This has got to be one of the silliest looking contraptions I’ve seen in a long time. The treadmill bike is just what the name implies- a treadmill and a bicycle combined. While I’m sure that this could be a great part of somebody’s weight loss routine, you sure will look silly while you’re shedding those pounds. I think that the biggest problem that this ‘vehicle’ faces is that it has no gears. You are basically stuck in fist gear. If you had a few gears to work with, this thing could probably cruise, but as it is, it looks like you have to exert way to much effort to get around.
In 1973, a car managed to get 376 miles to the gallon. That was 30 years ago. Using a car that was 20 years old at the time- and was put together by a couple of guys in their garage.
Of course, this car is highly modified for efficiency. The rear wheels are both in the center of the car. It only seats one. There are no headlights.
Even if some creature comforts were added and this car was only able to perform at half the efficiency that it achieved in 1973, it would still be a car that got 188 miles to the gallon.
The secret to this great fuel economy comes mostly from superheating the gas before it reaches the combustion chamber, making it essentially fuel vapor. Other factors are more obvious- weight reduction, hard tires providing lower resistence (roughly %25 of energy is lost to soft tires).
This car was listed in Guiness book of world records in 1975. It was the winner of a fuel efficiency contest sponsored by Shell in 1973, and until recently, it has been sitting in a museum at Talladega raceway.
Shell still sponsors the eco-marathon that this car won in 1973, and the results of last years competition were incredible. Vehicles are getting upwards of 1900 MPG.
Here’s one minivan that won’t be late to soccer practice- unless there are accidents or speeding tickets involved.
This jet turbine powered Dodge minivan can go an eighth of a mile in 7.65 seconds, reaching 96 miles per hour in that short distance. I wonder what the quarter mile time would be for a beast like this?
This van uses the power of the jet engine to actually turn the wheels, as opposed to using thrust to propel the vehicle.
There are more pictures and videos of this interesting vehicle at Gadget Review.
I'm crazy about technology... literally! Here at Pixel-Shack, you'll read about hot tech trends, zany gadgets, sweet rides and the occasional video game related tidbit.
