Mudslinger's Corner

I’ve been posting things on and off here and there. Simply because it was fairly easy to do and I felt the need to share the cool things I find on the internet.

Well I still like to share cool links and videos – However due to new arrangements I have with my home computer as well as recent changes I’ve done via some social networking websites. I’m now deciding to share my links and videos more directly to my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

I have adjusted my youtube, facebook and twitter so that whenever I Select “Like” on a youtube video – both Facebook and Twitter link to it (thus saving me time in reposting the link).

As for random non-video websites – these will be primarily shared on Facebook but may sometimes go to Twitter as well. I’m still looking for a way to at least sync my status messages between facebook and twitter (so far it’s failing due to technical issues).

All previous random posts will remain on my blog for some time (undetermined) until I do a major revamp or restructure on how my site works.

So for those that want to follow the randomness:

• My Facebook Profile

• My Twitter Profile

My little zippy Toyota Echo suffered an electrical fault recently, almost caught fire in the dashboard/steering column. As such I have acquired a rental car for now from a Cheap ‘n’ Dodgy rental dealer for budget reasons – needless to say the rental car itself is a pile of junk with wheels – at least it’s still able to move!

It feels like it’s seen some action and hard knocks – while it’s not from the vintage american car scene (the rental is a crappy Daewoo hatch!) for some reason it reminds me of those car chases from the blues brothers. So here’s a mashup video I found of cool cars with cool music. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj_ZSFxvWQk

YouTube – Ken Block Gymkhana Training

AEVA Canberra – National Electric Vehicle Festival – 4 October 2009

National Electric Vehicle Festival
Sunday 4 October, 2009. 9am – 4pm

The Australian Electric Vehicle Association Inc. (AEVA) is proud to present the inaugural National Electric Vehicle Festival.

It will be held in the nation’s capital to herald the new age of clean, green, ELECTRIC motoring. Come and see the future of motoring.

http://www.canberraev.org/festival

YouTube – Mucking about in Second Life

LiveLeak.com – Vehicle Of The Future? Aptera

It would be all kinds or awesome if this Aptera car makes it to the Australian market!

AUSTRALIA’S light vehicle fleet will have entirely converted from petrol to electric power in 20 years, says Evan Thornley, who quit the Brumby Government last December to run the Australian operation of battery systems company Better Place.

Mr Thornley’s prediction came as Better Place today launched in Yokohama, Japan a world-first automated battery-switch station, a breakthrough in making plug-in electric cars a practical reality, he says.

“What it means for the world is there is now a viable technology for mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs),” Mr Thornley told The Australian.

Automated switching stations, where charged batteries can be swapped for flattened ones in less time than it takes to fill a conventional petrol tanks, helps solve the problem of limited travel range which until now has hampered the adoption of EVs.

Better Place plans to roll-out an Australian network of EV charging points and battery stations from 2012, following the system’s launch in Israel in 2011 and then in Denmark.

The range of current EV batteries is about 160km and Mr Thornley says most electric drivers will mostly use charging-points or home power, but battery-swapping makes distance driving a reality.
“People will quickly realise electric vehicles are a good alternative when you can recharge them anywhere, but they’re a much better alternative if you can get a new battery in three minutes or less and keep driving.”

The Yokohama battery station was unveiled today as part of a Japanese Government project to test electric cars operating under normal city conditions.

Mr Thornley, a multi-millionaire internet entrepreneur was elected to the Victorian Parliament in 2006 and angered many Labor colleagues when he quit the government and his seat on the eve of being offered a ministry.

The Victorian Opposition attacked him moving to a company that was negotiating with the Brumby Government to bring its project to Victoria.

Denying he was looking for a way out of politics, Mr Thornley said he first became aware of what Better Place was doing early in 2008, through venture capital acquaintances in California.

He said he became increasingly attracted because the company was offering a solution in one system to issues that had concerned him for 25 years – hydrocarbon pollution, energy security and reliability, and Australia’s excessive reliance on imported oil.

Then he was approached in September by Better Place’s founder Shai Agassi with the offer to head Better Place Australia.

“I was very happy doing what I was doing, I was honoured to be part of what I thought was the best government in Victoria’s history, I hope I was making a contribution.

“I had no plans of doing anything else, when suddenly this loomed very, very large and I was put in a position where I had to make a decision between two very exciting alternatives.”

ARTICLE FROM:
‘Cars all electric in 20 years’: Evan Thornley | The Australian

Ludihana, May 13: A group of engineering students in Ludhiana has developed an eco-friendly motorbike which runs on air-pressure and doesn’t require fuel.The 100cc bike equipped with two compressed air cylinders, gives a mileage of 11 miles per hour, which the students have plans to increase with some changes in near future.

They claim that it is the world’s first 100cc motorcycle powered by air and can help eliminate pollution to a great extent.

“There are bikes that run on batteries, but a lot of time is spent in charging them. In an air bike, you just need to fill air through a compressor. If we develop its air tank and reprocess the exhaust air, the capacity of this air bike can be increased, ” said Akashdeep Singh, one of the innovative students.

“The main advantage is that it is pollution-free as its exhaust is cold air. The Defence personnel can also use the bike, as thermal radiation cameras cannot detect it. Also, the engine of this bike can work underwater and breathes air from its storage tank, which in turn sucks it from the atmosphere,” said Balbir Singh, another student.

Having created the environment-friendly bike, the college students opine that it might not look very hi-tech and sophisticated for now, but it is a step in the right direction for a greener Earth.

“The idea of an air bike was conceived as our energy resources are being depleted day-by-day and pollution level is rising. Keeping all this in mind we have designed a 100cc bike which runs on air pressure technique,” said Jagraj Singh Kaul, Head of the Department, Auto Engineering Department.

Established in 1953, Guru Nanak Dev Polytechnic College (GNDPC) is one of the oldest engineering institutions in north India and is a pioneer in technical education.

An ISO-certified institution, the GNDPC is committed to improve technical excellence to achieve global standards.

The polytechnic has set up its own Electrical and Electronics Laboratories Library and Computer Center under World Bank assisted projects.

And the air-powered bike is an innovation that makes the college proud.

In future, Motor companies can perfect this technology and produce air-powered vehicles. By Karan Kapoor

ARTICLE FROM:
Now, a motorbike, which runs on air-pressure!

ARTICLE FROM:
smart fortwo ed To Hit Australian Showrooms “Within Next Five Years” | The Motor Report Auto News Blog

What is it?
The Australian Electric Vehicle Association Inc. (AEVA) is proud to present their inaugural National Electric Vehicle Festival in the nation’s capital, to celebrate the founding of their Canberra Branch and to welcome in the first to the production EV’s to hit our shores.
 
When is it?
Sunday 4th October, 2009: 9am – 4pm

Where is it?
Old Parliament House Lawns

http://openday.aeva.asn.au/

National Electric Vehicle Festival 2009, Canberra

YouTube – Worlds fastest street legal ELECTRIC CAR

Progressive Automotive X-Prize competitors roundup – Engadget

With about three weeks left to go, the Progressive Automotive X-Prize has already got 25 submissions (20 names have been publicly released) with creators ranging from college students to large auto makers already in the game. Here’s the deal with the contest: the cars must be production-capable and fall in with federal safety guidelines, and it’s got to be possible to produce and sell 10,000 of them annually, with a working business plan in place for this to happen by 2014. The car must deliver at least 100 MPGs, and CO2 emissions can’t exceed 200 grams per kilometer. The prize for the competition is ten million dollars. We’ve seen some of these in the past — Aptera’s 2e, MDI’s AirCar, and the Tata Nano are all on offer — but there are a few new guys, too. Some of the more interesting entries are the totally rad looking diesel Avion which has gotten up to 103.7 miles per gallon, Kinetix Motors’ diesel-electric hybrid E4 Sports Hatch, which should cost less than $25,000 with a top speed of 95 miles per hour. The company also claims the sporty ride goes from zero to sixty miles in 6.1 seconds. Finally, there’s Physics Lab of Lake Havasu Green Giant, an electric truck that gets 50 miles per gallon on its battery, with plans to bump that figure to 100 miles per gallon using other sources of energy. Check out the gallery of other prospects, and hit the read link for the full, delicious list.