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Dyson Plans Solar Powered Car

gas2.org — The king of vacuum cleaners, James Dyson, is betting that a souped-up version of his vacuum cleaner and hair dryer motors will power cars over hundreds of miles.

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  • niccha, on 06/24/2008, -1/+33Interesting concept. Dyson sure has the track record to pull something like this off.
    • sockpuppets, on 06/25/2008, -1/+16I bet it sucks.
    • ide3308, on 06/25/2008, -4/+3i bet together you two suck AND blow. POW now what?
    • Seidoger, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Let's see if they can come up with something for the next World Solar Challenge in 2009. http://www.wsc.org.au/
      I'd be delighted to race against them.

      I can't wait to see what kind of wheel-motor they are going to come up with.
      And energy storage, as well. Oh and design, thing Dyson is pretty much known for
    • TypeEE, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1What is the concept? I don't even get it from the article.
  • sustainablogger, on 06/24/2008, -1/+31Just bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner recently... if the car's anything like it, I'll get in line for one...
    • sgtbutterscotch, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8If the car is good at sucking, I won't be in the line :o
    • lesthn4, on 06/25/2008, -7/+2Hmmm...overly plasticized, grandly marketed and twice the price of the competition...sure sounds like a recipe for success
      • sbluetruck, on 06/25/2008, -3/+2*insert completely wrong anti-Apple argument here*
      • pygmy, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Say what you want- but once you use a Dyson you can't go back to regular vacuum.
    • Xeworlebi, on 07/25/2008, -2/+1If it makes as much noise as my Dyson Vacuum cleaner, then I won't be in line.
      That thing sounds like a jet engine.
    • TypeEE, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1A car that is like your vacuum would be a car that pick up dirt as it moves?
  • allaboutdatiki, on 06/24/2008, -11/+11"Solar panels on top of the vehicle, or on the garage where it is stored, would provide electricity to charge the car’s battery. Of course, the best performance would probably come from a country where there’s abundant enough sunshine to keep the battery charged.

    Of course, he could also think about adding a plug-in function, just in case it stays cloudy for days on end."

    It will have to plug into something.

    There's no way that the hood, roof, and deck lid of a car provides anywhere near enough cubic footage for enough solar panels to charge a battery for a propulsion system. For a sound system and other gadgets, definitely, but not for the motor.
    • RyeBrye, on 06/25/2008, -1/+11I can't believe you use the phrase "cubic footage" and people digg you up as if you know your ass from hole in the ground.
      • allaboutdatiki, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Whoops, square footage. Sorry about that. Have a wonderful day.
    • merc22, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2What if there was a redesign of the solar panel that allowed the solar panel to consume more energy? I wouldn't be so quick to deny what is possible.

      “Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.”
      - Popular Mechanics, 1949.
      • jamesdew, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1They can't 'consume' more energy than there is in the light hitting them.
        • sinrtb, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2but currently there are more photons hitting solar panels then electrons flowing. The efficiency of solar panels is around 30%
        • jamesdew, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I don't see even a 3 or 4 fold increase being enough power unless maybe you are in a desert, it is mid day, you are alone on a very good road, you do not weigh much and you have no luggage with you.
    • tupperbacharach, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2***There's no way that the hood, roof, and deck lid of a car provides anywhere near enough cubic footage for enough solar panels to charge a battery for a propulsion system.***

      Perhaps you should inform these Canadians that the solar vehicles that they have been building/using for several years cannot possibly work: http://solarvehicles.org/home.html
      • allaboutdatiki, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Er, yup. Solar panels are enough to power a rickshaw, but not a modern automobile.
        • tupperbacharach, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1***Solar panels are enough to power a rickshaw, but not a modern automobile.***

          The solar panels are not for "power," the are for CHARGING. There is plenty of power for charging.

          Also, one merely has to put a fancy shell on these vehicles, and suddenly they become a "modern" automobile.
    • beauley, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1With Global Warming on many people's minds, do we have any ideas of the best way to lessen the impact on our future, or maybe a possible relief of its possible ravages or even a possible key to its eventual reversal. Many scientific experts have proposed
      http://www.quazen.com/Science/Technology/Solar-Pow ...
      Solar Power, Source of Endless Energy
  • granolajoe, on 06/24/2008, -2/+10Maybe the car bug got him after he developed that vacuum with better handling around corners :D

    Can't wait for the car commercials. His vacuum ones are great because you know how seriously he takes his research and products...but his voice is so funny you can't help but laugh.
  • MCA2142, on 06/24/2008, -1/+17Will it be a Street Sweeper?
  • shifty2, on 06/24/2008, -1/+55Lets hope it doesn't suck
    • Pfkninenines, on 06/25/2008, -4/+5I see what you did there..
      • donkeySays, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1I present you the Suck Cut! It sucks and it cuts.
  • taylorblue, on 06/25/2008, -4/+3Dyson really rocks...they should take over the world!
  • kevman459, on 06/25/2008, -2/+10The Dyson airblade is sweet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4DClMTRVvU
    If you've never used one I suggest you find a bar or restaurant in your area that has one and try it out, it's practically a toy.
    • pygmy, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2Not exactly an original design though- the Japanese have had these style of dryers for over a decade before Dysons Airblade.
  • SpaceDreamer, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10my skeptic-o-meter is in the red.
    Electric motors are already very efficient, so I don't see what difference this guy can make there.
    It's the batteries that need improvement
    • steelese, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8Actually, what he specializes in is lightweight designs. A normal electric motor for a car can weigh up to two hundred pounds. If he could compact it down, and place one on each wheel, and cutting weight it would be a lot more efficient.
    • algorhythmix, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3There is nothing which cant be improved .
  • rs2183, on 06/25/2008, -7/+2i dunno... vacuum cleaner is one thing and a car is another. that's a big LEAP. Don't know how well cars will sell on those infomercials. I can see it now, "order now and get an EXTRA tire!"
  • OffPiste, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5Solar panels on top of a car would take WEEKS to fully charge an EV's battery pack. A more practical use would be to power a fan or small heater to keep the car's interior at a moderate temperature upon entry.
    • Dumbledorito, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Why not have them anyway? Every little bit helps, and if I were stuck miles from anywhere, I wouldn't mind some solar cells to have around as a possible way home.
    • steelese, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2The point is not to charge the Batteries, but to extend their charge life. If it adds 10% more distance onto an EV it is worth it.
    • tupperbacharach, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2***Solar panels on top of a car would take WEEKS to fully charge an EV's battery pack.***

      These Canadians built solar vehicles that can charge within an hour or two (they use a lot of quick-charging cell phone batteries): http://solarvehicles.org/home.html
  • shithitinthefan, on 06/25/2008, -5/+0Not interested, I just like machines that suck properly.
  • sockpuppets, on 06/25/2008, -1/+15"Vehicles will not be sold to women over 40" commented the manufacturer, "as all the products we make must remain bagless."
  • PeteBeast, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Cheers to him, good luck with this, US really needs it!
  • LanceUppercut, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3This seems great and all, but there really should be a national initiative from a gov't body to get this done. We have done it before with the hoover dam and things like that, so we should have the gov't do what it should be doing, serving the people. I am a capitalist and I totally believe that someone will eventually work through the patent nightmare and produce a car that is viable, however with a huge govt funding, this will get done much quicker. You throw enough bright well paid people at a problem, it will get solved. Unless you are microsoft.

  • sparkysko, on 06/25/2008, -2/+5Let's see. Assuming 10 watts per square foot is what you'll get. A horsepower is about 800 watts. So 80 square feet per horsepower. A Crown Vic is 120 square feet, so 1.5 horsepower. Could you drive around with 1.5 horsepower? Sure, mopeds are usually around that. Can you make something as large as a crown vic that weighs as much as a moped? I dunno.

    It doesn't make sense to bother doing cars solar powered. They'll *need* power systems anyways for cloudy days, safety, etc. So if you already have a power system, you might as well recharge it at home.

    We have a 300 watt moped that goes 20 miles @ 20 mph. 300 watt hours gets 20 miles, or 1kw/hr gets 60 miles

    I pay about 10 cents a kilowatt hour. 10 cents for 60 miles? Hell yeah.
    • liuite, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Human Powered Vehicles; an average person will generate around 0.2HP, athelete may generate 0.5HP or short sprints of 1.0HP. The current record for recumbent over 200M is 80MPH.

      if the vehicle is light weight, has low cd, less wet surface, low rolling friction...it doesn't require much power to go fast. in this case, a 1HP motor?
  • nastronomical, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4"will power RC cars over hundreds of miles"
  • dsaltus, on 06/25/2008, -4/+2Hey hopefully this guy won't get poison slipped in his drink like Steve Meyer ,the guy that made the HHO water car.
    man that's a story
  • drcreek, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Just remember what happened to the Sinclair guy. First he made the best caclulators ever. Then he made an easy to use home computer that pluged into a tv. Then he made an electric bike/car called the Sincalir C5. It didn't catch in so quick.


    I would copy and paste some images but I'm on an iPhone. But I plead you to google for some images. The past may repeat its self.


    All I can see is a giant yellow and purple monster with a transparent engine.
    • Frostek, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Strangely enough, there seems to be quite a strong modder's scene for those old Sinclair C5's...

      Check out Google. I remember reading an article a few years ago (might have been a decade) where they replaced the front wheel with a Lynx helicopter one, and with some gear modifications had them going 60- 80 mph and beyond. I'm fairly certain they had one with better acceleration than a Porche 911 too!
  • fudged71, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7LOL this is funny.... because the guy is known for making vaccuum cleaners! That gives us the opportunity to make a thousand vaccuum jokes!

    grow the ***** up guys, and read the ***** article before you comment.
    Intellectual discussion. You're not invited
    • macromage, on 06/25/2008, -3/+0sry I can't read it
      "The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests."
    • PhilaCheesteak, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1"grow the f up guys"...
      Maybe you shouldn't get your news from digg...maybe you should be watching FOX or one of the channels news is fed to you like mushed peas and you take it and you like...
  • diggingaround, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3He should team up with Tesla Motors... who cares about Honda and other Big Oil stooges..
    • macromage, on 06/25/2008, -1/+0This would save him all the R/D cost and he could still pimp out his motor.
      I don't think he has really looked into how much that would actually cost to build and test a new vehicle.
    • Seidoger, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Honda is the main sponsor of the Suzuka Circuit solar car race in Japan, btw.
      And was the first company to come up with an hybrid car, the Insight (although the Prius was the first mass marketed). Big oil = America, mostly.
    • PhilaCheesteak, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1No not team up with Tesla Motors...
      Just MAKE a Tesla COIL than you save the cost of batteries and panels.
  • Dylson, on 06/25/2008, -7/+1This guys last name irritates me.
  • sosueme2, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5All he has to do is enclose the sun into a sphere of sorts with a radius of 1 A.U. and then these cars will be everywhere.
    • thebassmaster, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2or if not a sphere, maybe some kind of swarm or bubble?
      • Hurricane, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Nope, a Dyson ring is more mass efficient.
      • thebassmaster, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1I sincerely hope I'm alive long enough to see one built... not going to get my hopes up though!
  • KingGorilla, on 06/25/2008, -0/+11They should think about making Dyson Spheres
  • itsabrandnewday, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2ok, great news, i love Dyson, i think the man's a genius; but seriously, who wrote this article? can't we just link to the source next time?
  • moisie, on 06/25/2008, -4/+2Dyson's are crap. Absolutely terrible. They're ugly, bulky, awkward to use and the performance isn't brilliant. Sebo all the way.
  • liuite, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I am looking forward to seeing Hoover jumping on the bandwagon...maybe a Back To The Future version of Hooverboard???
  • Dorian822, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1"...and while the car will be efficient, like Dyson's vacuum, it will also be so over priced that it will not sell, making it suck big time...like Dyson's vacuum..."
  • evilgourmet, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Finally a reason to live in Arizona!
    GO DYSON
  • Hurricane, on 06/25/2008, -3/+1Oh great, a solar powered car that costs 20 times as much as its competitor and only performs 10% better.

    Dysons products are just like the now Digg famous $500 ethernet patch cable.
  • matriculated, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I'm sure the auto and gas industry are going to welcome him with open arms. And by arms I mean guns.
  • liuite, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I believe Dyson fully understands Rotary Vane Motor and its use in relation to vacuums and pumps, hydraulics would also be an example of rotary pump. Now that Air Car has garner lots of attention in the world, I don't doubt that Dyson will have his own ideas on Rotary Vane Motor and how it can improve efficiency. Think about a Solar Electric/Air hybrid!
    • liuite, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1if I possessed his knowledge, I would use rotary hydraulic regenerative braking: one of the key feature of hybrid drivetrain that will bring utmost efficiency to automobile. regenerative braking with generator motors requires expensive ultracapacitors. rotary hydraulic regenerative braking uses very old technology that engineers are very familiar with and the inertia of the vehicle is transferred and stored.
  • philadelphia, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Do you think the car will suck up litter as it goes down the street?
  • Spoomeister, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Will it have that little yellow ball in front, to enable tighter turns?
  • PhilaCheesteak, on 06/26/2008, -0/+1Wait till you see the dust buster motorcycle it's supposed to leave it's competitors "eating dust"
  • olagon, on 07/03/2008, -0/+1story not true. click through to the blog post for an update.
  •  

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