Ronn Motor Company reveals 40mpg hydrogen hybrid supercar plans
In an announcement that's left us scratching our heads, newly-formed Ronn Motor Company has revealed a car, uniquely named "Scorpion" which they claim will get they 40 mpg, have a 3.5 second 0 to 60 time and have an over 200 mph top end. Furthermore, they state in a press release, it will be available to consumers this fall. Not impressed yet? It will be a hydrogen burning hybrid.
Hydrogen "burning"? Yes, burning. Let us explain. Employing "dual computer processor controls," the hydrogen, produced by "fracturing water molecules drawn from a small on board water tank," will be fed in through the air intake manifold and blended with gasoline in a 30 to 40 per cent ratio. Since one of the partners listed on their website is Hydrorunner, we believe theirs is the system being employed here. The engine said to be doing this gasoline mixed with hydrogen burning is an Acura dual overhead cam, aluminum/magnesium block, 3.5 liter, V-tech, V-6, Type S. All that equipment will be lovingly wrapped in a carbon fiber body produced by Metal Crafters and there will be all kinds of other cool, shiny bits. No price was mentioned.
The company, which has just recently begun offering public shares of stock, says it is in the process of designing a state-of-the-art, 40,000-square-foot plant near Marble Falls, Texas. There will be space for fabrication, mechanical assembly, body assembly, parts, testing, receiving etc. There are also plans for a 10,000-square-foot showroom. Of the car, vice president Adrian Pylypec, says, "The Scorpion is a proof of concept vehicle that helps solve consumer energy problems today and we expect will serve as a platform for our second generation vehicles." Seriously though: nice picture, but the website could use some work. Read the release after the jump.
Press Release:
Central Texas Innovators Ronn Motor Company Building New Generation of Hydrogen Cars
Company Taking Orders for One of America's First Premium Eco-Exotic Vehicles
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ronn Motor Company (Pink Sheets:RNNM) ("Company") is well on its way to proving that efficiency can be delivered to the automobile consumer without giving up performance or styling. The Company today unveiled the key to a new generation of "green cars" by revealing the nuts and bolts of what it expects will help drive down consumers' cost to travel the highways with on demand hydrogen production.
"What we are revealing today is an innovation in the automotive industry and demonstrates American ingenuity at a time of real need," says Ronn Motor Company's Chief Executive Officer Ronn Maxwell. "We're designing and building cars with performance components and unique styling with the objective of making the new environmentally friendly vehicle stand out with never before seen style and approximately 40 mpg plus efficiency," he adds.
The new car, now in pre-production, is called the "Scorpion," and the Company plans for it to be available to consumers this fall. The hydrogen delivery system with dual computer processor controls produces hydrogen on demand, and in real time, which will be inducted through the air intake manifold and blended with gasoline at a ratio of 30-40 percent hydrogen, according to Maxwell. The fuel for this system is derived from fracturing water molecules drawn from a small on board water tank, and will not require a high pressure, on board hydrogen storage tank or hydrogen fueling station.
Ronn Motor Company, located in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, was founded by Maxwell and former Dell, Inc. Executive Adrian Pylypec of Austin, who is Vice President for the Company.
"We have partnered with automotive industry elite like Hydrorunner to design and produce eco-exotic cars with exclusive styling and uncompromised performance," says Pylypec. He adds, "The Scorpion is a proof of concept vehicle that helps solve consumer energy problems today and we expect will serve as a platform for our second generation vehicles."
About Ronn Motor Company: It is located in Horseshoe Bay, Texas and is a design and manufacturing company focused on leading edge design, finely built premium automobiles, and balancing stunning looks and performance with eco responsible alternative power systems. These systems include Hydrogen Fuel, Hydrogen Fuel on Demand, Fuel Cells, and Plug in Electrics. www.ronnmotors.com
* This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect Ronn Motor Company's (the "Company") plans and expectations. In this press release and related comments by Company management, words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "objective," "plan," "goal" and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements, representing management's current judgment and expectations about possible future events. Management believes these forward-looking statements and the judgments upon which they are based to be reasonable, but they involve numerous known and unknown risks are not guarantees of actual future performance or financial position, which may be materially different from what is expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
[Source: The Ronn Motor Company]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Chris 9:23PM (6/04/2008)
I think any time you consume O2 in a chemical reaction, it's burning. Hydrogen doesn't need gasoline to burn. Granted, the end product of H2O is unique, but it's burning none the less.
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philmcneal 10:07PM (6/04/2008)
any one have links to how the science works?
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Paul Glasser 6:17PM (11/09/2008)
Here's a link to why it doesn't work...
www.waterisnotafuel.com
Paul Glasser 9:12PM (12/02/2008)
Here's a link to why it DOES NOT work...
www.waterisnotafuel.com
Kardax 10:37PM (6/04/2008)
Vaporware. Whatever energy source they're using to split the hydrogen from the water would produce more energy if they put it toward turning the wheels directly.
It's really annoying that there are so many fraudsters in the green-car business.
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Paolo 10:43PM (6/04/2008)
Aren't they doing exactly the same thing as those "brown's gas from water electrolysis-in-a-jam-jar" kits you can make for $5 for your gasoline car?
So it DOES work!
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stevefazek 11:21PM (6/04/2008)
sigh hydrogen is not a energy source but a carrier.
Like what other schmucks said, the energy consumed to split the h2 from the o is less then the return from burning it.
I use to make my own hydrogen for fun and even dumping 5 AMPs at 18V it was just a small trickle.
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BlackbirdHighway 11:33PM (6/04/2008)
The whole thing seems a bit too improbable to me. The information at the Hydrorunner site seemed expecially far fetched.
The information available from Ronn and Hydrorunner doesn't do a good job of proving that this is not simply a stock fraud scam.
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Paolo 12:10AM (6/05/2008)
they don't tell you that it also re-forms N20 from the exhaust, and pipes it into the cabin,,,, for a *truly* hilarious driving experience.
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meg 12:58AM (6/05/2008)
I wonder if they'll try to incorporate ThinkGeek's re-released flux capacitor abilities as well? http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/9fc6/
How do they expect to get this concept fabricated and through all the safety checks by the fall?
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jake 1:18AM (6/05/2008)
@Paolo
Now that you mention that, I wonder if any of you guys or gals have tried it. It seems to have caught on only these last few months but I haven't found enough reliable independent accounts to prove or disprove that it improves fuel economy by 40% or more as they claim.
The "HHO" or "Brown's gas" sounds WAY to much like a scam to me, but I'm keeping my mind open right now.
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Chris M 10:21PM (11/25/2008)
While some of the claims are wildly exaggerated, most of those are not totally fraudulent.
That "HHO" gas (2 parts H2, 1 part O2) displaces air and reduces the air intake, and adjustments are made to reduce the fuel as well. Result, less fuel used. But since the "HHO" gas has less energy than the air/fuel mix it displaces, power and performance are also reduced.
It would be more effective and less expensive to just go lightly on the accelerator.
Paolo 2:10AM (6/05/2008)
Yeah, the story is that adding HHO to the fuel line greatly improves combustion, and therefore efficiency... it's not like you're running on the HHO, just adding it to the fuel mix so it burns cleaner.
It's pretty complex - it involves a glass jam jar, a $2 element from an electric kettle, water, and some plastic tube.
There was a big beat up on the news here a couple of nights ago poo-pooing the whole thing and bullying some scruffy guy who was swearing by it,,, which actually makes me suspect that it probably does work.
Can't say I've tried it.... anyone?
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TIMMAH! 3:02AM (6/05/2008)
Uh yeah, offering shares of "stock" even before you have a product... that's always such a good sign...
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EJJ 8:03AM (6/05/2008)
Vaporware......
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BlackbirdHighway 8:21AM (6/05/2008)
No, you can't call it vaporware if they are selling stock.
It's either real, or it's a stock fraud scam.
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Mark 8:33AM (6/05/2008)
I believe in the first law of thermodynamics: Energy can be converted but not created or destroyed
I believe in the second law of thermodynamics: Entropy always increases in closed systems
I believe in Barnums' Law: There's a sucker born every minute.
Conclusions: Using electricity from the alternator to make hydrogen onboard the car just increases gas consumption. Burning that hydrogen in a futile attempt to reclaim that energy is fruitless because the closed system will not be efficient enough to even break even. But it doesn't matter because foolish people with money will "keep an open mind" and buy the stock. This isn't about making green cars, its about defrauding investsors. I would like this blog better if it didn't play into these repetitive ridiculous schemes.
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Domenick Yoney 8:39AM (6/05/2008)
For those curious about HHO, commonly refered to as Brown's gas, here is the Wiki.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown's_gas#Brown.27s_gas
The key sentence is the very last. "The HHO trademark is associated with an unproven state of matter called magnegases, and a discredited theory about magnecules, which is the basis for a number of fraudulent claims, and third party water-fuelled car scam attempts."
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Rick 9:59AM (6/05/2008)
"The Scorpion is a proof of concept vehicle that helps solve consumer energy problems today and we expect will serve as a platform for our second generation vehicles."
Hmm, maybe they left off 'wealthy' in front of consumers?
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Chris H. 12:33PM (6/05/2008)
I agree with Kardax and Blackbird. The thermodynamics don't make sense. The FMVSS time line is improbable. This looks like a slick "pump-an-dump" scam. I would stay away.
Chris H.
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