Volvo's New Green Car: "ReCharge"

Volvo is on the right track with their latest concept vehicle. It's a plug-in hybrid and uses hub motors instead of traditional electrical motors. This provides greater efficiency because there are less transmititive loses because there are less moving parts because the traditional drivetrain is non-existent.

It definitely has taken a long time for someone to decide to use hub motors on a vehicle. The first time I have seen hub motors in use was when I worked on AN/AAQ-15 FLIR systems for Combat Talon II airplanes. The torquer motors in these were hub type, and they were very powerful. They are so powerful that I saw one break the frame that was designed to hold it. Volvo has made a very good choice in using these motors and teaming it up with a plug-in hybrid style vehicle. Hopefully the ReCharge will be on the market soon and that the price for it will be reasonable.

To see more information about this vehicle click here for the full article. The picture is copyrighted under "Volvo Cars of North America".

Add Solar to Hybrids and Pure Electric Vehicles

It seems strange that mainstream hybrid vehicles do not have solar recharge capabilities added to their vehicles. Thin film solar cells like the ones created by Nanosolar would be a great addition to the roofs or even the hoods of hybrid vehicles. The amount of solar energy produced would not be enough to run the vehicle, but it would be enough to help charge the batteries. The solar cells could be mounted to the roof and covered by a thin acrylic film to keep them attached. A better solution would be to build a composite roof with the solar cells embedded within them. This solution would preserve the smooth aerodynamics of the vehicle.

When plug-in hybrids become available for sale, it only makes sense to add solar recharging capabilities to them. Every milliamp of electricity produced by the solar cells is one less that has to come from the electrical grid.

For Power for People, Inc., one of our marketing ideas was to ask either Toyota or Honda to make a "Power for People" edition of their hybrid cars. The cars would be used in promoting our charity. The proposed "Power for People" editions would have had thin film solar cells embedded in the body of the cars. It would have been a win-win situation for all.

This idea is something that should be looked into.