Practical Is

One thing that we have not talked about in depth is the practical values of the Vincitore' 1000 (VK). In this blog we will highlight these to give people something to think about regarding selection of a high MPGe automobile.

Four Doors, Four Seats, Four Wheels:

Easy access for adult passengers. (George is 6'4" tall)

Seating for four adult passengers, with comfort.

Stable platform for safe driving and sure handling.

Ample trunk space, over 10 cubic feet.

Great Diesel Performance:

Excellent economy without resorting to hypermiling techniques.

Great torque for climbing hills or pulling a load, such as a jet ski or Parade Float.

Multi Fuel capability. Fuels include Diesel, B-20 Diesel, B-100 Diesel, Veggy-Diesel and Strained Cooking Oils. Other potential fuel includes synthetic Diesel and Algae Diesel, plus many other lipid based fuel stock.

Click on link for Bio Diesel information

http://www.indianasoybean.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=86

Fueling in less than 5 minutes, anywhere Diesel is found. Diesel is an existing part of the national fuel infrastructure.

Click on link to view St Louis Trip

http://www.youtube.com/user/BITWTechnologies#p/u/8/7T2McLnOWSI

Long Range, the VK can travel up to 1000 miles on a tank of fuel. That means non stop until the tank is empty. Drive coast to coast with 3 fill ups.

Click link to view Nashville trip.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BITWTechnologies#p/a/u/2/dB11FHzxhV0

Reliability, Diesel engine is very simple and thus reliable. Starts easy and is ready to go quickly.

Maintenance is easy and mechanics will appreciate the drivetrain access.

Comfort:

The VK has basic accessories such as Air Conditioning, Heat and Defrost, bucket seats, radio and windows that roll down.

The VK was designed as a daily driver and has met and exceeded this role since being assembled. It is not a concept, but a reality at a cost less than $20K. As a commuter car, a fleet car or a family car, the VK can do it all. On or off road when hauling people, luggage and trailers, the VK is nothing, if not Practical!

Tell the world what you think is practical, too! Vote BITW as Most Practical!
http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/fan-favorites

SCIENCE!!

Science! hearing the word reminds me of a tune from the 80's by Thomas Dolby. So what does that have to do with today's post?

Over the weekend, the BITW Technologies Vincitore' 1000 made a visit to the St. Louis Science Center. Team leader, George Voll, and his dad Bob got to answer a lot of questions about the car and the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize competition. The car was on display in the lower level with a few other alternative energy displays. The Allis Chalmers Model G Electric tractor was very interesting. The Model G was designed as a small crop/ garden tractor with a rear mounted engine to improve visibility for cultivating. The engine was removed and an electric motor put in it's place. The Saint Louis Science Center hosted a “Community Science Day,” on Saturday, May 29th, 2010. This free event featured hands-on activities for visitors to gain a greater understanding about the science and technology related to super-efficient vehicles. The event was sponsored by the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Education Program and the U.S. Department of Energy. Visitors were able to come and check out the hands-on activities and walk away with the know-how required to make educated choices on the future cars you purchase and drive.

George and Bob found that many people do not understand how a diesel engine works or that they are much cleaner than they used to be. George and Bob were able to explain the difference between the Diesel Internal Combustion Engine vehicle and the Battery Electric Vehicle. It is always a good thing to educate people about how technologies can benefit society, locally and globally. We were honored to be asked to display the Vincitore' 1000 at the center. It is a great facility with a wonderful staff! St. Louis is a fun place to visit with historic value. It was the official starting point for the Lewis and Clark expedition, after they picked up most of the group from the Louisville area, taking a boat down the Ohio river to the Mississippi. After the event had concluded, George drove near the Arch for a camera pose.

For that Thomas Dolby tune, here is a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V83JR2IoI8k&a=p8AVQFfiIRU&playnext_from=ML

Back Home Again

It is good to be back home in Indiana after a busy week at MIS. We learned a lot of valuable lessons about our car, the Vincitore' 1000 and about the competition process. The durability run was a good test to see how the car components stay together. It was held on the old road course South of the main oval. The official running the said it would be like driving in Kentucky or Tennessee. I grinned, as Southern Indiana roads are the same, and knew this would be lots of fun. Lots of bumps and about 23 laps later, the fun was done and we had to get back to the garages. Friday we did the efficiency run and that gave us some good data to work with. We have more work to do, but all is positive. We left Friday afternoon and arrived at the garage Saturday afternoon. We unloaded in rain just like we loaded the week before.