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Enova Systems also announces that during the first quarter of 2007 it has so far received product purchase orders from customers exceeding USD $6,000,000.
Some recent customer highlights of Enova's accomplishments are:
-- International Truck and Engine (IC Corp), perhaps the nation's largest School Bus manufacturer and Enova have supplied the nation's 1st production Hybrid School Buses. IC Corp currently maintains 60% of the North American School Bus market. In addition to School Buses, IC Corp is teaming with Enova to supply hybrid buses to the Commercial Bus Market.
-- First Auto Works, China's largest vehicle manufacturer has indicated that it intends to purchase Enova's pre transmission hybrid system for FAW's bus applications.
-- Verizon, a Fleet Operator, has recently taken receipt of thirteen (13) service vans incorporating Enova's technology. Verizon is the nation's 2nd largest Fleet Operator with 58,000 vehicles. In addition to Verizon, Enova has begun development work with other large fleet operators in both the service van and pick up and delivery sectors.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/04/02/2459034.htm
Wonder if they would like add some of Torvec's production ready inventions to their list of products to be offered?
Hope so.
SAE World Congress, Cobo Center
Monday, April 16 - Thursday, April 19, 2007
Booth # 1619
Other Booth Highlights:
FEV/EPA/UPS joint project: an actual UPS delivery truck equipped with a hydraulic hybrid system that offers dramatic improvements in fuel economy and performance, compared to the baseline vehicle.
FEV's Advanced transmission testing capabilities
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,88628.shtml
where the risk enters.....
Keep in mind that risk does not enter.
Risk is there already; as in all investments.
Confidence has nothing to do with the amount of risk.
One could be confident about an extremely risky investment.
One could lack confidence in an extremely risky investment.
One could be confident about a low risk investment.
One could lack confidence in a low risk investment.
It seems to me that we have both confident and non-confident investors posting on this board.
It seems to me that there is a diverse opinion also as to the amount of risk that is present in this invement.
Who were you referring to when you said "your confidence"?
I thought this board wasn't about the posters......
Well dyna, you might think that it is spin....
But I knew that there were six wheel assemblies on 12/18/06. That is the date of the SEC filing of the 8K which announced the NASA project. I deduced from that announcement that the one lunar rover could only need six IVT's and six ISO-Torques because there would be six wheel assemblies.
Then on 12/19/06 Newspeedboogie, among others enthusiastically discussed their take on the news. But, their discussion was not news it was a discussion.
Then on 01/04/07 Torvec announced completion of the work of the new IVT's and again there was a statement that there was to be six of them. (I just somehow knew again that those were for the six wheel assemblies)
Then on January 25, 2007 there was a meeting where we saw the working IVT on display. And then, like you said, the picture was also on display. The picture had six wheel assemblies, imagine that!!! Only one person seemed to be surprised that there was six wheel assemblies in the picture. I think I heard him fall out of his chair at that time. There was a loud thud.
And, that is when I really knew for sure that all my imaginary fairytale dream state thoughts were correct and the six IVT's were really needed for the one lunar rover.
Sorry that I didn't get all the ordering in line for our last little go-around for you. I didn't mean to confuse you. Didn't you read the SEC 8K from 12/18/06? What did you think those words meant from that report? When Newspeedboogie wrote about that on 12/19/06 his information was from the prior day's SEC filing. Granted he changed the words around a bit, but that didn't become more important than what the company said, did it?
Would you like an IVT with that?
JLG Industries Inc., McConnellsburg, Pa., was awarded on March 28, 2007, a $38,382,828 modification firm-fixed-price contract for an all terrain lifter, Army System Rough Terrain Forklift. Work will be performed in McConnellsburg, Pa., and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Feb. 18, 2005. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-C-0229).
Looks like a job for Torvec's track system.....
Maybe the boys at American Continental Group, LLC are getting somewhere.
Facilitating a Partnership with Torvec and JLG
As an industry leader and the sole provider of boom extended fork lifts to the Military, JLG has an established reputation within the Department of Defense community. Thus, ACG will work with JLG in order to allow for a demonstration of the IVT and Iso- Torque Differential. Through this demonstration project, Torvec will be able to expand on the current contacts and reputation of JLG in the DOD industry by proving the capabilities IVT and Iso- torque differential.
http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=3485
Did newspeed say something about 6 wheels?
No, he said 6 units.
I took that to mean units of IVT's.
Dread said 6 IVT's.
Dread and I thought the same in that respect.
However, Dread thought there would be only one IVT per Rover.
Must be that you did also.
I think that there will be 6 IVT's per Rover.
This was all just a re-hash of old information.
I knew that there were six wheel assemblies from counting them on Artguy's picture.
I figured that each wheel assembly would get an IVT.
I figured that the generations they spoke about would be the versions of the Rover that would evolve to the final version that would be launched in 2014.
There was no new knowledge in any of that.
The only thing that needed to be done is understand what he meant.
Newspeedboogie could be more careful in the words chosen so that we all can read it without jumping to conclusions.
Glad that you didn't post that day.
I didn't mean to imply that you did.
I was thinking that your thoughts might have affected others who posted even though the post was not yours. (Didn’t you have a fellow poster in the same office?)
Well, anyway I'm done talking about this, as it seems so silly to me and quite frankly a waste of time.
When you say....
"Sorry if you don't conclude the same thing"
You don't need to feel sorry for me. I'll be ok.
However, when I read that particular post, I concluded that it was a rehash of existing information and that it was correct that they would need 6 units. One unit would be for each wheel location. I think that there are 6 wheels in the picture that Artguy did. Each wheel location would obviously need a transmission, and an ISO-Torque differential, I might add.
Also, I concluded that since the launch will be in 2014, that there would need to be multiple versions (generations) of the transmission produced. Each one would have to be enhanced to a new level of engineering that would make the machine more reliable.
JG may have reacted to the postings that day due to the reaction that you and others spun this post into based upon jumping to a conclusion that there was an insider revealing information, which of course was not true.
Any one of us could have posted that message. It was merely posting a repeat of things that were said along with some imagination and some intuition and some poor wording. All of this is associated with being exuberant. That was an exuberant day in the life of Torvec.
The posts that were deleted, I think that I read them before they were deleted, but am not sure, were most likely deleted due to a violation of some TOS for this board. That would not have been done due to a leak of insider information, as Matt and Dread would not have known insider information if they saw it.
The closest person to the inside on the board has been Artguy, IMO. He has worked directly with the management of the company, done a painting etc., been on television representing the company, and at the same time, he has been posting here.
So, where was the advanced knowledge in that post?
When you said that.....
"it appeared to me he had some inside scoop"
How about cutting and pasting an example of exactly what it was that gave you that impression. It is hard for me to try to guess at what that might have been. -OK?
Also, when you say that "cheerleaders here are not true insiders", keep in mind that if anyone posting on this board was a true insider, that would be a violation of the law. I think that you can rest assured that this is not happening.
So settle down and enjoy your investment. We all have the same goals, but deal with the company's progress in our own individual way.
"He seems to have inside knowledge."
Dyna, come on.
Don't fall for that.
His "inside knowledge" is full of "what he thinks" and "what he can repeat from what he has read or what he has heard".
Go back and re-read those posts that you are so sure of that contain inside knowledge.
I think that you will discover a different conclusion when you re-read them.
Those posts are not full of facts only known to insiders.
You are the one who placed the pedestal under his feet.
You know that there is a difference between a repeater and a reporter.
A reporter uses facts and a repeater does not care about facts.
Also, a reporter will not allow himself to become part of the story.
There is also a difference between a speculator, a repeater, one who presumes, an assumer, and a person with inside knowledge.
I think that he is right on some of what he says, but not all of it.
I think that he is exuberant about his investment and will actually profit from it, but not for the reasons that he says.
If you are truly interested in only the stock price, then why are any of his activities of an interest to you?
His activities can only assist you with your desire to have a higher price, not a lower one.
And, if you are right, (which is not the case IMO) and he has inside knowledge, how does that hurt your goal to have a higher price?
If your motives are solely to put sheriff back from the banned status, why don’t you just ask Matt to let him back in like so many of us did for your “Mr. Inside knowledge”?
You may remember that I asked for newspeedboggie to be allowed back because newspeedboggie will actually discuss things about the investment.
It would be reflected in the future statements.
That's right, and that future statement is due tomorrow.
No need to redo the old ones. What I meant by re-doing a statement is simply that the accounting firm might have already made preparations to go with a set of figures to press prior to the March 16, 2007 date that would need to be changed prior to the post March 16, 2007 release. Since they would have to arrive at those amounts based upon court results and that the court results changed while they were working on the amounts. Since the amounts are material to the financials, I thought they might be inclined to revise the report that they were about to issue. That could cause a delay in the issue date.
On your question of what the court decision means, I agree that it is difficult to ascertain from the legal mumble jumble of words that they chose. I looked to the SEC 8K from the company for the plain English version. Check that one, here is a link.
http://app.quotemedia.com/quotetools/showFilingOutline.go?symbol=TOVC&name=TORVEC%20INC:%208-K&a...
As far as the private e-mails, I am not in that group. Must be that you aren't either. Must be that you want to be, and I don't.
Yes, that is actually more correct.
I'm one who thinks of the annual report as being just one of the quarterly reports. It is the one for the 4th quarter. I usually read all of them, not just the annual one that comes in the 4th quarter.
And, the things that are significant that occur in the first quarter up till the time that the report is dated will be listed in the "subsequent events" section of that annual report that is sent out at the end of the 4th quarter. I might just skip to that section to read first. I hope that the report has a very current date on it.
Isn't revenue a required element to show a profit?
Yes, it is, that's for sure.
I was thinking that there was recent mention of actual revenue.
The revenue that I was remembering was the NASA revenue.
Then added in with the need to reduce previously written off costs that were negated by the appellate court, there could be a possibility of a break-even, a profit, or a much reduced loss. All depends on so many unknowns; however, it is exciting to ponder about.
I must say that I'm surprised
that you don't know. I am thinking that the chain/belt part of the gearing is part of a sun/planetary variable gearing set, and that the "overdrive" would be the final speed determined by the machine which would actually be a direct drive function with the hydraulics in a non-participatory state.
Are there any other pictures of the machine that can show different angles or offer any other insight to that part of the invention?
It was good to see that President Bush was allowed a photo opportunity with the Hydraulic Hybrid on the White House front lawn yesterday.
With the way that you had recently described that vehicle, I thought that it would have been too dangerous to approach it and that the secret service would not have allowed him anywhere near it.
It must be that the EPA partnership had worked out some details. Possibly they removed the EPA's pump and replaced it with the Torvec pump.
Your point is very well taken.
I agree. Also, that friction drive unit also does not allow the reverse gear, which is important in most applications.
Did you ever determine the purpose and function of the mechanism on the IVT of Torvec's that is pictured on the I-Hub that appears to be a belt or chain drive portion of the geared section of the IVT? It appears to me that it is part of a sun/planetary gear system. Too bad that wasn't on display at the annual meeting along with the NASA unit.
The next announceable event:
Let me take a crack at that one too…..
I think it will be tomorrow.
They will either announce that they need more time for the quarterly report, or they will issue the quarterly report on time. If they need more time to issue it, that will be due to the fact that they may need to restate some expenses that were previously expensed that were associated with the monies that CXO on the go were previously awarded by the lower court and they subsequently changed (reversed) by the higher court.
Wouldn’t that be interesting if that change were large enough to allow the company report a profit?
UPS Introducing Hybrid Electric Vehicle to President George W. Bush
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070327006...
President George W. Bush learns about hydraulic hybrid technology from Robert Hall, Fleet Environmental Manager for UPS. UPS’s hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle (HHV) is the first of its kind and is part of the company’s 1,500-vehicle alternative fuel fleet – the largest private alternative fuel fleet in the transportation industry.
Continuously Variable Planetary Drive Is For Bikes, Not Spaceships
This link is kind of interesting.
Wonder why they reference the spaceships?
http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/03/27/continuously-variable-planetary-drive-is-for-bikes-not-spaceships/
There is a U-Tube video on this link that is interesting.
Just another brick in the wall.
"At last it has happened and production has started."
and then... "The share price has dropped slightly!!!!"
Do you have any idea on why it is that your company's stock price dropped? Was it "buy on the anticipation and sell on the news"? Or was it something else?
I don't think that there is even one person here who expects a share price drop on the future Torvec commercialization event.
Maybe that is because we expect it to involve an exchange of stock instead of a joint venture of a new manufacturing operation.
Torvec has repeatedly indicated the desire to have a stock swap deal for the "sale" of or license of the technology.
If the Torvec price dropped on the commercialization of the technology, there would be a lot of surprised people here including me.
Thanks for taking the time to explain some of the details.
When the tech gets validated .......
Then we will be close to being production ready.
However, if you are speaking of NASA as being the tech validation company, that will be in 2014. And, it will be for the 9th technology, not the one that we are most hoping for the earth vehicles. I know you all think that those techs are the same. I just don't get it. One is electric motors driving a set of gears in both forward and reverse directions, while the tech we were focused on is a hydraulic pump and motor with gears that are not the main part of the system. The forward/reverse drive is hydraulic, not gear driven in the IVT. The gears on the IVT are a post transmission part of the Torvec IVT system.
I too am happy with the progress that Torvec has made and am content with the position of the company in the field of players, but just getting a little anxious for a commercialization event to occur.
If Torvec's plan is like Babe Ruth's....
I think that Torvec has a pitch count of a three balls and a couple of stikes.
Now for the Home Run with the bases loaded.
Is anyone on base?
Are we playing with the Tor-Acres game rules?
Go Torvec.....
That news was about MTD not Torotrac.
Right, MTD produces them in rider lawn mowers.
Right, Honda produces them in ATV's with motorcycles coming up.
Right, John Deere produces them in farming equipment.
Right, New Holland produces them in tractors.
And guess what, there is lots of money being made with those products.
It seems to me that Torvec's IVT would work just fine in all of these products and more.
In fact, Torvec’s products can go into anything with wheels.
In fact, windmills and other non wheeled products too.
When, what year, what decade, what century will we see some sales progress.
Granted, it was great to see 50 new patents last year and things must be done in the right order.
I agree with all of that.
At some time all planning must degenerate to actual production.
Firm in bid to crack US market
The first parts for the Infinitely Variable Transmissions (IVTs) have already rolled off the production line at American firm MTD Holdings' factory in Leitchfield, Kentucky.
http://www.prestontoday.net/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2144206&SectionID=74
Well that answers one of Jim's mysteries.
He was wondering who was it that is saying that Torvec's pumps and motors are not in the UPS Hydraulic Hybrid. He made a point of asking that at the Q&A section of the annual meeting this last January. I wish you had been there to have offered that answer to us at that time. Here I have been comforted by that fact that there was no challenge to his implication that Torvec's pumps and motors are actually in the UPS Hydraulic Hybrid. Guess I better check with you in the future to see if Jim is right about things that he says. Before this, I never felt the need to do that.
So, if you are right about this, then the EPA is wrong too. They are saying that they have a patent on the Hydraulic Hybrid set up that is in the UPS truck that is currently delivering packages on a daily basis without a hitch. I wonder why they would be publishing progress reports that show success when you are saying that this project is all a failure.
Whose pumps and motors are in that truck anyway? You must know, and I wonder if you can share that information with us?
The project was started in 1999……..
Yes, lots of things about this are interesting.
What was it that Jim said; something like, he wanted to force the OEM's into a position that they would need to deal with Torvec? Some of this could easily be the set up for that positioning.
No, unfortunately, I have not heard anything more regarding Oshkosh Truck Company.
Just hope that the American Continental Group guys are able to get with JLG and then to Oshkosh through that merger to introduce the Oshkosh people to Torvec's technologies.
http://app.quotemedia.com/quotetools/showFiling.go?name=TORVEC%20INC:%208-K,%20Sub-Doc%201&link=....
The possibly unfortunate thing there is that a key individual from John Deere is now at Oshkosh, in charge of purchasing, as I remember.
As you will recall, John Deere has a working IVT in production.
Check post # 7960
From October 02, 2006.
That might help with this concept.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0UDO/is_3_15/ai_79379345/pg_1
Would Torvec have shouted this loud and strong?
Maybe, if they were not in violation of an agreement to be quiet.
Maybe, if they would have benefited by that.
Maybe, if the CXO deal was settled earlier.
Maybe, if they didn't want to disturb other strategies.
Maybe, they wanted to play that card later.
Maybe, they wanted to force the OEMs to need the tech.
Maybe, they wanted to see the results of the testing.
Maybe, they had some other reason.
hijacked and is in that prototype..?
No, I don't believe the hijacked / kidnapped part.
But, I do believe that Torvec's tech is in the Hydraulic Hybrid.
Ford 'owns' it?
Yes.
I posted this link to this fact a couple of times before.
I can try to find it again for you if you want.
It basically said that the work that Ford participated in with the EPA was agreed to be owned outright by Ford even though it was substantially being paid for by US taxpayers. This work became the subject matter of the Hydraulic Hybrid technology that was patented by the EPA and now owned by Ford. I agree that this seems unusual, however, I believe that it is true.
"with nothing to salvage from it to date"
That's strange. It would seem to me that there is significant salvage value in the UPS Hydraulic Hybrid that is delivering packages right now in some city in the USA. They keep moving it to different cities. I'm not sure which city it is in right now.
Also, I think those other 4 pumps that you are recalling are really not pumps, but are motors. However, they might function as pumps while in the braking mode. So I guess they are really a Pump/Motor combo. Seems to me they each are one of the 12.2 Torvec Pump/motor that each weighs 75 lbs.
And as far as salvage value goes, there is the little item of the fact that Ford owns the patented EPA technology that created the Hydraulic Hybrid system. It seems to me that this property is quite valuable. I do agree with you that without Torvec's pump/motors and IVT, they are relatively useless. This all will depend on the integrity of the Torvec patents, and nothing much else.
Former Ford unit Visteon may be up for sale
March 20 2007: 12:32 PM EDT
PARIS (Reuters) -- Hedge fund Pardus is in regular talks with French car parts group Valeo over a possible bid for U.S. peer Visteon Corp, a source close to Pardus said on Tuesday.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/20/news/companies/pardus.reut/?postversion=2007032012
I think I remember a new Visteon plant being built in Auburn Hills, MI. I seem to remember that plant being one of the new ones for transmissions.
Maybe one of you guys with a "photographic memory" or one of the "smarter" ones can comment.
Oh, that's right; the smart one has been banned.
Just when it was getting interesting......
Just when a real discussion was beginning.....
Dread, can you let him back in to continue the discussion part?
Now we have to try to squeeze a discussion in amongst a food fight.
Can Torvec get Energy Star product labels?
I've been wondering this for about a year.
What do you guy's think about that?
Wonder if someone can take the time to ask HQ about it?
There are lots of government benefits of having product classified that way.
Looks like Ford is moving in that direction.
Could Torvec benefit from that type of move?
http://media.ford.com/newsroom/feature_display.cfm?release=24979
"DEARBORN, March 21, 2007 - Ford Motor Company's actions to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its facilities have earned it the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's coveted ENERGY STAR 2007 Partner of the Year Award in Energy Management. Ford is the first automaker to receive the award two years in a row. The award will be accepted today at a ceremony in Washington D.C."
There must be a way to get this for Torvec. It would seem to me that all of Torvec's products would qualify easily.
It is referenced in the SEC filing for Torvec.....
from the 8-K issued on March 31, 2004.
Maybe you didn't look far enough back.
Specifically it said "The 6,000 psi hydraulic pump/motor system is more compact, eliminates another 30% in parts over our current 4,000 psi IVT and will enable Torvec to maximize performance for the EPA's hydraulic launch assist system. "
http://app.quotemedia.com/quotetools/showFilingOutline.go?symbol=TOVC&name=TORVEC%20INC:%208-K&a...
I think of this as being a pump/motor that was built specifically for the EPA's hydraulic launch assist system.
I know other posters here do not read it this way.
A little more insight into what I think about this can be viewed in my posts # 7392 & # 7471.
Torgo, please let me know your take on this.
It might be hard to drive down the road…..
with a pump powering a vehicle that no one has ever seen.
Well, how is that happening. It has been reported consistently throughout the years that the partnership of companies have invented a hydraulic hybrid truck that is being operated by UPS. This Hydraulic Hybrid in the UPS truck is a working prototype model. This is the pump/motor system that Dr. Gray is mentioning in his quote that is so often repeated.
At the Torvec shareholder's meeting, Jim was asked about exactly why the Torvec pump is not in that particular vehicle. He responded with "who says that it isn't in that vehicle." I took that to mean that it is in that vehicle. I took a great deal of comfort with that response. That response is the whole basis for my belief that the Torvec technology is currently being tested and it is working mighty fine. Why do you see fit to disagree with any of this? Why can't you accept that Torvec's technology was the technology that Dr. Gray was speaking about? It was all part of an SEC filing that Torvec built a Hydraulic Pump/Motor specifically for that partnership team development project.
He was talking about a pump that works.
So, which Eaton/Ford/EPA (set-up) pump was it that worked?
That sould be easy for a smart guy.
Keep in mind that the one he was talking about actually worked, handled 500 HP and he could hold it in his hand.
And, BTW he wasn't talking about a set up, he was talking about a Hydraulic Pump/Motor.
That pump you are referring to was.......
I think that Dr. Gray was talking about Torvec's 12.2 cubic inch displacement pump.
This pump weighs in at 75 lbs according to the Torvec website.
"The design solution resulted in a pump with extremely high power density (horsepower to weight ratio), at less than half of the industry standard weight for a comparable hydraulic pump. For example, most 12 cubic inch displacement pumps range from 200 lbs - 270 lbs, while Torvec's 12 cubic inch displacement pump weighs in at approximately 75 lbs."
http://www.torvec.com/products_pumpmotor.html
Torvec's website does not state that this particular pump can handle 500 HP, but Dr. Gray thinks that it can.
Isn't it possible that Dr. Gray is big enough to hold 75 lbs in one hand?
I think that your theory and mine are the same.
Did you find the part where Ford has been granted the ownership of the EPA's part of the patented technology?
Did you see the recent repeating by CNN of Dr. Gray's exuberance over the technology?
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/03/09/cars.100mpg.popsci/
I liked the part where he said: "This is going to be the biggest revolution in automotive history," he declares. "Bigger than the assembly line."
and then he said" "I can hold a 500-horsepower hydraulic pump motor in my hand, and I'm not a big guy,"
and of course, Torvec's hydraulic pump motor is the only one in the world that can do this work and be held in one hand by a small guy.
Now that it looks like that is behind us,
There should be some discussion regarding this in the report that will be due out on March 31, 2007. Since the report has not been issued as of today's date, there would be a requirement to issue information on the company's take on the financial impact of that matter in the notes to the financial statements in the area dealing with subsequent events. I would be sure that there would be a CEO update in between these dates anyway. That alone would be refreshing as there would likely be detailed aspects of this whole thing that we could not even imagine.
Well, if there were any tendencies to hold up the timing of a commercialization event as I had speculated, this particular reason is now apparently gone.
Monday should be a good day for the longs in the group.
Maybe we should get out the crying towels for the shorts.
I wonder if the FTV is available to get into the local community parade this weekend.
If you go back to read those letter agreements;
and think about the impact of what those agreements would require as a payout for a commercialization event, you might find that the figure you are thinking about would make a small down payment on the actual value of the letter agreements that were terminated. Keep in mind that those letter agreements called for a handsome payout for a commercialization event.
Of course that is only my reading on those agreements.
That cost would have been a real good reason to delay any commercialization event till a point in time till after they expired on a natural basis (which could have been as long as two years from today's date). Now, apparently, that does not need to happen.
Now, the only payout for a commercialization event is the payout that was announced last fall during the beginning of the quiet period.
The race to 100 mpg
POSTED: 1628 GMT (0028 HKT), March 15, 2007
"The hybrid drivetrain has been the great success story of the high-mileage movement. Cars like the Prius get up to twice the mileage of the industry average partially by recovering energy that's lost as heat during braking, storing that energy in a battery, and reusing it later on. Yet today's most efficient hybrids can recover only 30 percent of that energy for reuse.
One radical solution under development at the Environmental Protection Agency's Advanced Technology Division is to get rid of the heavy batteries altogether.
The EPA has built a modified hybrid that uses a hydraulic system, not a battery, to store braking energy. When you press the brakes, the wheels drive a pump that compresses nitrogen gas, which is inexpensive and inert. When you accelerate again, that compressed gas runs the pump in reverse to help power the vehicle.
The hydraulic-hybrid system, scheduled to begin testing in two UPS trucks this month, with another to follow next year, promises to return at least 70 percent of the braking energy back to the wheels, which would lead to a 60 to 70 percent jump in fuel economy and a 40 percent reduction in emissions.
Perhaps that's why Charles Gray, the director of the Advanced Technology Division and one of the developers of the hydraulic hybrid, can't contain his excitement about its potential.
"This is going to be the biggest revolution in automotive history," he declares. "Bigger than the assembly line."
That's yet to be seen, of course, but the hydraulic hybrid is also smaller and cheaper than conventional hybrids.
"I can hold a 500-horsepower hydraulic pump motor in my hand, and I'm not a big guy," Gray says. Because the technology would eliminate the need for a transmission -- the engine merely pressurizes the hydraulic system, while the hydraulic motors power the wheels -- and several other parts, it could be installed in a small car for almost no additional cost.
Ford, the U.S. Army and others are investigating the technology, yet UPS -- with its fleet of vehicles that constantly suffer through stop-and-go driving -- is its only committed customer so far."
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/03/09/cars.100mpg.popsci/
It seems to me that most of all of this is old news, with a little new stuff sprinkled in.
Good to see that Popular Science finally has picked up on these facts.
Maybe the rest of the world will be soon to follow.
It is interesting that they picked today to highlight this story.
Congratulations to Torvec on the recent favorable Appellate Court ruling!!
DaimlerChrysler Corporate - Statement of Thomas LaSorda, President and Chief Executive Officer DaimlerChrysler Corporation, to U.S. Congress
* Just last month we announced a $3 billion powertrain investment. This investment will include the development and production of:
-- A significantly more fuel efficient V-6 engine family; and
-- New cutting-edge transmissions that improve fuel economy by an additional 5-10 percent alone.
* We are partners in a global alliance in hybrid development with GM and BMW in developing a new hybrid system that we expect will leapfrog the competition. The first Chrysler Group product -- the Dodge Durango -- will be on sale in 2008.
http://www.autospectator.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8557
This is kind of interesting. Wonder why they would spend $3 billion to develop a transmission that improves the economy by and additional 5-10%. Unless, they are giving the $3 billion of stock to Torvec's shareholders in exchange for the one technology in Torvec's group of nine technologies that would double their hopes for 5 - 10% improvement.
And, why would congress get excited about that?
Maybe someone should testify to congress about Torvec's technology.