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| Hybrid trailer car 
In a previous entry I wrote about a design for a "rubber band car", But after watching the documentery "Who killed the electric car?" (a movie I highly recommend!), I think I have a much more practical idea: It is currently possible to make an electric car that can run for at least 150 kilometers on a single charge and be recharged at home or anywhere using a standard electrical outlet in as little as a few hours. These EV1 created by GM in the mid 90's were one of a few of these cars made and the vast majority of those who leased them thought they were fantastic. They were affordable, required little servicing, eliminated trips to the gas station, and had more then enough range for average daily commuting needs. The batteries they used were good for that era, but battery technology has improved significantly since then. GM (as well as Ford, Toyota, and Honda) did everything they could to sabotage their own product for various reasons, including obvious pressure from oil companies. Their official reason was that consumers would not accept the limited range and length of charge time, despite the fact that users of the cars had no problem with these limitations. I believe that these limitations could be overcome with one added feature - a gas or diesel generator trailer that would plug directly into the car. This product could be purchased with the electric car or seperately if the user wanted it. For the majority of the time the trailer could be parked in the driveway or garage while the driver used only electicity for the majority of their commuting, but if they wanted to take a longer trip they would simply attach the trailer, start the generator, and drive as far as they wanted, stopping at gas stations to refill. The trailer would'nt need to be very big, somewhere between a motorcycle trailer and a tent trailer. The trailer itself would also be useful in that it would be a portable gas generator like any other, handy for power outages, camping, etc. Hydrogen is never going to be practical or affordable for cars or small trucks, and the car and oil companies know it. They are simply using the promise of hydrogen to stall for time. Battery technology will continue to improve, but in the mean time I think this would be a marketable alternative.Reward: A free set of solar panels and a windmill so I can drive the electric car I'll eventually have for free! 
There are 8 replies to this idea
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| Spherical Laundry Basket Cage
My idea is a laundry basket cage which is spherical in design. The advantage of this design is that it can be rolled down stairs or along the floor using the hands or feet to propel forward toward its destination. There are no wheels or handles to this unit.Made from the same flexible basket-weave plastic that is used on the sides of tradional laundry baskets, the laundry basket cage has a serviceably large, round hinged opening for loading and unloading the laundry. Closing the hatch completes the sperical design. It's now ready to be kicked and/or rolled down the stairs, along the hallway toward the laundry room.When being used as a hamper or when unloading into the washer, there is a separate round plastic "stabilizing ring" where the cage rests. This plastic ring will sit on the floor under the cage, steadying the sphere. The ring is made of the same light-weight plastic as the laundry cage.This begs the question, what about when you want to return folded clothes to other parts of the house? In the bottom of the cage is a shallow flattened surface for folded laundry. The lid (hatch) has an inset cut-out handle for carrying the sphere.Carrying laundry baskets at arm's length is one of the hardest household chores. With gravity and its "basket ball" design, the laundry basket cage makes half the job easier. Kids would be more inclined to get their laundry to the wash room. College kids would be kickin' their laundry basket cages all over campus town.Reward: I'd like a lifetime supply of the laundry basket cages. Six should last me for a good long time. 
There are 6 replies to this idea
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