As seen on TV: Barefoot electric ATV from Mythbusters nearing production
Electric vehicles seem to have a bright future ahead of them. Although it may take a little while before a majority of our cars and trucks are running on electrons instead of gasoline, there appears to be a slice of the recreational market that's ready to make the switch now. Just over a year ago, we wrote about a new electric ATV that was co-designed by Jamie Hyneman of Mythbusters fame, and the machine seems to be progressing nicely. Barefoot Motors calls their machine an Earth Utility Vehicle, and it carries a load of lithium iron phosphate batteries with enough juice to travel for about 20 miles, equivalent to between 4 and 5 hours of run time. The test-bed is built atop a Polaris ATV chassis that originally housed an 800cc gas engine. Although it didn't make the television show, Hyneman's electric ATV was able to outperform its gas-powered sibling under Mythbuster-approved testing. According to the company's internal blog, the Model One is very close to production. Check past the break for a few videos of the machine in action.
[Source: Wired]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gorr 11:24AM (12/20/2008)
These battery powered gadgets are just there to impede hydrogen powered devises. Why choose battery if it can propel forward just small and limp vehicles for a short range, like this atv for 20 miles or a volt for 40 miles at high cost and long recharge times. It don't make sence a second when you compare this to hydrogen gas that can propel forward anything, cars, trucks, airplanes, ships, machinery with fuelcell or even with conventional ice technology. A lot of peoples in chat site have made big statements that hydrogen is bad on every counts and on the real market almost no hydrogen devises exists and more gadgets with battery exists. It's just that billions are for petrol and battery and almost no money exist to built hydrogen gadgets, that's all. Money speak and cleverness is non-existant.
Consumers are right to have ceased to buy automotive things and all manufacturers have shrink 50 % in the last 2 years. The thing that will shrink next is journalism and report will be made by the concerned business that have something new to say.
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Max 2:15PM (12/20/2008)
gorr:
How do you transport hydrogen?
How do you store hydrogen?
Whats the power density of hydrogen?
How do you create hydrogen? (hint, maybe it's with electricity)
I assume you know none of the answers. Hydrogen is a failure. Get an education.
jake 3:00PM (12/20/2008)
I don't get what's with you and hydrogen. Hydrogen makes sense for some things, but not really for transport at this point.
For example this ATV. With hydrogen it would be impossible to build one of the same capability (55hp) anyone can afford (with the hydrogen ICE you get drastically less power than a gasoline ICE of the same displacement, with the fuel cells you get drastically less power also, requiring a battery pack to provide power as a buffer). Then you have to also find hydrogen refueling.
If someone wanted to build a hydrogen ATV, no one is going to stop them, but it might make even less sense than an electric one.
Chris M 1:57AM (12/22/2008)
Why would battery power impede "hydrogen powered devices"? After all, the development of steam power didn't impede internal combustion engines, and diesel engines didn't impede gas turbines.
Oh, Maybe its because batteries make H2 fuel cells look bad in comparision. After all, compared to H2 fuel cells, batteries are less complicated, and don't require a slow start-up proceedure, and batteries respond much more quickly to fluctuations in power demand, and batteries are more efficient at storing electrical energy (85% vs 24%), and batteries require less maintenance, and batteries run on a much less expensive "fuel", and most of all, batteries cost a LOT less.
H2 ICE has disadvantages similar to fuel cells when compared to batteries. While H2 ICE is less expensive than fuel cells, the cost of H2 storage tanks is still more expensive than batteries. Moreover, the efficiency is considerably less, which makes fueling it even more expensive. Worse, with poor efficiency and bulky H2 storage, range is very limited.
I never said "hydrogen is bad on every count", H2 burns clean, and packs a lot of energy for the weight. Liquid H2 makes an almost perfect fuel for very big space rockets when cost is no objection, but H2 fuel is jst too bulky and expensive for automotive use.
Gorr, it's silly to pretend that "almost no money exists to build hydrogen gadgets". Governments and the oil companies have spent billions on hydrogen research. President Bush was solidly for the "Hydrogen Hyway" and got lots of government grants to various companies to waste on hydrogen research.
Don't know why Gorr is down on journalists, many of them have been taken in by the Hydrogen Hype and are just as enthused about H2 as he is.
Mike!!ekiM 12:02PM (12/20/2008)
Gorr, Hydrogen has been dead from the first thought of implementation. Hydrogen has Never been a viable solution to anything.
These Electric EV's could make a good hunting platform.
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Chris 1:44PM (12/20/2008)
After looking at the stats, i can assure you that this is a HUGE waste of time. The ATV market is highly competitive as it is. The only thing i see going for them is the fact that's quiet. The majority of ATV owners wouldn't mess around with the short ride times.
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L3 1:49PM (12/20/2008)
There is almost certainly a fantastic new fuel option for the future. It may be hydrogen. It may not.
I feel this is a specific example of the greater situation with auto use in the US. Like Pickens has argued with Gore, EVs may be the way of the future, but we need a BRIDGE to get from here to there.
This electric ATV is an obvious step between 2 and 4 cycle gas engines and whatever is in the future.
I would love to setup a solar charging system and have 'free fuel' in this unit. I use mine to tow a trail mower to take care of my 4 acres and this would have the added benefit of being VERY QUIET!
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Max 2:19PM (12/20/2008)
What Pickens calls 'bridge' is natural gas, for which there is little to no infrastructure. Look at the progress in battery technology over the last 4 years and the upcoming EVs in 2010-2012.
We don't need another carbon based fuel to fill the pockets of the crook Pickens is, there's been EVs made 100 years ago.
L3 2:31PM (12/20/2008)
I did mix a few technologies in my statement. I think that electric is a good move for ATVs and natural gas is smart for cars. That is unless oil falls to $36 a barrel. Whoops! There it is. I'll stick with internal combustion for automobile purposes.
As for natural gas vs. electric cars? Pretty similar if you ask me. Domestic natural gas and domestic coal to fire plants to make electric for your car. The only benny is that all the pollution is at the plant.
Let's stick to this article's focus, though. I'll say it again, if I had this electric ATV (I was dissapointed at the $15,000 price tag) I would charge it with solar, not off the grid coal-fired electric.
eb 6:43PM (12/21/2008)
Great job Barefoot. I think there are plenty of markets that could use an electric ATV because:
1) 20-30 miles of range is plenty for getting around most farms, resorts, and campuses
2) no noise and no pollution are great for livestock, crops, wildlife, and guests
3) golf carts and NEVs can't handle rough terrain and steep hills
4) maintaining a gas-powered ATV is messy, a hassle, unreliable, and expensive. Electric starts the first time, every time without messy fumes or exhaust and is simple to operate with very little maintenance.
Yeah, it's expensive, but unless we start mass-producing EV's like this, lithium-ion is gonna stay expensive. This is a start. Honda, Polaris, Yamaha, Suzuki, Artic Cat, etc. have all yet to start any electric ATV production, they are so far behind the ball.
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EJinID 1:49PM (12/22/2008)
These electric ATVs may be nice for warm weather climates, but what about the battery performance in cold weather areas. We live in an area that received 8" of snow last night and several people were using their ATVs to plow their driveways. Will battery powered ATVs provide us with the same reliability? Will their charge be reduced in the cold weather?
Either way, I don't believe we are at a point with this technology to be prepared for all the forseable uses people currently use an ICE for, but I do like seeing the progress that is being made.
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Magnum 11:23PM (1/29/2009)
The bigfoot is a pretty cool vehicle i would just like to see about twice the distance out of it. As a hunter what would be better out in the field but a silent vehicle that can get you into the rough areas. I was also thinking you could easily recharge it with a solar panel so refuleing can be done anywhere for nothing. Or you could have a second battery charging while you're using the other. As far as the cold it's a non issue they are building snowmobiles on the same concept and they were made to run in greenland and they work really well. Maybe a hybrid version may be the way to go as they are doing with the snowmobile. The gas engine is basicly a small generator to charge the battery. this can be accomplished with a relatively small very efficient engine.
PS: someone should ask GM what they did with the blueprints with the hydrogen powered turbine engine that creates the hydrogen on board from distilled water.