Best mileage hauling kayaks

Coast downhills? Stay under 60?
Coasting downhills is usually dangerous, and saves very little fuel. Most of us have to drive the interstates, and driving 60 when everyone else is doing 70 or over can pose some safety problems. What I do is to set the cruise so that I am doing about 69 in a 70 zone. Almost everyone else is going faster, so I can relax in the right lane, and leave them to make their passing decisions. But 60 in the same conditons? I don’t think so.

air
somewhere else on p.net somebody recently mentioned cars propelled by air. Funny enough that was not a joke. Those cars exist and were in production. Orders were taken for large scale manufacturing but somehow (yes, interestingly “somehow”) the production was stopped. Detroit was certainly not interested in having competition from somebody that could propel the car by air. Admittedly the air had to be compressed but that was possible by a home compressor that yes would still use electric energy to pump but in minute scale compare to fossil fuel used for internal combustion engines.

And what about Hydrogen?

I know that at the moment producing Hydrogen seems not that viable but mainly because there is absolutely no push for the research for cheap Hydrogen production. Even if there was, again it would be shelved by the oil companies.

Would they be fool enough to let something like cheap hydrogen happen?

Honda, Toyota and BMW have PRODUCTION cars that run on hydrogen. Having the “government” and corporations allowing such cars is something else.

Now, please bend over and…



Gnarlydog

Honda FIT
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/552466477mmzRBH?vhost=good-times



I’ve had this auto Honda Fit for 2 years, zero defects. On a 580 mile round trip to DelMarVa from LI NY with 2 people, 2 sof’s, paddling and camping gear and 2 hours of NYC traffic it averaged 33 MPG. Try it you might like it.




Bull

– Last Updated: May-08-08 10:26 AM EST –

You won't be run over, not even here in Texas. If you can't stand 60, 65 will save over 69. By coasting, I don't mean putting it in neutral, just don't add the juice like you probably do most of the time. If you are scared to slow down on the interstate, find another route.

My Audi A4
manages => 35 mpg unloaded and about 30 with a kayak. As for alternatives, there aren’t any viable ones at this time. The energy density of gas is very high. The only source for hydrogen that is currently practicle is natural gas and production in North America is in decline… not to mention that the infrastructure for hydrogen just does not cut it. The stuff leaks outta nearly every thing, ya gotta liquidfy it to transport it, you need a high pressure system to load it into your car’s storage tank, the range of the vechicles suck… basically you would have to switch your gas tank for your trunk.



While I might go for another Audi, the next gen Fit just might be the ticket.

Toyota Matrix
I’ve been very happy with my 2007 Toyota Matrix with 5-spd manual.

http://www.toyota.com/matrix/



For everyday running (no roof rack or boats) I routinely get 33mpg cruising at 70. Adding the rack cuts that to 30. Surprisingly, adding two full-size sea kayaks, three passengers, and camping gear does not cut it further, and I still get a pretty solid 30mpg.



The back seat folds completely flat and offers a hard plastic surface that’s easy to clean and to slide gear around on. Add a pad and you can stretch out and sleep in it.



Let’s be honest: even among we avid paddling enthusiasts, 90% of our driving is not paddling-related but rather commuting and grocery-getting. So driving a large, inefficient SUV makes little sense for all but the remaining ten percent of our driving. I move to a new house every decade or so but I don’t drive a U-Haul every day.



There are several compact wagons and hatchbacks that make good boat-haulers, and will save you gas money year-round.



Good Luck!



Delphinus

http://www.AquaDynology.com

Economical hydrogen seems a long way off
It currently requires a lot of energy to produce hydrogen. Don’t fool yourself if you don’t think many people are working on developing hydrogen as an econimical fuel source - they are.



As for using compressed air, I wonder how much travel range you could get out of compressed air in the size cars that we Americans are partial to?

Mine gets around 31 while hauling…
I have a Chevy HHR, and I love it. I get 31mpg average while towing my 8’ trailer with 4 boats on board.



It has great room inside and the seats fold easily for carrying gear. Four of us just got back from a 4 day trip to Crooked River in Georgia, hauling all of our camping gear and four boats and still averaged over 30mpg.



The only downside is if you do not have a factory rack you cannot get one from Thule or Yakima due to the door construction. I just added a hidden hitch and trailer and have been good to go ever since.



~Rob

You need a lesson in energy equivalence

– Last Updated: May-08-08 12:27 PM EST –

You say

"Admittedly the air had to be compressed but that was possible by a home compressor that yes would still use electric energy to pump but in minute scale compare to fossil fuel used for internal combustion engines."

It's true that electrical energy can be produced fairly efficiently, but to say you use much less energy in the process is crap. Also, to say it won't catch on because Detroit isn't interested is wrong. Detroit is not the major power it used to be, but if there's money to be made off a new kind of car, they will build it. Building a product that will sell is the only thing that matters to them, and I would bet that a car which takes much longer to refuel than it takes to expend that fuel while driving just wouldn't sell right now. Maybe it will someday, but not right now. Don't forget that if you could speed up the re-fueling process by tapping into a huge source of compressed air, or by using an enormous compressor (rather than something powered by normal household electrical current), you aren't saving any energy, you're just using energy more quickly.

BMW with Trailex trailer
I recently got 30 mpg in my 3 series BMW (with the 2.5 liter engine) pulling a trailer with one kayak on it over 700 miles. (I averaged 70 MPH.)



I routinely get 29 mpg with a mix of highway (~70%) and city (~30%) driving, without the trailer.

I’m too smart to call that coasting, and
too smart to crawl the interstates with idiots veering off to miss me, or tailgating and flashing lights. YMMV.

It’s called the CAT, made in India, 120
120 mile range, top speed of 70, sells for $7,000 and is licenced to TATA Motors…all according to CNN.

Gas
I’ve been getting 29 MPG in my Nissan Altima. 2 boats on the roof drop it to 25.



My Yukon (V-8)gets 16 with boats on the roof and 19 pulling 2 kayaks on a 100 lb trailer.



Looked at Subaru until I realized I would only save 4-5 MPG. As it is I don’t have a car payment or any need to carry full coverage insurance, both of which I’d have with a new hybrid.



Both of my vehicles will see 300K miles or better. I doubt many of todays electric/gasoline hybrids will see that without major repair costs.


Again, bull, slowing down at least to
65 won’t be a significant problem. A couple of weeks ago, pulling a 12 foot trailer loaded, I never got over 55 on a interstate section that eqauls any you drive for speed and lousy drivers. No real problem over 140 miles. Its more in your mindset. As for putting the vehicle in neutral to actually coast, that’s not much of a problem except in exceptionally hilly or mountainous terrain.

Driving under the speed limit
Around here, most people act like the speed limit is the speed minimum. And they don’t go only 5 mph over the speed limit. 10 mph over is common, and 15 over is not unusual, depending on the road. Enforcement obviously has been too lax for too long.



Still, I sometimes can drive, say, 60 mph in a 65-mph zone without trouble. I don’t do it in the left lane, of course. And if it’s bumper-to-bumper speeding traffic, that is a dangerous time to go under the speed limit. Sad to say, when it comes to highway safety, sometimes you have to give in a little to peer pressure. But not always!



One good thing I’ve noticed is that since gas prices shot up in late 2005, more people are in fact going slower than the speed limit on the faster roads. Especially on those 75-mph roads, mine is not the only personal vehicle driving at 65 to 70 mph.



If you always give in to “everybody else does it,” you are definitely part of the problem.

Air-Powered Vehicles

– Last Updated: May-09-08 12:24 AM EST –

I must say that the concept of an engine that runs on compressed air is an interesting idea, though I guess in this case it should be called a motor, not an engine. I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be a viable idea for commuter use and other places where, so far, the all-electric car has seemed to be promising.

I wonder how compressed air compares to batteries for storing energy? If it is even remotely comparable to batteries, the advantage of decreasing fuel weight with miles driven (a battery's weight remains the same even when discharged) and no dangerous chemicals to recyle or dispose of would make compressed air a neat option. As pointed out above, it currently takes all night to compress enough air to fully fuel one of these little air-powered cars, but the same is already true for the recharge time of electric cars, so that part is probably a toss-up.

Subaru Legacy2.2 , 5spd Honest 31 - 36
Driving with a light foot.



Never drove it on a long trip w/ kayaks but checked on a recent 120 mile / 65 mph trip with two skis on top and still got 31 !






Diesel.
Most common engine in Europe and Japan.

Slow, lots of torque, can gett o and hold highway speeds but not in an exciting fassion.

The Diesel is reliable and can be repaired by the regular mechanic that works on your what ever gas engine.

Just over 600 KM with a 1983 TD Golf with three large guys (Shirt size) 3 boats NDK, Valey and Eastern Island. all the gear. $64.00 in fuel I have not done the math but the Diesel Fuel here was $1.48 per litre.

The US suppliers and manufacturers may have missed the boat.

The Japanese have it as do VW, Mercedies, and most other people that have dealt with very high fuel prices… We are just now getting there.

Air Car article from Popular Mechanics
Air-Powered Car Coming to U.S. in 2009 to 2010 at Sub-$18,000, Could Hit 1000-Mile Range



The CityCAT, already being developed in India (bottom left), will be available for U.S. production in three different four-door styles. But it’s the radical dual-energy engine, with a possible 1000-mile range at 96 mph, that could move the Air Car beyond Auto X Prize dreams and into American garages.



By Matt Sullivan

Published on: February 22, 2008





Email Print

del.icio.us Reddit

Digg it

View blog authority

Drive Green



Aptera Ramps Up for 2008 Production With Veteran Supercar Guru

Trees in Your Tank? The Future of Green Gasoline: Earth Day Extra

Tesla v. The World: Does Silicon Valley’s Car Darling Have a Case? Expert Opinion

More…



ALSO SEE…

Trees in Your Tank? The Future of Green Gasoline: Earth Day Extra

Aptera Ramps Up for 2008 Production With Veteran Supercar Guru

Tesla v. The World: Does Silicon Valley’s Car Darling Have a Case? Expert Opinion

10 Questions for NPR’s Car Talk Guys on Fuel-Efficient Tech

Why Detroit Should Build a Plug-in Car With Generators Onboard

See more…



Section Archive



KEYWORDS

alternative energy

fuel economy

auto technology

engines

Automotive X Prize



The Air Car caused a huge stir when we reported last year that Tata Motors would begin producing it in India. Now the little gas-free ride that could is headed Stateside in a big-time way.



Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) confirmed to PopularMechanics.com on Thursday that it expects to produce the world’s first air-powered car for the United States by late 2009 or early 2010. As the U.S. licensee for Luxembourg-based MDI, which developed the Air Car as a compression-based alternative to the internal combustion engine, ZPM has attained rights to build the first of several modular plants, which are likely to begin manufacturing in the Northeast and grow for regional production around the country, at a clip of up to 10,000 Air Cars per year.



And while ZPM is also licensed to build MDI’s two-seater OneCAT economy model (the one headed for India) and three-seat MiniCAT (like a SmartForTwo without the gas), the New Paltz, N.Y., startup is aiming bigger: Company officials want to make the first air-powered car to hit U.S. roads a $17,800, 75-hp equivalent, six-seat modified version of MDI’s CityCAT (pictured above) that, thanks to an even more radical engine, is said to travel as far as 1000 miles at up to 96 mph with each tiny fill-up.



We’ll believe that when we drive it, but MDI’s new dual-energy engine—currently being installed in models at MDI facilities overseas—is still pretty damn cool in concept. After using compressed air fed from the same Airbus-built tanks in earlier models to run its pistons, the next-gen Air Car has a supplemental energy source to kick in north of 35 mph, ZPM says. A custom heating chamber heats the air in a process officials refused to elaborate upon, though they insisted it would increase volume and thus the car’s range and speed.



“I want to stress that these are estimates, and that we’ll know soon more precisely from our engineers,” ZPM spokesman Kevin Haydon told PM, “but a vehicle with one tank of air and, say, 8 gal. of either conventional petrol, ethanol or biofuel could hit between 800 and 1000 miles.”



Those figures would make the Air Car, along with Aptera’s Typ-1 and Tesla’s Roadster, a favorite among early entrants for the Automotive X Prize, for which MDI and ZPM have already signed up. But with the family-size, four-door CityCAT undergoing standard safety tests in Europe, then side-impact tests once it arrives in the States, could it be the first 100-mpg, nonelectric car you can actually buy?



RELATED STORIES

• FIRST LOOK: Air Car Coming to India for Summer 2009

• UPDATE: New Blog From Cornell Auto X Prize Team

• DRIVE GREEN: Test Drives, News and Video on Alt-Fuel Rides

Diesel Jetta Wagon
The old models got great mileage. The brand new models are supposed to get between 50 - 60 mpg.