Green sports car Life Car
Green sports car Life Car
Green sports car Life Car
Green sports car Life Car
Sina Technology – March 5. According to foreign media reports, a ‘zero emission’ high speed sports car was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show, Switzerland. This model introduced by a British car company, Morgan Motor, is the first green sports car in the world. It is named ‘Life car’. It can reach a maximum speed of 100 miles per hour.
The ‘Life car’ is based on the Morgan Aero-8 sports car design and uses hydrogen as the fuel source. It generates a very low volume of noise when it is running, and a very small amount of water vapor in the exhaust device. ‘Life car’ is a type of light-weighted sports car with a high hydrogen fuel cell and energy storage system installed. A can of hydrogen fuel cell can last for 250 miles (400 kilometers). It was designed by a British university and Morgan Motor Company. The spokesman of top sports car manufacturer Morgan Motor, Matthew Parkin, told a journalist from BBC, “it can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour within seven seconds. However, the exact speed will not be confirmed until after finishing the first test.”
Zero emission, intelligent power
It took almost three years and a total investment of 1.9 million pounds to complete the ‘Life car’ project, and some part of investment was funded by the British government. The hydrogen fuel cell used by the car was developed by QinetiQ. Ian Whiting from QinetiQ explained that, “If you replace a hydrogen fuel cell with a conventional internal combustion engine, the fuel cell will be really big and has low efficiency. However, the hydrogen fuel cell adopted by ‘Life car’ generates 22 kilowatts of electricity, and the size is about one fifth of a conventional internal combustion engine. Yet it still can meet the needs of driving”.
When it needs to accelerate up a slope, the driver can receive extra power from the ultra-capacitor underneath the middle of the sports car. QinetiQ explained, it is like a battery which will not store a lot of energy, but both injection and consumption of energy take place very quickly. The internal regenerative braking system can recharge the cell. When a vehicle runs slowly, kinetic energy will be converted into electricity and used by the engine. Ordinary regenerative braking systems can recover 10% of the energy, but ‘Life car’ can recover 50%.
Structure of Life Car
No noise, only weighs 700 kilogram
‘Life car’ can run for 250 miles at a speed of 90 miles per hour. Mr. Parkin explains, “In the last few days of designing, reduction of the body weight dramatically improved the whole efficiency of the car. It has an aluminum chassis, and light weighted wooden material was used for internal structures including the seats. It does not have ‘luxurious’ functions like stereo speakers and central locking etc, or even air bags which are equipped in modern vehicles. The weight of ‘Life car’ has been lowered to 700 kilograms.”
Furthermore, the car does not have a gear box. The hydrogen fuel cell only generates a very low volume of noise, in contrast the conventional engine is often very loud. Mr. Parkin claimed that we must wear earphones to hear the noise of the accelerator pedal.
Recently other vehicle manufacturers also showcased a few models of hydrogen fuel cell sports car, but many of them have changed current models or changed into dual fuel system. Honda Japan will also introduce a hybrid power system concept car named CR-Z in 2009.
Bumpy roads and supply are a concern.
However, bumpy roads for hydrogen fuel vehicles are a problem. Criticism suggests that massive use of electricity could produce hydrogen out of water. Furthermore the electronic current comes from burning minerals, so it does not benefit the environment. Moreover, there are only a few fuel stations for hydrogen fuel vehicles.
QinetiQ pointed out that hydrogen buses can be refilled in central bus terminals in a lot of cities. However, private hydrogen vehicles supply stations need a long time to be improved.