Ultracapacitor Bus Recharges At Each Stop

TechReviewAl writes "A US company and its Chinese partner are piloting a bus powered by ultracapacitors in Washington DC. Ultracapacitors lack the capacity of regular batteries but are considerably cheaper and can be recharge completely in under a minute. Sinautec Automobile Technologies, based in Arlington, VA, and its Chinese partner, Shanghai Aowei Technology Development Company, have spent the past three years demonstrating the approach with 17 municipal buses on the outskirts of Shanghai. The executive director of Sinautec touts the energy efficiency of this approach: 'Even if you use the dirtiest coal plant on the planet [to charge an ultracapacitor], it generates a third of the carbon dioxide of diesel.'"

They must be powerful...

[unkaggregate]

the company name says it all!

*ZAP* Aowei!

Oh, first post!

Next model

[Anonymous Coward]

The next model will come with a flux supercapacitor, and will generate several sequels.

No, thanks

[willoughby]

The cap's are under the seats?! Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll take a cab, thank you.

I can see the design review meeting now...

[Anonymous Coward]

Engineer: Sorry, the idea didn't pan out. The battery works, but it's got no capacity. Useless.

Marketing Guy: What do you mean, no capacity? It can't be zero if it works, right?

Engineer: Sure, but it gets drained in seconds by any sort of circuit.

Marketing Guy: They recharge as fast as they drain, right?

Engineer: Yeah, sure. but...

Marketing Guy: "Recharges in under a minute". Nothing on the market can match it. When can we ship in volume?

Re:No, thanks

[santiago]

The gasoline-filled tank is under the seats? Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll take a pennyfarthing, thank you.

The Flux Supercapacitor

[Cryacin]

Is what makes bus travel POSSIBLE!!!

Can't believe you didn't...

[interkin3tic]

In soviet russia, ultracapacitor bus recharges YOU!

Re:No, thanks

[Tumbleweed]

Springs and the support post are under the seat? Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll take a horse, thank you.

Re:No, thanks

[Hadlock]

Today's XKCD is extremely topical:
 
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/bag_check.png

Re:No, thanks

[zippthorne]

Sharp vertebrae and powerful acids are under the seat? Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll take a trusty pair of boots, thank you.

Re:No, thanks

[sincewhen]

Sharp nails and powerful glues are under the feet? Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll walk around naked, thank you.

Re:No, thanks

[Ironchew]

Sharp rocks and powerful scorpions are under the feet? Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll be carried around on my royal litter, thank you.

Re:been saying this for years

[type40]

people said i was crazy when i talked about this a few years ago.

To be fair, at the time you were suffering from massive head trauma due to that skee ball accident. You said a lot of things. Yes, you were right about the supper caps. The quantum phase shifting nuns, not so much.

Re:No, thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

Inherently unstable bipedal locomotion under the hip? Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll stick to swinging around on vines, thank you.

Re:No, thanks

[ModernGeek]

Reliance on arbor infrastructure to get around and possibility of falling to the ground? I'll stick to swimming underwater, thank you.

Re:No, thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

way to fuk it up

Re:No, thanks

[Sasayaki]

Limited stop options and the serious risk of drowning? Call me old fashioned (and it won't be the first time) but I'll take a Ultracapacitor Bus which recharges at each stop, thank you.

Re:No, thanks

[khallow]

This motion thing sounds too complicated. I think I'll just stay in my shell and feed on plankton.

Re:Until...

[mi]

They have the monopoly among many others in the OPEC conglomerate.

Libertine, do you know, what monopoly means? Hint: there can be no "many others"...