F1 ITV SHIT

They posts a Monaco GP highlight video BUT I CAN'T watch IT. They don't allow people outside the UK watching it.

Nothing in youtube now... accept the one in the last post --> but I understand nothing.

Hamilton won Monaco grand prix yesterday. He's coming back now.

Article from formula1.com

After McLaren’s whitewash in Monte Carlo last season, few were predicting a Ferrari victory in this year’s race. However, all that changed after the red cars locked out the front row on Saturday. What no one could have predicted, however, was how just how unpredictable Sunday’s race would be.

On a day when it all went wrong for Ferrari, with both team and drivers admitting mistakes, McLaren made the best judgement calls. That, allied to some stunningly consistent pace from Lewis Hamilton, was enough to put the Briton back in charge of the championship standings…

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, 1m 18.510s, P1
Heikki Kovalainen, 1m 17.282s, P8

It all seemed over for Hamilton after he punctured his right rear tyre after hitting the wall exiting Tabac on the sixth lap, but McLaren switched to a one-stop strategy and got him going quickly enough that he only dropped to fifth. He passed Alonso and Raikkonen when both made early stops, then outran Kubica and Massa and was thus able to refuel on lap 54 and stay in the lead. The final safety car could have ruined it for him, but he kept his head for a brilliant triumph which he described as the highlight of his career. Kovalainen’s car wouldn’t engage a gear at the start of the formation lap so he had to start from the pit lane with a new steering wheel. When he got a clear road he flew, but eighth and the final point was the best he could muster on another unlucky day.

See also video from youtube

Tesla test drive in Cannes film festival

So... I try to up my blog after ONE YEAR!!! Please don't ask me why... just do a phd you will know by yourself :)

I just see this in youtube. Sorry it's in French....

A journalist from leblogauto.com testdrives Tesla Roadster in Cannes Film Festival. In the clip he's with Diarmuid O'Connell - Driector of Corporate Development at Tesla Motors. His French isn't bad at all. He uses English when he doesn't know French word.

Tesla weights 1200 kg with aluminium chassis and carbon fiber body. He said that Tesla works with Lotus on this issue. So the battery is 7000 cells - Litium ion that cost 20000$.

If you understand French just go to leblogauto.com to read full article.

Subaru R1e in Geneva Motor show 2007

Subaru show their electric concepcar R1e at Geneva Motor show 2007. The R1e is the joint development between Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (FHI) and Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TEPCO).

R1e is based on the gasoline version R1. It is front wheel drive and has an AC permanent magnet motor with a maximum output of 40 kW, which gives a top-speed of 100km/h. The range would be 80km with its litium-ion battery co-developped with NEC. 80% of battery can be rechared in 15 minutes using a special charger and 100% within 8 hours on a standard domestic plug. The battery life is at least 240,000 km.

For me, I like it so much. But I can't find further technical infomation about it, like acceleration. I think with permanent magnet motor it shouldn't be so bad. It begins that small car like R1e or Reva (G-wiz in UK) use permanent magnet motor rather than DC motor because ussually it's smaller, higher efficiency but much more expensive...

photo from http://autoshow.autos.msn.com

Why electric car?

1. GREEN : First of all, they are clean. Zero emissions --- no NOx, no CO, no CO2 --- nothing.
2. NO MORE FUEL IN FUTURE : In 50 years or earlier, it’ll be too expensive to produce fossil fuel. That means we have to find other energy sources. Electricity can be produced by many sources; coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydraulic power or from renewable sources like wind or solar.
3. HIGH EFFICIENCY : With gasoline engine, you get less than 30% of the energy you put in your tank but with electric motor you can get more than 40% (until more than 90%) depending on how you produce electricity. Efficiency of electric motor and drive itself can be easily higher than 90%. You can drive an electric car and pay your electricity bill much less than when you drive your old gas car.
4. SILENT AND COMFORT : No more noise and vibration like gas engine. It sounds something like .... oh I don't know how to 'write' this sound.
5. LET'S PLUG YOUR CAR : Don’t waste time in gas station. Plug-in your car in your garage when you sleep or at your office when you work, just like you charge your mobile phone.
6. LOW MAINTENANCE : air filter, engine oil, oil filter, spark plug, water pump, valve setting, belt --- forget all about them.
7. It’s COOL!!!