a huge variety of EVs.

They range from wildly exotic supercars to tiny commuter cars that look ready to park in your driveway. Some are strictly concepts. Others could go on sale - even here in the U.S. -- much sooner than you think.

Green Car Advisor's man in Paris, contributor Nick Kurczewski, was at the show last week and offers some thoughts on the biggest electric-car newsmakers there. Follow the Link (http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2008/10/electric-cars-from-the-paris-motor-show-to-a-driveway-near-you.html)

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/09/Volt1Final750-thumb-350x233.jpg Chevy Volt

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/10/RenaultZE800x600-thumb-300x225.jpg Renault Z.E. Concept

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/10/nissannuvunews.nissannuvu2.img-thumb-300x189.jpg Nissan Nuvu

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/10/smartED-thumb-300x187.jpg Smart Fortwo ED

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/10/pininfarinabo2-thumb-300x189.jpg Pininfarina B0

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/09/VenturiEclectic_01-thumb-300x239.jpg Venturi Eclectic

[Derwin]

Wow! These things look pretty interesting. But what is that fan doing on top of the Venturi?

Derwin

[RAN]

That fan is supposed to collect wind energy as the car moves to help charge the batteries. I guess Venturi never heard that it supposedly causes more drag to overcome than the power it generates... but Venturi also makes the hot Fetish (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/04/24/venturi-improves-the-fetish-about-to-be-launched/) and just revealed the equally stunning Volage (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/02/paris-2008-venturi-volage-revealed/), so who knows?

[westonlgray]

I am insulted that Venturi would even show me a picture of a car like that. Like Ran mentioned, the wind energy collector could not be 100% efficient and therefore would cause the car to slow down even if all its electricity was pumed into the motors. I could give them benefit of the doubt though and say that you would only put the windmill up when you are parked during the day? I think a solar panel would net you more energy unless you park on an unusually windy parking lot.

Also, the aerodynamics of the vehicle would be miserable. Was the point to demonstrate that if you threw out all other factors of car design you could indeed put a winmill and a solar panel on a car?

[RAN]

If I remember correctly, the Eclectic is a low speed city car, so aerodynamics don't come into play as much. weston, I'd have to agree that the wind turbine should only be used when parked, but I don't know how easily removable it is.

[Hardtime11]

Out of all of these I still like the "Pininfarina B0"

[MustardMan]

If I remember correctly, the Eclectic is a low speed city car, so aerodynamics don't come into play as much.


No matter what your speed, the second law of thermodynamics is always in play. A windmill powered by the motion of the car through the air cannot generate more energy than is used to move the blades of the windmill in the first place, without violating fundamental laws of physics.

The only way a windmill would be useful is as a minor top-up while you're parked, and a windmill that large isn't likely to be very useful at all. A silly concept that gets thrown on the top of silly concept cars all the time.

[RAN]

Yes MustardMan... I was referring to the brick-like shape of the vehicle, not the wind generator.

[MustardMan]

Ah yes, I see now re-reading that I got the comments crossed a bit. My bad.