The power to move… out of thin air

Posted by admin at 14 December 2010

Category: Automotive, News

Still waiting for the hydrogen economy to ignite and save us from the oil squeeze and environmentally unsustainable fossil fuels? New Zealand engineer John Fleming is part of an effort to bypass the hydrogen era and go directly to the nitrogen-hydrogen economy. Pure hydrogen has long been touted as a potentially carbon-free alternative to burning fossil fuels for energy, with former US President George W. Bush the most notable cheerleader. It came with the lure of carbon-free energy and virtually limitless supply. But issues of safety, storage, transportation and production… Read more

Bill Martin revolutionises gearshifting

Posted by admin at 11 November 2010

Category: Automotive

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Kiwi inventor Bill Martin has developed a gearbox that looks set to consign current manual and automatic transmissions to the dustbin of history. The last big breakthrough in automatic gearboxes was in 1928 with synchromesh. Now, 90 years later Martin’s Zeroshift has the potential to shake up the entire motor industry. Martin’s system replaces synchromesh, making it smoother than changing gears on a manual gearbox. Place a cup of water on the dashboard and a car fitted with Zeroshift will see the water tilt back as the car accelerates seamlessly, rather than sloshing back and… Read more

Truck restoration a testament to mates, mechanics and Kiwi ingenuity

Posted by admin at 11 November 2010

Category: Automotive, D.I.Y.

Stu Hill has a pickup-truck with a story that’s just bursting to be told. It’s a 1955 Ford F100 Pickup, powered by a 256 cubic inch V8 motor, and it was owned from new by the Golden Bay Power Board. Stu’s grandfather, Ben Hill, bought it from the power board in 1964 and used it as his farm vehicle. When Stu’s uncles Dave and Allan took over the family farm in Central Takaka, the F100 was still going, but at some stage it must have started to show its age because it was repowered. “Uncle Dave was the mechanic in the family and he must have done some of the work,” said… Read more

Archie Blue – Hydrogen-Powered Car

Posted by admin at 2 November 2010

Category: Automotive, Greatest NZ Inventions of all time

Archie Blue, from Christchurch, New Zealand, was both a professional athlete in his younger years and an avid inventor. In the 1970′s he patented and demonstrated publicly and before experts a device that fit in the motor compartment of a car which converted water into combustible hydrogen and oxygen. He proved his invention on many occasions, and is featured in the book “Suppressed Inventions & Other Discoveries”. He was offered big money for his invention, which he refused, and when he died of old age, his family discarded a “pile of junk” that had belonged to him at the local… Read more

The Flying Car finally comes of age

Posted by admin at 14 October 2009

Category: Automotive

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Terrafugia has completed flight testing of the Transition POC (Proof of Concept). Introducing the Transition®. Simply land at the airport, fold your wings up and drive home. Fly a distance of 725 kilometers at speeds of 115 km/hour; requires a special license to drive and fly. The time required for the transition from plane to car takes less than 30 seconds. Vehicle speed 185 km/hour, range is 724 km on highways Vehicle is fueled with gasoline, and the price of the car is expected to be around $200,000. The first shipment will be in… Read more

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