Posted by Michel Mosca on Thursday, July 8th, 2010
Image Oerlikon Racing Team
The Zerotracer is another innovative Swiss concept in the form of a full shell motorbike powered by an electric engine. The body of the bike is made from kevlar composite and it features two retractable wheels for stationary support. The interior has a stereo system, 2 inline bucket seats, a heating system and allows for a 250-degree view through the acrylic glass windshield.
The Zero Emission Race Team intends to round the globe in 80 days, crossing 16 countries and stop in 100 different cities, like Paris, Vienna, Moscow, Shanghai, Vancouver, San Francisco, Mexico City and Madrid. The Journey will start on August 15th, 2010 in Geneva Switzerland and leads eastwards over 30′000 km (18641 miles), crossing Europe, Russia, China, the US and Mexico, to finally end again in Geneva, previously on January 11th, 2011. The challenge will help to test the vehicle and spread awareness about transportation issues and innovative ways to use renewable energy sources.
To make the Zerotracer fit for a distance of 300 km (186.5 mi) it just takes a fast charge of half an hour to 80% of full capacity.
Tech specs:
Passengers: 2
Payload: 200kg
Reach per full charge: 350km (217.5 mi.)
Top Speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
0-100km/h (0-62 mph): 4.5 seconds
Weight: 640 kg
Consumption@80 km/h (50 mph): 7 kWh
Full Charge: 2 hrs @ 9.9 kW
Motor: 135 kW/ 185 Hp
Battery Pack 18 kWh,400V,160k
Posted by Michel Mosca on Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
SAM (for “Sustainable Automotive Mobility”) is a small and appealing 3-wheeler electric car ideal for commuting over short to medium distances in urban and suburban areas. SAM has just been officially launched in May 2010 and is presently available through a network of qualified partners in Switzerland, Germany and Poland.
SAM is the brainchild of Swiss Cree Ltd. and the industrial design company Bene Creative Resource and was initially presented in 2001 as a test-serial encompassing 80 units for public field testing and market studies, which drew a lot of attention from both, public and media. However a lack of venture capital prevented a timely launch and stalled the project for quite some time.
But the development team was not defeated and their wit, persistence and creativity finally paid off. Not only did they acquire the licensing rights for the SAM and rise the necessary funds by privately issuing titles for their own, in 2007 founded company Swiss SAM Group Ltd., but they also developed a proprietary battery pack, replacing the former acid lead batteries, and established industrial partnerships, the main one being with Impact Automotive Technologies in Poland for further development and small scale production.
SAM Group Ltd. has a clear strategy, based on organic growth, customer support and on a strong vision for:
Pollution free Mobility for people in urban and suburban regions
A well defined and convincing overall concept
Low production and distribution costs – high affordability
An attractive and distinct design
The fun factor – an enjoyable driving experience
The following videos are from the initial 2001 test series – nevertheless they convey some of the fun experienced when piloting a SAM
SAM being of a minimalistic yet attractive and functional design is not just another EV hitting the road, but a confession to a lifestyle meeting all expectations in regard to ecology, economy and efficiency, and apart from offering an earth friendly mode of transport it certainly caters to the emotions too.
The author of said article must have lost it to the same extent as the politicians have when indulging in their favorite pasttime. I especially liked the third sentence of the article: “But while the sceptics continue to pick over the bones of Copenhagen, the officials behind the scenes have been getting on with the process and it looks like eventually they are making progress”. Yes, the politicians act behind the scenes, completely ignoring truth and reality and push on with “the process” of saving their back’s lower end instead of the planet.
The article has nothing much to offer apart from some buoyancy based on wishful thinking and I believe, in this it resembles “the process” of the few that intend to shuffle tax money – which is not their money – into a bankrupt economy – wanted to say into their pockets – by promoting a hoax. Insofar the article is even honest, as it admits the 100 billions annually will most probably come from public funding (your tax-bill), taxes on carbon intensive activities like aviation (you won’t go on vacation anymore by flight – you cannot afford it) and loans (great, let’s print some more money – we save the economy with more debt…).
“All countries have agreed” to save the rainforests and now “they just need to agree the best way to fund rainforest nations and ensure deforestation is not happening” – great! But have I missed out on something? Well never mind, this is a sound idea – just use the funds to balance their debt towards the rich nations, so they don’t have to cut trees to pay their bill with the proceedings.
All is so simple. Why cannot everyone see it? Suddenly I see it very clearly – this is the solution: “Also the UN has commissioned two papers on what has been promised so far that will enable fair comparisons between different countries for the first time. This could force countries that are not pulling their weight to act.” Yes, force them – sh.t on democracy – we need the term democracy anyway only to cover our hypocrisy, otherwise it is of no use. We go and bomb some other nations, kill their people (collateral damage, you know) and whoever does not want to play our game is forced by some decree on some paper that nobody has ever ratified. United Nations – unite!
“The US refuses to be part of any global agreement until developing nations like China also agree to cut emissions. However China will not sign up to anything that limits economic growth and insist the US makes deep cuts first. It seemed the two superpowers could stop the world reaching agreement but both sides are softening their stance.” Pardon me – what? Now…China developing nation or superpower? Well the US is certainly a developing nation – who isn’t with a broken economy, exploding unemployment rates, homeless citizens and a dozen trillions of debts. But their president is busy saving the planet right now and will save the nation maybe thereafter.
I have (what I think are) some really good suggestions for the people, who will still fly in their governmental airplanes, even long after Joe the plumber cannot afford flying anymore:
1. If you want to do something useful, get yourself a pair of rubber boots and go help cleaning up the oil spill (BP is said to have bought the search term ‘oil spill’ to disperse the overspilling rage – dispersants seem to be part of their business…).
2. when you finished there – or maybe even better before you leave for the gulf – make some peace in the world by calling your boys back from places where they are lost and have nothing lost, where they only experience and create tremendous suffering (they d’rather help you in the cleanup).
3. get some funding together to fund research for alternative sources of energy – could be permanent magnet motors, cold fusion, hydrogen technology or anything else, that frees us from oil and from CO2 (and from spills and nukes and stupid taxes). Hey this is helping the economy, it will create jobs – and it doesn’t even cost a fraction of what you want to spend on the hoax. If you feel like spending some more though, put it into reforestation programs. Trees are beautiful and help cooling the planet – and they thrive on carbon dioxide.
4. retire and feel good about yourself and be cheerful, because you did something that really helped the planet and the people.
Al Gore at the inauguration of his latest pet project, the Climate Change Memorial, said that he was glad to be out of the carbon swindle, because it was getting too much of a burden on his conscience and that he had started to suffer from sleeping disorders and could not even enjoy lazing around at the pool of his splendid mansion anymore.
“See, I had tremendous success in creating the biggest hoax ever – even I myself was surprised that everyone bought it. But then at some point, I started to realize how harmful it really was, but by that time I was already completely drawn in. This created enormous tension for me and I just wanted to get out” and he continued pointing towards his pet icebear “he really helped me to regain my mental balance. Together we went for long walks in nature and this somehow made me aware, that it is not all just money and power – there is more to life.”
Al Gore has since worked for building the Climate Change Memorial in his spare time. “I want to do something for the people. See, this.. [carbon swindle] has made me tremendously rich – now it’s all about giving back”.
Al Gore proudly presents his latest pet project - the Climate Change Memorial
Energy is – what many people have called – the master resource. And if you control energy, you control everything. Everything you make, use or do starts with an infusion of energy and requires energy for every step all along the way up to the point where you use it. If you control that, you control the people.
Posted by Michel Mosca on Friday, January 15th, 2010
Chinmaya Dunster, a very productive and proactive musician and filmmaker, who inspires environmental awareness with his lovely compositions and lively pictures, will perform with Sandeep Srivastav and the Celtic Ragas Band at British Council, New Delhi on 2nd Feb at 7pm.
The Celtic Ragas Band has gained some fame playing at Paul McCartney’s wedding in Ireland in 2002 (“I love the unique blend of Irish and Indian style music of Celtic Ragas. It has become one of my favourites.” Paul McCartney), but more recently has given a series of multimedia ‘Concerts for India’s Environment’ in India. These aim to raise awareness about the many difficulties facing the natural and human environment in India because of unrestrained ‘development’. These have also turned Chinmaya Dunster into a filmmaker with the film ‘Concert for India’s Environment’, which he completed in 2007. “I spent many satisfying days deep in the Indian wilderness collecting wildlife footage for this, and travelled to some remote places for interviews and shots of the people who live around and depend on the wilderness”, says Chinmaya Dunster about his work
Chinmaya Dunster has a collaboration with Dr Erach Bharucha (his guide and mentor to India’s environmental issues and presenter of the ‘Concert’ film), helping edit his books and spread the conservation message through film.
If you happen to be in Dehli at the time, you are invited to enjoy the event.
Chinmaya Dunster writes:
You are all invited to my performance with Sandeep Srivastav and the Celtic Ragas Band at British Council, New Delhi on 2nd Feb at 7pm. It promises to be a unique mutimedia event. I have compiled an hour of amazing video on the subject of climate change, and we have composed new songs to help inspire awareness of this …and other green issues. Plus we’ll be playing some of my old hits too of course……
To learn more about Chinmaya Dunster’s work and to enjoy some of his beautiful music Videos, please visit his website at: www.chinmaya-dunster.com
