Yes I was on BBC again... and came across this, seems a not too bad idea.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinbu...ast/7910106.stm

isnt that a similar idea to the one used on modern trains? amazed no-one though of using it on cars sooner tbh

Fair play

Next is a wind turbine to replace your alternator.

Edited 25 February, 200917 yr by Cymro

I did this about four years ago. Had an alternator on an electric mo-board.

I was well into the green stuff back then,and figured that if you had a solar panel charger at work or school,you could ride there via an electric moped and it'd charge by the sun during the day whilst you work/study.

That alone would work so well,the government would loose billions a month - which is why electric scooters are still illegal to use,via an array of messy red tape,bound purely to keep us buying oil..

Anyway,i realised that some people work too far,and many would benefit from more powerful scooters.

So there was a need to harness energy 'on the fly'.

That's where i replaced the disc brake for a very high geared,high amp alternator.

I didnt complete it,i used a bike chain and deralliur,which wasnt quick enough,and was instant when it bit - it needs a clutch.

100 percent solar power is adequate for anyone who works in the town they live in,anyway.

But its not being rammed down our throats because there's no money in it.

That's the capitalist world we live in,folks - capitalism is earths cancer.

^ a bit skeptical although there is obviously truth in it somewhere down the line. The effort being put into finding alternative energy sources by governments worldwide is massive.

The problem is that the car as we know it has recieved over 100 years of refinement. Any new concept tends to be way behind, think how far the IC engine has come since its invention and you realise how far new concepts may have to go to catch up.

Dont forget that cars are only a proportion of oil consumption. People act asif as soon as the magic carpet is invented we wont use oil anymore. What about plastics? Electricity? etc.

The real con is the media telling people its all to do with the car, to discuise the fact that the fault lies with our shitty power hungry disposable plastic consumer culture, not the way we get to work.

Edited 25 February, 200917 yr by Tommo32

^^ Crikey there's some brains in a few people on this site after all....

There's a lot to do with our consumer culture and attitude and how we use material, not just the use of fuel for cars and other transport. I guess the thing to look at now is, how do we replace plastic?