Gizmodo: hev

US Military Pretty Much Commissions a Real-Life Gordon Freeman Power Suit

John Herrman — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:20:21 EST

The Office of Naval Research just threw a $1.6m grant at some UCSD researchers, to be used to build a "field hospital on a chip". The system will monitor a few biomarkers for deviations from safe levels, at which point it will automatically medicate its wearer. While the military hopes that such a device could provide first aid to wounded soldiers, the technology could also find plenty of practical uses in medicine, especially for doling out insulin to diabetics or anesthetic to chronic pain sufferers.

Anyway, forget about the olds — the military applications are what's exciting about this. Take a current soldier's body armor, night vision goggles and communications equipment, throw in an automatic medical treatment unit and voila! You've basically got Gordon Freeman's HEV suit. There is no indication that the suit will make the satisfying "uhhuummuhhuummuhhuumm" sound like Mr. Freeman's, but there's no indication that it won't, either. [Medgadget]

Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid: First Planned HEV With Li-Ion Battery

Haroon Malik — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST

Sure, we have heard word of lithium ion batteries being possibly implemented in a Prius before, but Mercedes-Benz is going beyond concept speculation with its S400 BlueHybrid, which promises Li-ion HEV action to be hitting the production lines by 2009. At present, that makes the S400 BlueHybrid the first Li-ion HEV with a set mass-production time frame.

Current hybrid vehicles use nickel-metal hydride batteries, but the lithium-ion alternatives are known to offer greater efficiency, as well as a better overall weight-to-power ratio. The problem with integrating the Li-ion technology was in securing their stability—they became far too hot to be a viable option in a hybrid vehicle. Fortunately, Mercedes-Benz has 25 patents it is confident solves the dilemma of battery overheating, whether they stay on target for 2009 is another matter, but we certainly wouldn't doubt them. (N.B. The model pictured is the standard petrol engine S400. Images of the BlueHybrid have not been released as yet.)[CNET]

Tesla Branches into Gas-Electric Hybrid Market

Haroon Malik — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST

Tesla plans to enter the gas-electric hybrid market, with the first range extended vehicle (REV) to hit the streets by the end of 2009. Their all electric models negate the use for a gas motor entirely, but by adding a gas motor they will be able to produce hybrid vehicles with better performance.

Essentially, the new REVs will have a battery that is continually charged whilst the car is being driven. The range of the battery is usually around 40-50 miles, but this is charged by the gas motor's output during a journey, which extends the longevity, (hence the name.) The modification will be made to the Whitestar sedan, which will be able to achieve 150 - 200 miles on a single charge, using this technique. The Tesla Roadster will be capable of a similar distance, but it does cost the best part of $100, 000. The Whitestar REV will be expected to retail around $50,000 - $70,000, depending on customization options. [CNET]