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Introduction to the MoPod(tm)
The MoPod(tm) meets the Ultra Low Power Vehicles (ULPV) standard. ULPVs are:
* Under 5kw to minimize energy use and emissions.
The most cost effective way to reduce energy use and emissions is to minimize the power level of the transportation mode. By specifying that the power use be less than 5kW, the energy use per vehicle can be brought into sustainable levels for renewable sources to provide the energy for most transportation. The MoPod(tm) 5kW max power options could include: Internal Combustion engines (ICE), Fuel Cells, or Batteries. The Energy may be: Liquid hydrocarbons like gasoline, Diesel, propane, ethanol, methanol, etc.; Gaseous fuel like CNG or hydrogen; or electro-chemical storage batteries using lead-acid, Ni-MH, Li-Ion, Aluminum-air, etc.; or compressed gas.
Presently the best option to minimize cost is the ICE. ICE offers: very good power to weight ratio, power to cost ratio, energy to cost ratio, energy to mass ratio, and overall cycle efficiency. The benifits of using ICE are: The best total system efficiency (includes energy required to produce, and maintain), lowest environmental impact (if using renewable fuel, and including pollution of manufacture), lowest cost, greatest range, lowest system weight, best convenience, and huge existing capacity to produce. There are several sustainable ICE energy sources including: Bi-Diesel, ethanol, methanol, vegetable oils. Some drawbacks of ICE power are: more noise, fire potential, spill potential, requires lube oils, and more pollutants per mile of operation (excluding pollutants from manufacture).
Electric motor/ battery is a good power alternative for ULPVs designed primarily for short trips. Advantages of electric power is low operating pollution, low noise, reduced fire potential, moderate cost. Disadvantages are: increased weight, reduced range, greater cost.
Hybrid electric/ICE combines many of the advantages of electric and ICE power sources. Fuel cells (FC) and compressed gas energy storage have made improvements, but cannot presently compete. It is estimated that FC appropriate for ULPVs are at least 10 years away.
* Under 100kg to maximize acceleration, and minimize material use and kinetic energy.
Since the power available is 5kW or less the MoPod(tm) must weigh less than 100kg to achieve enough acceleration and hill climbing performance to achieve useful transportation. The ULPV standard specifies a gross vehicle weight of 300kg. An empty weight of 100kg will allow a payload of 200kg, enough for 2 adults, and some baggage. The power to mass ratio is what determines the ability to climb hills and keep up with traffic. The mass to power ratio of the ULPV standard is 300kg/5kW= 60kg/kW. For comparison the average large road truck has a mass power to weigh ratio of more than 100kg/kW. If loaded to an average mass of 175kg, the mass to power ratio will be 35kg/kW (about the same ratio of the average automobile sold in the world).
The cost of a vehicle goes up rapidly with mass. First off, the increased amount of materials cost more. Second, the stress level of materials increases faster than the capacity, so big vehicles use more materials per unit of capacity than small vehicles. Third, the cost of tooling to produce a vehicle must be divided by the number of vehicles produced, so small vehicles have lower tooling cost per vehicle.
The public safety is compromised by the allowance of massive vehicles that only constrained by the integrity of the human operator. The potential for a vehicle to cause damage depends on the mass and velocity. At the same speed, a vehicle with double the weight is capable of causing twice as much damage because it has twice as much kinetic energy at a given speed. The fully loaded MoPod(tm) will have an average of 1/10th the mass of a big loaded down SUV, and 100th the mass of a loaded down 18wheel truck. The risk to the public from ULPVs will be much less than present risk from cars, SUVs and trucks.
* Enclosed for usability in varying conditions.
Bicycles and motorcycles enjoy limited markets because the occupants are exposed to wind and weather. Many workers are unwilling to ride bikes because they arrive either hot and sweaty, or their clothes are messed up by wind or rain. A full enclosed vehicle offers insulation from less than ideal travel conditions of splashing shush and rain water, the sting of flying insects, dust and kicked up rocks, heat, and cold. The MoPod(tm) offers much better protection from ambient road conditions than open vehicles. It is anticipated that enclosed ULPVs will achieve better safety records than bicycles and motorcycles due to the protection offered by being better insulated from typical hazards.
* Streamlined to reach highway speeds.
The top speed of a vehicle is determined by the power required and the power available. About 80% of the power required to propel the typical car at highway speed is used to overcome aerodynamic resistance . Specially shaped human powered vehicles have been built that prove the ability to achieve usefull transportation using only human power. The Record setting Varna achieved over 80mph on human power of less than 1kw. The MoPod(tm) with only 5kW can achieve freeway speed because the shape of the vehicle causes only a small fraction of the resistance of typical vehicles.
The MoPod(tm) will be able to achieve more than 200mpg at highway speed using proven ICE power and liquid fuels derived from fossil or renewable sources. Using Hybrid technology, 300mpg is possible.
* Narrow – can double road lane capacity.
Many states have adopted, or are considering legislation to allow narrow vehicles to share a single highway lane. This has the potential to nearly double existing freeway capacity without spending any money on capital improvements . The MoPod(tm) is narrow enough to split a lane with another narrow vehicle. A narrow vehicle is also easy to park, and occupies less room in a garage.
* Low cost without subsidies.
Public transportation cost in the US is extreme. Billions are wasted to subsidize obsolete transportation systems like trains. The MoPod(tm) could cost as little as little as one tenth the amount of a typical car, both to to purchase and operate. The best thing is that the public will not be taxed to pay, MoPods(tm) will mostly be privately owned and operated. Wide scale use of MoPods and ETT also has the potential to greatly reduce DOT expenditures to maintain roads since most road damage is caused by heavy vehicles.
* fit in ETT capsules, or aPRT for fast, distant travel with personal transport convenience.
The MoPod(tm) meets the et3 ULPV multi-mode vehicle standard. Drive a MoPod(tm) from your home or office to the ETT station. Drive directly into a waiting MoPod(tm) module. The module is automatically loaded into the ETT capsule, and routed to your desired location at speeds from 150mph to 4000mph (depending on the distance). When the ETT part of the trip is over (LA to NY in under an hour), use your MoPod to reach your final destination.
