Tag Archives: combustion engine

Driving Change in What We Drive

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For better or for worse, cars are not leaving the American landscape anytime soon. The automobile is woven into the cultural fabric of our country like nothing else. But we also know that the status quo is not sustainable. This week on Sea Change Radio, we discuss efforts by the Sierra Club to advocate for electric vehicles with Gina Coplon-Newfield and then, for a little context, we dip into the Sea Change Radio archives to hear some of host Alex Wise‘s discussion with David Johnson, whose company, Achates Power, is developing a more efficient combustion engine.

Electric Vehicle Pioneer Dave Cloud

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Battery operated cars. No longer the exclusive domain of little kids huddled around a remote control, electric vehicles are beginning to emerge as a real alternative to petroleum-powered vehicles. Most of us have heard of the Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Volt, and even the more exclusive Tesla models. But most listeners probably have not heard of the Dolphin. The Dolphin is the most recent creation from electric vehicle enthusiast Dave Cloud, who has converted over 45 combustion-engine boats and cars to run on electricity. He assembled the Dolphin from a 1997 Geo Metro, a set of used lead batteries, $3,000 and a vision. Dave Cloud has wowed the electric vehicle community with this aerodynamic design; now listen as he sits with Sea Change Radio host Alex Wise to talk about the Dolphin and give us all a primer on electric vehicles.

Busting Convention With The Combustion Engine

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Do you ever try to envision a world where all the cars are electric – quiet, clean and carbon-neutral? Sounds great, but the truth is that the shift to a fossil-free fleet of vehicles on this planet is likely to be a slow cumbersome process that unfolds over several decades. In the meantime, however, there are some bright, inventive minds trying to ease the pain associated with the dirty, carbon-intensive status quo.

This week on Sea Change Radio, host Alex Wise speaks to two men whose start-up companies are reworking the old-fashioned combustion engine into cleaner, greener machines – a seemingly simple solution whose time should have come long ago. First, we hear from David Johnson, the CEO of Achates Power, whose new version of the diesel engine promises to significantly upgrade transport and hauling. Then, Alex talks to Ron Hoge, whose company, Pinnacle Engines, is building car motors that are more efficient but can be dropped right into existing automotive assembly-lines with minimal modifications. This week on Sea Change Radio, a practical interim solution to the carbon-free utopia we all dream of.