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Toyota Prius Hybrid is not the most fuel-efficient car, said EPA

Ask Americans about fuel-efficient cars, and many will name the iconic Toyota Prius hybrid, with gas mileage rated by the EPA at a combined 50 miles per gallon. So you’d expect the EPA to rank the Prius as the best midsize car on its list of Most and Least Fuel Efficient Cars, right?

It’s not there. Instead, it’s been displaced by the battery-electric 2011 Nissan Leaf, which doesn’t use fuel at all. The EPA rates the Leaf electric car at a combined 99 MPGe, or equivalent miles per gallon. A footnote on the EPA site explains, “MPGe is miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent and represents the miles per amount of energy of a non-gasoline fuel that is equivalent to the amount of energy in a gallon of gasoline. For an EV or PHEV, 33.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity represents the same amount of energy as one gallon of gasoline.”

But does this make sense? The majority of U.S. car buyers today likely aren’t quite ready to buy a plug-in car, if indeed they could get one (orders for both the Leaf and the 2011 Chevy Volt are backlogged due to limited production).

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Don’t do these to your Toyota Prius

The venerable Toyota Prius has been around for over a decade now, first as an awkward but fuel-efficient sedan, then a geeky hatchback and soon a platform in its own right. But while Toyota is now putting the Hybrid Synergy Drive technology from the Prius into a whole range of vehicles from tiny city hatchbacks to full-sized luxury SUVs, there are some things that the Toyota Prius is not meant to be.

If you dare, here are five increasingly bizarre things we’ve seen the humble Toyota Prius turned into: The convertible Prius, the Prius limousine, the “Pimus”, the Prius Pickup and the Morris Minus. Read, enjoy and see what terrible travesties can befall someone who can weld. Just don’t copy them, okay?

The convertible Prius

Have you ever wondered why the Toyota Prius has its distinctive shape? (more…)

Lithium as car energy is available until 2100

As electric vehicles become more widely available, we’ve heard some pretty large horror stories detailing that the world’s supply of lithium – used in most modern electric car battery packs – is running out almost as quickly as the world’s oil supply.

But a recent research project has concluded that isn’t the case, estimating that there’s enough lithium in the world to meet the world’s demand for electric car batteries until the year 2100.

Co-authored by two University of Michigan professors and two researchers from Ford, the report examined various scenarios in order to predict global demand for the alkali metal over the next 90 years, including use in frits and glass, lubricating grease, air conditioning, portable batteries and traction batteries for plug-in cars. (more…)

Car paint and protectant technique

History of Automotive Coatings

Ever since the first automobiles were made in the late 1800’s, there have been many changes in paint technologies to protect and beautify these man made transportation devices, from natural products to high tech polymers. In the first part of the 20th century automotive paint technology was based on the same air-dry varnish systems that were used for wooden furniture and horse drawn carriages. The major drawback was that the only choice of color offered was black. In addition, they required tedious brush application of multiple coats and days of drying time, which created a production bottleneck.

In 1923, E.I. DuPont De Nemours developed nitrocellulose lacquer systems, which offered many color choices and easier application using spray guns. However, lacquer systems required spray application of 3-4 coats of paint to achieve the desired properties. Lacquers also by their very nature have poor resistance to certain chemical solvents. Repeated exposures to gasoline spills could stain and damage lacquer finishes. In fact, in the 1960’s some cars had their gas tank filler located under the license plate to avoid spilling gasoline on the lacquer paint. Nitrocellulose lacquers were used on some passenger cars until about 1957, when solution acrylic lacquers were introduced. Acrylic lacquers offered much improved durability and a wider range of bright, pleasing colors – especially metallics. (more…)

Technology for scratch-proof car body

Few things can put you in a sour mood faster than a new scratch on a formerly-pristine car. But an international team of scientists are working on a “self-healing” material that could protect your ride from keys, branches, and jilted lovers.

How does it work? The polymer-based material is composed of small molecules with sticky ends that serve as a “molecular glue.” When exposed to intense UV light, the polymer assemblies become unglued and turn into a liquid that can fill any cuts or cracks. And when the light is removed, the structures re-assemble and—presto!—goodbye scratches, explains Professor Stuart Rowan PhD, a researcher at Case Western University who helped develop the material.

“What I think makes most sense for this material is to use it as a coating, like paint or varnish,” Rowan says. (more…)