Thursday 23rd April 2009

Green Racers Revealed

Swiss engineers beaten to chocolate fuel by British university team

---

News of two rival ‘green’ racers has emerged in recent days – an 'organic' British F3 car running on high-octane chocolate, and an electric GT from Switzerland.

Warwick's F3 car is full of beans

You might think the Swiss had a head start in the chocolate stakes, but honours fall to Warwick University whose EcoF3 car is a tasty-sounding confection made from potatoes, carrots and soybeans.

Unsurprisingly the EcoF3 is said to be world’s first F3 car made from vegetable-derived composite materials. Its biodiesel engine is capable of using fuel made from both vegetable and chocolate oils, and the Warwick University team is apparently hoping F3 organisers will change the rules on fuel so they can put their car on the grid next season.

The Swiss have stuck to batteries

The Swiss, meanwhile, apparently leery of burning all that chocolaty goodness, have decided to stick with lithium-ion batteries for their new GreenGT.

Powered by two 100kw electric motors, and with its batteries topped up by solar-voltaic panels, the GreenGT is reckoned to be good for 170mph and a 0-60 time of under 4secs.

Apparently the car only works for 35-40mins, so we won’t be seeing it at Le Mans this year.

[Fetchez la vache]

If the use of chocolate derived oil pushes up the price of chocolate, this thing will be lauded by weightwatchers too..

[leon9191]

A biodiesel engine is just a diesel engine with some kind of heating element to stop the fuel solidifying.

Might start putting the mountains of chocolate my girlfriend has in the fridge into the fuel tank of my focus, might help shrink her fat arse as well as my fuel bill.

[sprinter1050]

leon9191 said:

A biodiesel engine is just a diesel engine with some kind of heating element to stop the fuel solidifying.

Might start putting the mountains of chocolate my girlfriend has in the fridge into the fuel tank of my focus, might help shrink her fat arse as well as my fuel bill.

How about Galaxy in your Galaxy

[dwilkie]

leon9191 said:

might help shrink her fat arse as well as my fuel bill.

Hope you have seperate usernames and passwords or she doesn't have a habit of snooping through your cache

[fairplay101]

"high-octane chocolate"

Where do I get some? Got to be better than a Mars Bar!!

[D7]

sprinter1050 said:

leon9191 said:

A biodiesel engine is just a diesel engine with some kind of heating element to stop the fuel solidifying.

Might start putting the mountains of chocolate my girlfriend has in the fridge into the fuel tank of my focus, might help shrink her fat arse as well as my fuel bill.

How about Galaxy in your Galaxy

Ferrero in your Ferrari?

Rolo in your Polo?

Smarties in your... erm... Smart car?

Edited by D7 on Thursday 23 April 13:07

[toohuge]

Great effor from the Watwick boys, it looks great.

[jazzyjeff]

D7 said:

sprinter1050 said:

leon9191 said:

A biodiesel engine is just a diesel engine with some kind of heating element to stop the fuel solidifying.

Might start putting the mountains of chocolate my girlfriend has in the fridge into the fuel tank of my focus, might help shrink her fat arse as well as my fuel bill.

How about Galaxy in your Galaxy

Ferrero in your Ferrari?

Rolo in your Polo?

Smarties in your... erm... Smart car?

Edited by D7 on Thursday 23 April 13:07

Ah, but Green & Blacks works in all hatchbacks...

JJ

[cocopop]

A Creme Egg for your Koenigsegg?

[kcurtis]

KitKat for your Kit Car?
Cadburys Choc Rolls for your Rolls Royce?
Aldi own brand for your BMW
McVities Taxis in your Taxi?
Club Bars in your Astra Club

Edited by kcurtis on Thursday 23 April 14:16

Edited by kcurtis on Thursday 23 April 14:56

[german tony]

An Aero for your Morgan.

Car looks good but then as it says Lola on the back it should look like a serious attempt. Anybody know what it weighs & how much a normal F3 car weighs? Any idea about the crash tests? What, exactly, is the environmental impact of the resins etc etc used to stick the veg togeher?

http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/worldfirstecof3/ more piccies

Edited by german tony on Thursday 23 April 14:18

[bishbash]

in your

[ScoobieWRX]

Aren't there currently electric race type cars (TESLA) that already go for a lot longer than 35-40mins. Swiss are a bit late on that one aren't they??

I think they are all fruit and nut cases!!


p.s. i love fruit and nut!!

[KMT]

Do you think it will be the only car on the grid that actually gains weight as it uses fuel?

[Lil' Joe]

Sweet.

Boom boom, tsch.

[davswilson]

Who's the driver, Bob Dole???

[Moley RUFC]

Hardly ''rival'' bids are they. One a fully fledged F3 car ready for the grid, the other works for just 30 mins and looks like it's straight out of Wacky Racers