Watch: Powering a car with biomass
Connecticut inventor and tinkerer Dave Nichols thinks cars should run on biomass. He just might just be on to something.
Thu, Jul 09 2009 at 9:51 AM EST
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I was down in Rhode Island last month for the Apeiron Sustainable Living Festival and Renewable Energy Expo where I met Dave Nichols, a guy who has built a biomass-powered pickup truck. He's totally the Mad Tinkerer type and had a great story to tell about his work building a vehicle that's powered by just about anything organic -- think Doc Brown's car in Back to the Future 2. The black, biomass-powered pickup truck he was showing doesn't travel in time, but it can be powered by anything you find in your compost bin or garbage can.
In fact, the thing can be powered by anything this side of dirt, broken glass or rocks.
Wood chips? Yup.
Pine needles? Yes.
Wet leaves? Of course.
Cardboard? Old leather boots? Cow manure? Yup, yup and yup.
I shot a video of Dave giving the rundown on the truck, how it works, and some of the bigger issues surrounding the way we get around. It's a bit long so I broke it up into two videos. It's totally worth the watch.
Part 1
Part 2
Swing over to Dave's website, 21st Century Motorworks, read about his work and check out some of the stories the press have run explaining the technology.
If you're a rich, clean energy VC-type person, Dave is looking for funding to take his project to the next level. He has self-funded his work so far but he could use a couple of million to get the technology to market. Email him at The21stCenturyMotorWorks@yahoo.com
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Comments
great
04/22/2011 14:33 PM
All negative nondoers sholdnt comment. This guy is doing something and selling this great vision in a splendid way, all cred to you.
ALL Power Labs
03/23/2011 15:50 PM
You can do this yourself! We sell kits:
http://www.gekgasifier.com
sally
02/10/2011 08:27 AM
if i can pay regular price for it am game, but if not u can forget about it, pass on ur invention to someone who need it, jerk
truck
02/10/2011 08:33 AM
i think is a great idea, because i can pick some off my backyard to run my car, intead of payin money for gas, pretty cool way to go bro
mark williams
01/25/2011 01:11 AM
I saw this truck on the road in connecticut. Very impressive. It was going down interstate 84 at about 75 miles/hour, blended right in with the traffic, I hope he sells them in the future. I want one.
Piotr
07/11/2009 07:44 AM
In Poland I saw a guy on TV which has a Hummer H2 and he also is using that technology.
