Ben wrote:
> >> I'd love to hear his side of it. Here's another interesting
> article
> >> about an invention of his - sounds like he's claiming to recover
> >> energy from the "the wind power he felt one day while driving with
> his
> >> hand hanging out the car window." He claims his system captures
> >> generates more power than it needs to propel the moped, which
> "would
> >> seemingly violate laws of physics." Hate to say it -- it does.
> >>
> >> I know reporters get facts wrong, but this guy does sound like a
> >> quack. Google his name and you'll find other patents on ideas he's
> >> trying to sell -- like the magnetic shock absorber he claims can
> be
> >> warranted for a thousand years.
> >>
> >> Ben
> >>
> >> New Electric Motor
> >>
> >>
> >> The Associated Press
> >> RACINE, Wis. =E2=80=94 High gasoline prices don't bother Daren Luedtke.
> He
> >> prefers tooling around on an electric-powered, self-regenerating
> >> moped. "It recharges the battery pack as you go down the highway,"
> >> said Luedtke of his invention, which he believes could replace the
> >> internal combustion engine.
> >> Luedtke, whose company is called Magna-Motor Inc., has spent
> the
> >> past 18 months trying to harness the wind power he felt one day
> while
> >> driving with his hand hanging out the car window. The result is an
> >> electric-powered moped, with a trailer and generator attached to
> the
> >> back.
> >> When mounted in a car, the electric motor would replace the
> >> standard internal combustion engine, the battery pack would mount
> on
> >> the drive train and the generator would be near the radiator,
> Luedtke
> >> said. With the exception of the bearings in the generator, Luedtke
> >> claims the vehicle would be virtually repair-free. "Every 10 years
> or
> >> so, you'd have to take it in for maintenance," he said.
> >> Luedtke said his invention generates more energy than it uses
> to
> >> propel the moped. That would seemingly violate laws of physics.
> >> "It'd be great if he did. It'd be worth millions and millions
> of
> >> dollars," said John Wheeldon, an adjunct professor in the
> Milwaukee
> >> School of Engineering's electrical engineering and computer
> science
> >> program.
> >> Luedtke has applied for a patent on the charging system. His
> hope
> >> is to strike a deal with a major car manufacturer, despite the
> fact
> >> that electric cars have had mixed success on the market so far.
> >> In January, General Motors Corp. announced it was ending
> >> production of its electric car because of waning interest. The
> world's
> >> largest automaker said it would focus its efforts on a
> high-efficiency
> >> concept car powered by a fuel cell.
> >> Toyota announced plans last month to sell about 12,000 of its
> >> Prius gas-electric hybrid sedan in the next year. The Prius uses
> an
> >> electric motor and battery pack to boost mileage to about 50 mpg.
> >> Nonetheless, Luedtke is offering to convert existing cars to
> the
> >> system for individual consumers who are interested. He estimates a
> >> vehicle that has an electric motor would cost about $2,000 more
> than
> >> vehicles with internal combustion engines.
> >> "It may add $2,000 to the price of the car," Luedtke said.
> "But
> >> $2,000 of not having to put gas in it is a good investment, as far
> as
> >> I'm concerned."
> >>
> >> On 10/4/07, Michael Barkley <
[email protected]> wrote:
> >>> Remember guys, have you EVer seen a news reporter get
> >>> everything down correct, and not goof up a story when
> >>> they actually sit down and write the article from his
> >>> notes? They seldom if EVer ask the person who was
> >>> interviewed to proof the article.... So instead of
> >>> bashing the guy, maybe some of you guys in the know,
> >>> could actually call him, and have a conversation about
> >>> the conversion. Get him to enter it in the EVALBUM.COM
> >>> site, and have him join the EVDL list.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --- Tom Shay <
[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> > This story caused my bullshit detector to jump off
> >>> > the desk and catch fire.
> >>> > His Dodge Caravan goes 500 miles per charge on
> >>> > sixteen golf cart
> >>> > batteries (they look like Trojan T-105s). And there
> >>> > are other flaws
> >>> > and omissions in this story.
Get news delivered with the All new Yahoo! Mail. Enjoy RSS feeds rig=
ht on your Mail page. Start today at http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/try_beta?.in=
tl=3Dca
_______________________________________________
For subscription options, see
http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev
