This Is a 25-MPH, Three-Wheel Mountain Board
Photo: Kiely Photography
Call up Black Sparrow Industries to order their new Tribey Mark 7 and in two weeks, they’ll send you their creation: a handmade combination recumbent tricycle and motorized skateboard. Reconsider before getting one for your son or daughter, though – this thing is fast and requires a liability waiver before purchasing.
What makes the Mark 7 different from stuff you see in Sky Mall is the 48 volt, 10 ampere-hour batteries that give it an 18-mile range, and the one kilowatt motor that send it to a top speed of around 25 mph. Charging from empty takes about four hours, unless you swap out the stock battery for something with more capacity. You can also ride at night with the front and rear lights illuminated.
U.S. Coast Guard cadet and bike designer Robert Worobey created the Tribey in Massachusetts engine shops, airplane hangers, and his basement.
It’s 78 inches long, weighs 90 pounds, and has the structural integrity to drive its 20-inch rims over deep potholes. A horn and cruise control allow for long-distance travel. Those thrills will cost a base price of $ 2,500, and let the Black Sparrow crew know whether you’re goofy or regular and they’ll set up the bindings accordingly. Everything from the motor to the horn is easily upgraded and customized, while a 0.25-inch bolt mounting plate provides space for peripherals.
Black Sparrow prioritized customizability, and the design allows for modifications ranging from their own recumbent seating attachment, to a surfboard rack. If you’re setting it up for a son or daughter, the Tribey can be linked to a computer and set to a governed top speed. Now about that waiver…
Incoming search terms:
- 3 wheel mountain board
- Mountain Boarding
- three wheeled mountain board
Nissan Black Cab Concept Unveiled
Nissan is apparently on a mission to take over the taxi business all over the world. After securing a deal with the city of New York to provide a new generation of yellow cabs based on their NV van, now Nissan turns its attention to London and its Black Cabs, the symbol of Britain. And the only thing their proposal shares with the original thing is the black color. That ain’t right!
In a program supported by Mayor Boris Johnson, a fleet of Nissan NV200 London Taxis go under a series of trials and will be joined by an ll-electric e-NV200 concept. Obviously, the NV200 London Taxi is more efficient and more environmentally considerate than current ‘black cab’ models, and it provides more comfort and convenience for the passengers. It’s just not as cool as the black cab.
Powered by a 1.5 dCi 89 HP EuroV, and fitted with a 6-speed manual drivetrain, the NV Taxi delivers 53.3mpg on a combined cycle meaning an almost 50% fuel saving over the most efficient TX4, with its combined cycle figure of 35.3mpg. To make sure the black cab has no chance of competing, they will also be priced lower.
A distinguishing feature of the NX is the sliding passenger doors, which were developed for easy open and close. They are also much safer for pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles because they do not swing out to create a potential obstruction.
Incoming search terms:
- london taxi axle
Mini MINI R/C car called in for duty at 2012 Olympics
Two prominent sponsors for the 2012 Olympics are BMW and Mini, with the brands offering a fleet of vehicles to serve a variety of purposes to support the event.
In addition to the fleet, Mini has now thrown in a scaled down vehicle to more efficiently transport equipment. An R/C car, crafted by LOGOG, called the Mini Mini is now responsible for moving equipment to the throwing area from the field.
“The MINI team was thrilled to be given this challenge to develop a vehicle with such an important and high profile role during the Olympic and Paralympic Games” commented Dr Juergen Hedrich, Managing Director of MINI Plant Oxford. “I know that everybody was inspired by the challenge and the knowledge that these models will be seen in action by millions of people around the world.”
The model is quarter scale and runs about 3.7 miles per day, with an 18 lb. load capacity. This gives it the ability to transport a discus, shot, hammer or two javelins.
Check out the specs after the jump.
Incoming search terms:
- Powered by Article Dashboard used carburetors for honda motorcycles
Spyker Sues GM for $3 Billion
Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker N.V. is suing General Motors for an astonishing $ 3 billion dollars, on the grounds that the U.S. automaker stymied Spyker’s sale of its Swedish subsidiary, Saab Automobile, to Chinese investor Youngman Auto. The suit alleges that G.M. purposefully hindered the Spyker/Saab/Youngman deal to protect the company’s own interests in the lucrative Chinese automobile market, now the world’s largest. Saab’s eventual collapse and bankruptcy in December, 2011, came after months of financial wrangling in which Victor Muller, Spyker’s Chief Executive Officer, sought to save the struggling Saab brand by courting Middle Eastern investors, Russian tycoons, and lesser-known Chinese auto companies such as Pang Da Automobile and Youngman.
“Ever since we were forced to file for Saab Automobile’s bankruptcy in December of last year, we have worked relentlessly on the preparation for this lawsuit which seeks to compensate Spyker and Saab for the massive damages we have incurred as a result of GM’s unlawful actions,” said Victor Muller, in the press release announcing the legal action. “We owe it to our stakeholders and ourselves that justice is done and we will pursue this lawsuit with the same tenacity and perseverance that we had when we tirelessly worked to save Saab Automobile, until GM destroyed those efforts and deliberately drove Saab Automobile into bankruptcy.”
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan. Interestingly, the same press release states that Spyker “secured the financial backing required to see the lawsuit through to the end from a third party investor.” It remains unclear as to who was inclined to infuse Spyker and the Saab brand with enough cash to take a legal fight to G.M. The mysterious third party will apparently share in the profits of the lawsuit, according to a Reuters report.
Until its surprise purchase of Saab from G.M. in January 2010, Spyker was best known for building extremely limited runs of audacious-looking sports cars, such as the C8 Spyder and C8 Laviolette. The company also had a brief flirtation with Formula One racing, though the unsuccessful endeavor lasted only for the 2007 season before it was sold. Many wondered how a company of Spyker’s size would adapt to running a much larger outfit like Saab which, in 2009, reported global sales of 31,696 cars. The most recent attempt at reviving the storied Swedish brand involved turning Saab into an entirely electric automaker led by a Japanese-Chinese EV start-up firm, National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB. Sales of an electrified 9-3 sedan were supposedly to start in China within 1-2 years.
2014 Tesla Model X Vs. 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV: Electric SUV Showdown?
2014 Tesla Model X all-electric crossover with ‘Falcon Doors’ open
Incoming search terms:
- Powered by Article Dashboard hilton head island
- Powered by Article Dashboard hilton head
- toyota rav4 2014 model
- toyota suv 2012 models
- 2014 toyota rav4 crossover
- Toyota Rav 4 2014 Model
Internal combustion engines to remain dominant until 2050: report
The National Petroleum Council (NPC) in the US says high costs and technology limitations will ensure internal combustion engines remain the dominant power source for cars until at least the middle of the century.
Despite innovations in electric and hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technologies, a report from the NPC says the lower cost of internal combustion engines and their suitability with a diverse set of vehicle platforms will see conventional petrol and diesel engines, hybrids, plug-ins and natural gas engines continue to lead the market until 2050.
The NPC believes ongoing technology advancements such as vehicle lightweighting, improved aerodynamics and drivetrain electrification could see the fuel economy of internal combustion engined vehicles improve 60-90 per cent over the next four decades, satisfying the US Government’s push to halve greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector’s 2005 levels by 2050.
The report says it is too early at this stage to identify the ‘fuel of the future’, and as a result recommends a broad portfolio of technology options should be pursued and supported, with the government remaining “technology neutral while market dynamics drive commercialisation”.
Achieving the 50 per cent emissions reduction by 2050 is made considerably more challenging, however, by the projection that vehicle miles travelled (VMT) will increase by 60-80 per cent in the US by 2050, a problem the study fails to find a solution to.
Road Test: Aston Martin V12 Vantage
Aston Martin, Road Tests — By MR on August 6, 2012 at 6:00 pm — No Comments
The Aston Martin V12 Vantage is the best possible answer to the current automotive hype in which downsizing and turbocharging is the key in delivering lower emissions and better fuel economy. Every single aspect of this Going Green story is crushed by the sheer presence of the V12 Vantage offering the brand’s 6.0 liter V12 engine from the DBS inside a stunningly beautiful, compact, and neatly packaged Vantage bodyshell.
This Aston has all the ingredients of being a supercar with the agility of a sports car. Initial characteristics encompass a mid-front engine, rear-wheel drive and an almost precisely equal front/rear weight balance of 51/49. Delivering an unrivalled blend of extreme performance, exclusivity and practicality in one unique package, the V12 Vantage was our ride for one day near the Green Hell aka the Nurburgring Nordschleife accompanied by its latest family member the 2012 V8 Vantage Facelift, which we discussed before.
Like its brother the V8 Vantage, the V12 is quite similar but has been engineered to become an almost totally different machine. Dominated by a naturally-aspirated all-alloy 6.0 liter V12 engine producing 517hp and 570Nm of torque, this remarkable evolution of the Vantage range is capable of reaching 305km/h and 100km/h in 4.2 seconds. An astonishing raw performance for a sports car, which is available as V8 and V8 Roadster model series, and now also available as an open-top V12 supercar.
