Tellurian Motors

Precursor

2011-08-05T13:01:00.005-04:00

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the PRECURSOR

In "Angular Momentum" I described a new concept that I called, at the time, 'Tellurian Targa'. Since then I've looked up the word, just to be clear of its origin, and was reminded that it's become a Porsche trademark. Decided to rename the concept quickly, just so the working name didn't get burned in my mind...

...But what to call it? To find an appropriate name, I thought it best to get it clear in my head just what the concept represented. What was it, really?

Well it's an electric vehicle, started out as a sports car with a targa roof but grew a covered bed, so technically it's a pickup. Hmm. No name there, at least nothing that doesn't sound contrived (or isn't copyrighted). Nothing alphanumeric sprang to mind either.

However this vehicle represents something very specific. It is being designed for the time we live in, where without access to free energy technology we are still relying on batteries -- and to achieve temporary extended range, we have to leave room for an onboard generator or extra battery pack. It also comes along before Tellurian Motors is established, but in anticipation of that future range of vehicles it is engineered with the free energy future in mind (for one, it does not use regenerative braking).

So. This concept is not only a precursor to the entity that will be known as Tellurian Motors, but a prelude (can't use that name either) to the future of electric vehicles in general.

As has happened so often in this blog, I'm posting without an image. This time it's because the form is still morphing in my mind. I don't want it to look like a pickup at all -- with the tonneau in place it will just look like a mid-motor sports car. The rear window is looking more and more like a wide slot, and I've decided to extend the flying buttresses all the way to the rear of the tonneau. It's also gotten less and less rounded, more angular, but not quite approaching the flat-panel look of my other concepts. It does share the slant above the beltline, though, and for a practical reason. The roof is narrowed in this way, to aid ingress and egress for such a low vehicle. The doors can hinge along this angle, flipping up and out, not 'scissor' but more 'butterfly'.

The front features a band of LED running lights that wraps all the way around the trailing edge of the bumper, separating it from the front decklid, fenders, and full bellypan, and incorporating the turn signals. This connects to vertically-stacked projector headlights behind rectangular lenses...

...and I just thought of this: Between the headlights, and between the LED band and the front decklid, is a rectangular panel that flips forward to reveal an area that houses the primary charging port and an extension cord.

For the rear I'm seeing a pair of red neon tubes backed by LEDs -- the neon comes on when the headlights do, and the LEDs only come on for brake lights and turn signals. These are mounted a bit low, in an opening below the tailgate and above the bumper, flanking the license plate. Reverse lights are largish round units centered behind and bisected by the tubes. Small round reflectors can be incorporated here, in the center of those tubes, and as seen from directly behind, centered on the reverse lights. All this is mounted on an exhaust grille for a bit of rear 'ground-effect' downforce ducting.

Also the front bumper has an opening for a downforce duct (housing nice little round yellow foglights), airflow exiting at the leading edge of the decklid.

Body will be GRP (glass-reinforced plastic), not the stainless steel of a true Tellurian. This means paint. For a signature colour, I'd like to match that curious blue that always seems to appear in solar panels -- and we might as well call it 'Curious Blue' (completely unrelated to Chrysler's 'Curious Yellow' of the early 1970s).

The vehicle has no mirrors, utilizing cameras and monitors instead.

Maybe you can't picture the Precursor yet, but I can, and writing about a concept in the way I have above actually helps quite a bit in my design process.

Not sure how soon images will be available, but I will post them here on the Tellurian Motors blog.

[UPDATE: Concept partially sketched, photo added (top) Tuesday August 30, 2011.]

Stay crunchy.

filsmyth

05August2011

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Angular Momentum

2011-07-29T18:03:00.008-04:00

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The Tellurian Targa

A couple of years ago I joined Local Motors, which is a venture in automotive crowdsourcing. Haven't entered any of the competitions, but have been active in the Rally, roadster, what next? forum thread...

The consensus seems to be that the next LM vehicle to be produced should be an electric sports car, and indeed the company is planning to engineer and build an electric platform soon. Before I learned of that, however, I got antsy and decided to put pencil to paper, sharing most of my quick, rough sketches in the thread.

Here is the latest:

'TELLURIAN TARGA'

Now of course I don't want to do anything for LM in Tellurian Motors' flat-panel design language, so this means I'm having to get used to drawing curves again...

Before this concept sprouted an 'open cargo area' it already had the removable roof panel and targa bar, and since my ID on the LM site is 'Tellurian', well, the vehicle sort of named itself.

The folding tonneau cover (which when folded, disappears below the rear window) is composed of 4 solar panels. These might not offer much charging capacity, but every little bit helps. Plus, the secondary charging point used by these can also be used by a small, ordinary generator that one might load up for use as a range extender on longer trips.

To be quite honest, I hadn't thought of the genset option until after I'd already decided on what is technically a small pickup configuration -- simply to increase cargo capacity. Some call this 'synchronicity'...

YES, I'm going against my own design ethos in a couple of ways by working on this concept -- it doesn't use flat panels, nor free energy...

...Not yet, anyway.

filsmyth

29July2011

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Bare-Bones Sophistication

2010-06-02T12:22:00.013-04:00

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As you may know, Tellurian Motors has been dovetailed, along with some of my other daydreams, into a work of fiction. The novel, Virtual Dreamer, is set in the near future -- and may or may not ever get written. Development is continual within my own mindspace, but abortive attempts at actual writing felt premature. A certain amount of pressure exists around this task, but only from within -- the day (or night, more likely) is imminent, when I'll finally jump into it and barely rest until it's finished...

...So what am I doing writing a blog, you may be wondering, while I have a novel to work on? Good question -- but it may (or may not) be part of my process (if I have one) to continue the conceptual development of vehicles that will be featured in the story. Without further ado:

TELLURIAN RUNABOUT

bare-bones sophistication

No, I still don't have images of the Runabout to share... Hang on, let me sketch something...

...Okay. My coffee didn't even get cold. Problem with sketching so quickly is that it's not very precise, and some things have been left out...

Let's start with those big round rallye lights. Maybe they should be set back a bit, within the frame -- and maybe they don't quite fit the futuristic theme, but let me explain:

Sure, you might expect a trapezoidal panel filled with LEDs here (and you wouldn't be wrong to), but the Runabout is to be the first-ever purpose-built Tellurian Motors vehicle (after an electric conversion or two) and as such will be extremely prototypical. Off-the-shelf components will have to serve as placeholders for bespoke items yet to be developed.

Also missing from the sketch is a cut line in the polycarbonate of the side-window/hatch area. Just imagine one running straight up from the back of the front wheel well to the top of the A-pillar (windshield frame). For a long time I thought there would be a (removable) one-piece hatch on each side, each with a little round access door, but now as I look at the sketch I think a 'vent window' or 'wind wing' approach makes more sense.

Remember? Okay, well maybe you've been in a car or truck that has a section of door window at the leading edge, that doesn't roll down with the rest. 'Back in the day', there were vent windows there, that pivoted -- very useful for catching a breeze, if you didn't have air conditioning.

Speaking of which, yes, the Runabout was originally conceived for the Bonneville Salt Flats -- so yes it DOES have A/C, quite powerful for a vehicle of its size, and mirror-tinted windows all around.

...So what do I mean by 'bare-bones sophistication'? Well for one this is, as you can see (wow, I finally produced a sketch), a very simple little vehicle, perfect for a first attempt at vehicle construction. However from its first inception it has been about comfort (a bit of escape from the heat and blinding reflected sunlight of the salt flats) -- and it can be used as a rolling testbed for various systems and applications.

The first example is likely to be very crude indeed, like a cross between a golf cart and a UTV -- but there is (if I may say so) a simple sophistication in the design itself.

As for its appearance in the novel, well, you'll have to wait...

filsmyth

June 2, 2010

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Deora III Goes 'Local'

2009-12-01T12:58:00.002-05:00

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Less than 2 months ago I discovered something called Local Motors, a new company that 'crowdsources' vehicles. They've developed an online community to share in the design process... How could I not join?

Struggled briefly with the question of which of my designs to throw into the ring. Figured it should be the one with the least family resemblance to other Tellurian Motors vehicles, so my Deora redux fit the bill. Plus, it's conceptually based on someone else's design, so there ya go. Check my profile page.

These sketches have not yet been uploaded to the Local Motors site, and I'm not sure they will be. The LM community is filled with amateurs (and a few professionals) used to seeing slick presentations and renders done with expensive 3D software -- and I've been pestered by a teenager and a twentysomething, both very vocal and opinionated.

The good news is that my participation on the site got me to become more serious about taking this particular daydream and transferring it to paper, then to the computer. It's all well and good to have something in your head, but the real development begins when you attempt to share your vision with others.

Where the orginal Deora show truck was a barely functional vehicle, lacking side windows and completely unusable as a truck, and the Deora II was a Hot Wheels design that was unbelievably interpreted into a full-sized and driveable
yet still completely useless spectacle, I approached Deora III from the beginning as a functional light truck.

It may not be the most practical truck, but most truck owners never use their vehicles to their full potential anyway.

Since both the Deora and Deora II Hot Wheels models included tiny plastic surfboards, I realized I should not ignore the surf connection -- and since not every surf spot has a nice smooth parking lot, Deora III ought to be able to drive right out onto any beach (and get back from it). Yes, that means it needs 4WD and appreciable ground clearance...

It also just about requires that it has some means of securing at least 2 surfboards -- and for this I've envisioned a twin set of removable, folding racks (that could be mounted in the bed of any pickup that has those square holes in the tops of the bedsides). Each rack would hold 2 boards and 'lock' in both horizontal and vertical positions. Need to carry more than 4? There's room under the racks, and a cargo net to keep them from sliding around too much.

You're absolutely correct if, while looking at my digital images, you think the bed isn't long enough. The sketches were done later, and show a longer wheelbase.

Any questions?

filsmyth
01December2009

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the Tellurian Coupe

2009-09-13T14:27:00.005-04:00

Made this sketch yesterday, after thinking about the design for a day or so. The Coupe is a 'Grand Tourer'...

What, you wanted more details? What's to tell?

filsmyth
13September2009

PS Another sketch was done, on video:

sketching with fil

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old news (Salamander)

2009-08-01T18:38:00.002-04:00

I rarely bother to put the date on my sketches, but on the other side of the sheet of paper I drew this on there is a strange 'END TEST' printout with a date in the middle of December 1997.

As stated in my last post here, one of the vehicle configurations I used to sketch in the mid-90s was the extreme-cab-forward pickup -- yes, before the Chip Foose-designed Deora II was released as a Hot Wheels model...

The main variation was quite large, and at some point it occurred to me that it was sort of like a boat for the land -- so, no surprise that I developed an amphibious version.

...But you ask, "Does this mean the Deora III is meant to be amphibious?"

In a word, no. However one could be configured in a very boat-like manner for land-based activities similar to what you might do on water...

And, why convert a land vehicle into an amphibious one? Better to design a vehicle from the start as amphibious, yes?

So, I could very well be sketching a new version of the Salamander soon -- larger than Deora III and with round wheel openings (into which the wheels will retract during offshore operation). It will be more of a boat with wheels than an amphibious truck...

filsmyth
01August2009

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Deora III or Salamander?

2009-07-17T00:18:00.005-04:00

Check this page:  http://onlineredlineguide.com/OtherRedlines_Deora.html

For about a decade beginning in the mid-Sixties, with roots going back to the mid-to-late Fifties, 'forward control' played a significant part in American automotive design.  With the advent of the Deora show truck, a few customizers went wild...

Ah, but then the issue of passive safety won over, and American automotive design went to shit in general, and forward-control went by the wayside...

Do I have to repeat myself?  If more of us were operating vehicles from ahead of the front axle, it would be more about active safety, as in making damn sure you don't run into anyone or anything else...

Well, brace yourselves.  Are you ready for a throwback / flash-forward?

Before sunset I was out on the porch sketching, and captured these images on the hood of my 1981 Cressida (AKA Defiant II, awaiting electric conversion).

Raw? Absolutely.

'Salamander' is a name I came up with in the 1990s for a similar vehicle that happened to be amphibious.

I have no affiliation with the Chrysler Corporation or with Mattel (Hot Wheels), so if my concept is to be called 'Deora III' it will have to remain fictional and/or be endorsed -- or, built after the Transition, none of that will matter.

Right?

filsmyth
17July2009

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this just in -- Deora III

2009-07-15T05:16:00.005-04:00

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Both of these sketches were done after midnight, so these are being posted much more quickly than anything seen here before...

Maybe you've heard of the Deora, a show truck based on a Dodge A-100, which made its debut in 1966. Maybe you've also heard of the Deora II, a Hot Wheels model that was later built as a full-sized, semi-functional concept vehicle...

Well, the other morning I was musing about what I eventually realized should be called the Deora III -- and it was only later that day that I remembered, while writing about it in an e-mail to a friend, that one of the vehicle forms I was fond of sketching in the 1990s was the 'extreme forward control pickup'.

Tonight I finally did a couple of rough sketches. My scanner apparently isn't compatible with my current operating system, so I used the same little pink camera that has served me well for stills and video of my carvings.

These images are as raw as you can get [Can you tell they were lit with a 40-watt bulb?]. I almost want to do another sketch right now, but...

Anyway what I have in mind is somewhere in between the two in proportion, and there are many details to be worked out -- and some things I have in my head that just don't show up in these quick sketches.

Powertrain? As with all other Tellurian Motors offerings, the Deora III is a 'free energy' electric. Mechanically and structurally, it's a variation on BRUTRUCK. Please reference earlier posts for details.

In the sketches there is the barest hint of my intention to incorporate sideways-chevron-shaped 'bumperettes' at each corner. You may be able to imagine head- and taillight arrangements very similar to others in the family, but inverted.

Seating in the cab is for two and two only, in bucket seats just far enough apart to squeeze between -- there is a disappearing 'midgate' at the back of the cab for access to the bed, flanked by glass 'flying buttresses'.

Back in the 90s, when I sketched similar (but curvy) trucks, the concept was that they could be used much like small pleasure boats, but on land. The Deora III features hidden benches in the bedsides, that can be folded out flat for sleeping, sunbathing, or...

Could this truck be amphibious? Maybe.

The original Deora was nuts. It wasn't practical, but it was cool. The Deora II wasn't designed to be more than a toy. The Deora III (if I may call it that) at least has side-opening doors...

Stay tuned (and yes, it's going in the novel).

filsmyth
15July2009

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Estate, et cetera

2009-07-06T22:30:00.002-04:00

Have I really not posted here since March?

The images above are supposed to have a transparent background, like some others seen on this blog. Maybe the fault is with Blogger, and maybe it's an issue unique to the Linux version of Firefox... It's annoying, but not the end of the world.

If you have been following along you can probably tell that the Estate is simply a wagon version of the Time Further Out sedan. These images were produced in April. I guess I've been busy with other things since then.

The Estate has a slightly higher roof than the TFO, and an elongated rear. It features seating for up to 8...

Each Tellurian Motors vehicle is built to spec, so it's up to the buyer to choose a swing-out or disappearing tailgate for his or her Estate. If you choose to include the rear-facing 'wayback' seats, bear in mind that the disappearing tailgate will seriously encroach on footroom while open, less so when closed.

...And now to the 'et cetera' portion...

Yes each Tellurian Motors vehicle is 'built to spec'. What this means is that beyond the production of prototypes as examples, all we can do is suggest options. Within reason, you can pretty much get what you want.

'Within reason'? There are things that go beyond the pale. It's an issue of taste, so we will gently refuse certain requests. If you want something that compromises the aesthetic value of any given Tellurian Motors design, you will either be talked down or influenced to look elsewhere.

Of course when Tellurian Motors vehicles will be built, it will be the beginning of a time when anyone can have anything, anything at all. Anyone is free to have a vehicle inspired by any one of our offerings built according to his or her own taste -- just please don't try to call it a Tellurian.

At Tellurian Motors we may or may not be using robotics wherever possible.

What?

I look at my designs and am quite certain that all of them can be built without the use of robotics -- and yet I've incorporated Tellurian Motors into the novel Virtual Dreamer, in which the main character has inherited his father's businesses, including 'Parkersburg Robot'.

Previously I've stated that Tellurian Motors will require no 'tooling' beyond frame jigs for each model -- but recently I've realized that a jig can be adaptable, even robotically so. One jig can be reconfigured as needed, and there is no reason the task can't be handled by robots.

Here I have to make the case for anthropomorphic robots, otherwise known as 'androids'. A robot built in the size and shape of a person will theoretically be able to perform the same tasks as an actual person, including the use of tools. Such a robot would be able to perform many more tasks than one built for a specific function. While task-specific robots are useful in mass-production, at Tellurian Motors we build vehicles one at a time, to spec. We may use a robotic welder, for instance, but that's a device that normally calls for human interaction...

It is quite possible that something as complex as a Tellurian Motors vehicle could be built from start to finish with no human involvement save the request and approval, up to and including delivery in the customer's driveway.

This is what we can expect from robotics.

More 'et cetera'? I have a design in my head for a van that will look very much the same from the rear as it does from the front. I have sketches, but no digital images to share at this writing.

Also I've been revisiting 'TMT' in my mind. The sketch posted here previously portrays a vehicle similar to an El Camino, Ranchero, or Australian 'ute'. While I like the simplicity and palandromicy of the designation 'TMT' (Tellurian Motors Truck), I've been considering the name 'Utruck'... Fine, I'll discard that.

My most recent thought about the TMT is that it should feature the option of rear-facing seats in the bed similar to what Subaru once featured in the BRAT...

Remember EXOVAN? I've been rethinking that as well. Expect considerable refinements.

Something else I've done is to rework an image of the BRUTRUCK into a BRUTRUCK Crew Truck, a four-door, shortened bed version. There is crappiness to that image that will have to be resolved before I can share it here.

It will be my extreme pleasure to be able to deliver Tellurian Motors vehicles to all who desire them -- but that's a long way off. Much more soonly will be their inclusion in the novel, Virtual Dreamer.

Stay tuned.

filsmyth
7/7/2009

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vehicles for planet Earth and beyond

2009-03-29T02:39:00.007-04:00

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TELLURIAN MOTORS
vehicles for planet Earth and beyond

Queso it doesn't really look like there's an actual banana-yellow Time Further Out parked on the salt flats. The shadow's all wrong, it's probably out of scale, there are no reflections, and there is no salt on the tires. It doesn't look real at all.

That's okay. Part of the reason I continue to pursue this design theme is that I want people who see my vehicles to question whether they're real. Each form is starkly angular, otherworldly. There are no doorhandles, no mirrors. The glass meets up flush with the body panels, even on the doors -- making the viewer think they might not open.

It's a little tricky, but the side windows open a bit like sunroofs and moonroofs do -- and when they're down all the way, they've disappeared without a trace...

Another part of the reason for the flat panels, as mentioned before, is ease of manufacture. All panels can be cut & folded using a press brake -- no need for stamping dies or laborious hand-forming. A frame jig for each model will be necessary for welding up the chassis from square and triangular tubing. Bodies and frames, ideally, will be stainless steel.

Paint is therefore an option. Customers might rather have brushed or polished, even engine-turned or etched, bare stainless.

One more part of the reason for this design theme is its uniqueness, and last but not least there is the challenge of subtly arranging angles and straight lines into pleasing forms.

Of course not everyone will be pleased by them. You want curves, look elsewhere.

You may have noticed there is no badging on my vehicles, not even a dot for one in any of my recent images. This is not an oversight. If there is a need for an emblem somewhere, it will look something like this:

Tellurian Motors vehicles are meant for the future, built to be enjoyed far into it. Each will be powered by a device that takes Aetheric energy and Converts it to Electricity (ACE).

What I call ACE devices should have become available beginning in the 1930s, but the technology has been suppressed -- heavily, and with extreme prejudice. This technology will be the key to the People of Earth gradually switching to a paradigm of abundance (Utopia, Heaven on Earth), and its 'release' is inevitable.

Dreams beyond avarice... I've always wanted to build vehicles of my own design, and it appears that in the future it will be my bliss to do so. I've never cared about money and will be glad to see it become a thing of the past...

Eventually, Tellurian Motors will provide other types of vehicles -- but I'm not ready to start designing flying saucers just yet.

filsmyth
29Mar2009

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BRUTRUCK Returns

2009-03-26T21:46:00.010-04:00

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BRUTRUCK (so named because it was the first to follow the Brubeck in this design theme) had its humble beginnings on Boxing Day 2004.

 A crude and primitive attempt was made to render it in a 3/4 view, and then it was put on the back burner (to simmer).  Much later I sketched the TMT (Tellurian Motors Truck)...  Wasn't sure I liked the old name anymore, but mostly I was trying to bring it up-to-date with the more refined style of flat-panel design I had come around to...

That crude 3/4 image did however prove to be a decent basis for reimagining -- and re-imaging, if you want to put it that way.

Early on I decided it would be powered by steam, in part because I wanted to be contrary.  Later I figured it could be a series hybrid with electrical storage and the option of removing the generator and leaving it behind (at a jobsite, to be used for powering tools while the driver ran an errand, for example).  The gen would be underhood, and could be anything that would provide sufficient power, easily replaced.

Down the line, I thought, a BRUTRUCK's generator (and electrical storage medium) could be replaced with a device that harnessed aetheric energy and converted it to electricity.  It's only a matter of time before 'free energy' technology is finally 'allowed'.  The thing is, I don't expect to be able to actually build any of my vehicles before that happens, except perhaps a Runabout prototype -- so now, all Tellurian Motors vehicles are conceived to run on aetheric energy.

...and so here it is (again), the Tellurian Motors BRUTRUCK, above in 'Metallic Denim', with no provision for a slide-out generator.  Under the hood instead are the...

...now hang on a minute, I've just coined a new name and acronym:  ACE, for "Aetheric (energy) Conversion to Electricity".  Nice thing to have up your sleeve...

...Under the hood instead are the ACE, HVAC equipment, computer/controller, the front pair of electric motors, electric power steering, and a shallow storage area on top.  Other storage is available behind the seat (BRUTRUCK has a bench, like any real truck should), in front of and above the rear wheel wells, and maybe in an in-bed trunk (if the spare tire can fit below the front of the bed, ahead of the rear pair of motors).

Yes, BRUTRUCK has all-wheel drive in the form of an electric motor for each wheel, as a standard feature.  Each can be disabled through the computer interface, if there is a problem with one of them -- or if you simply want to do some rear-wheel burnouts, or take your truck drifting.

It's been a long journey, but it is by no means over.  As with other Tellurian Motors concepts, BRUTRUCK will continue to evolve.

filsmyth
27Mar2009

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Brick / In Progress / Gecko

2009-03-22T03:09:00.006-04:00

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When I wrote "The Big, Fast Limo", I didn't have any images to share -- or so I thought...

These images are from a backup disc I'd forgotten about, from our old computer.  "In Progress", above, is from October of 2000, created in MS Paint.

Below is the Gecko, which was unnamed until I recoloured it in 'money green' (probably also using MS Paint).  We didn't have a scanner back in December 2002 -- my sketch was scanned by a friend and e-mailed to me.

In January of 2003, once again using Paint, I came up with the Brick:

It was -- trying to remember -- while I was an art major at WVU, in 1986, that I began redefining the limousine.  What started out as basically luxurious vans with a stagecoach layout evolved into truly monstrous concepts by sometime in 1988, after I'd finished my Army training and was settled down in my barracks at Fort Monmouth.

Soon I'll have to dig out and wade through all those sketches running through the '90s.  The 'express limousine' sprang onto the page in countless iterations -- along with many other vehicle forms...

The excess of that era likely played a part in my conception of such vehicles.  In recent years I've left the express limousine on a shelf in my mind -- but now I'm looking to a future of abundance, and it can find a new life.

Of course any new 'EL', if it's a Tellurian Motors product, will have to sport flat-panel design.  Rest assured, it's already forming...

filsmyth
22Mar2009

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The Brubeck 2

2009-03-20T00:45:00.009-04:00

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The original Tellurian Motors Brubeck, the very concept that spurred my signature design theme, was dated. Its lines were too crude, and it was to be powered by a pair of motorcycle engines running on propane -- one last salute to internal combustion. It lost something in being converted to electric...

As you may have read in a previous post, I've not only left internal combustion behind, but batteries (and even ultracapacitors) as well -- at least, as far as Tellurian Motors is concerned. Vehicles can now be designed without the concern of making room for a conventional drivetrain. Beyond that, we don't have to worry about the placement of a large and heavy battery pack, and there is no longer a need to make vehicles efficient, except for the sake of performance.

The full Tellurian Motors line is powered by aetheric energy, harnessed by devices no larger than the electric drive motors. Go ahead and call it science fiction if you like (for now)...

My sketches really don't do justice to the concepts in my head -- until I scan them and use them as the basis for digital imagery. It's a bit like using a ruler on a piece of tracing paper, and the result can appear radically different from the sketch.

...and then comes the opportunity to play around with colour.

[Click on these images to view the original sizes.]

When you look at the Brubeck 2, you don't have to wonder where the engine is: There isn't one. Instead it has a pair of electric motors, one for each rear wheel, between them. This is the simplest solution for good traction, especially when we have the luxury of using direct-drive. Two more motors could theoretically be added to the front, but this is a sports car.

Many Tellurian Motors vehicles will share a family resemblance, and this is certainly the case with the Brubeck 2 and Time Further Out. The front and rear treatments are quite similar -- in my head. You may be able to imagine the front of the TFO after looking at the Brubeck 2, and the rear of the Brubeck 2 after looking at the TFO. As much as I enjoy doing these renderings, you may not have to merely imagine for long...

filsmyth
vernal equinox, 2009

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further and further out

2009-03-19T02:04:00.008-04:00

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Sketches are rough, by definition -- but I can look at mine and be reminded of what was in my head when I put pencil to paper. Most everyone else just sees a rough sketch...

The curvy shapes I used to come up with were much easier to draw, so I would go beyond mere sketches. My flat-panel designs? Not so much.

This whole theme of mine began with an image manipulation program, so it makes sense to revive it using one...

First the sketch had to be rotated so that the beltline would be on the horizontal, just to make it easier for me to work with. I then started selecting polygonal areas in new layers and bucket-filling them with colour. Copied the wheels from another image of mine, pasted them as layers which were then skewed for perspective and size. The rest involved manipulation of mostly polygonal selections, a little airbrushing...

...and for the presentation, some text and a background gradient.  In the end I've completely covered over and obliterated the original sketch -- but its essence remains, and some elements needed to be revised.

Now of course the Time Further Out looks even more like the Aston Martin Lagonda by Sir William Towns, but as much as that car influenced this design, there are many differences to be found -- which will be obvious when they are parked side-by-side.

I've gained a lot of experience recently with the Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), and enjoy using it.  Finally, I can begin to share images of my designs that more closely resemble what's in my head...

filsmyth
19Mar2009

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Time Further Out

2009-03-06T01:29:00.004-05:00

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Nearly a year ago I posted about the Time Further Out...

This week it's been on my mind again. The sketch above is still fairly representative of the design, but there are refinements -- which I may post soon, along with a new sketch or two...

filsmyth
06Mar09

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Quartet

2009-01-24T00:09:00.003-05:00

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In the previous entry here I talked about the idea of using disappearing doors on an upcoming design. Well, I've had a few days to think about it, and sort of know what it will look like...

As my first flat-panel design was named after Dave Brubeck (since I was listening to his music at the time), and the Time Further Out is named after one of his albums, I looked to him again for inspiration in naming this latest design. The title of this post began as "the car with no name", and I thought it might stay like that as I reviewed the titles of his songs and albums...

...but I kept seeing the word 'quartet' -- and this car seats four, so there you go.

The Tellurian Quartet

Unlike most grand tourers (GTs), the Quartet is a true four-seater, not a 2+2. It has all-wheel-drive, thanks to electric motors front and rear. Click here and scroll down for an idea of where the power will come from -- on all Tellurian Motors vehicles.

I'm still not sold on designing it as a convertible, but we'll see. There could be a 2-seat roadster version (with flip-down hardtop), possibly called the Duo, but that almost cuts into the territory already occupied by the Brubeck...

Almost. Okay, I guess I can see the Brubeck remaining rear-drive only, and hardtop only, while the 'Duo' (for lack of a better name) will be larger and more luxurious...

The 'Duo' and Quartet will appear as fraternal twins, looking more like one another than anything else in the Tellurian Motors family and sharing more than a few components.

No, once again, I don't have any images to share (yet). However...

However I do plan to develop the Tellurian Motors website (yes it exists), the URL of which I won't bother to list for now, since there is next to no content at the moment. For one, developing the site will help make Tellurian Motors more real, assisting me with immersion into the fictional world of my novel, Virtual Dreamer. For another? I need to develop at least one website as an example of my ability to do so, for a chance to become a professional webmaster.

This needs to happen by the end of the quarter, so it shouldn't be long before you see a post here announcing the official launch of the site -- and, images of vehicle concepts will be important for that, so I'll be putting pencil to paper and paper to scanner more often.

Once again you may be asking if Tellurian Motors is purely fictional, or merely a fantasy. So far, yes, it's little more than a dream. Yes it will be included in the novel, along with Harmonic Conversions and Parkersburg Robot, which are other ventures I'd like to pursue in reality. I'm including my daydreams in the novel, and I must say they fell into it so easily, fit so perfectly, that it seems everything I've been imagining has led up to the writing of Virtual Dreamer. Perhaps sales will enable me to actually begin to build vehicles of my own design...

TELLURIAN MOTORS
vehicles for Planet Earth and beyond

Phil Smith
January 24, 2009

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Disappearing Doors?

2009-01-18T03:49:00.002-05:00

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Maybe.

Now listen: I said maybe.

Some of you will remember station wagons from the late Sixties and early-to-mid- Seventies with tailgates that disappeared behind the bumper, under the back of the car. Don't ask me why no one thought to do the same with passenger doors at the time... Maybe they did, but were shot down for various reasons, I don't know...

One consideration is the safety issue. If the electrical system fails, how will you get out? Okay, well, Tellurian Motors does NOT want to be responsible for anyone getting trapped in one of our vehicles, so I have (just now) thought of a solution: Forward of each door will be a crank, mounted flush to the outer wall of the footwell, with a fold-out handle. If you have your foot over that far, there'll be something spinning against it when your door is going up or down (so watch that it doesn't scuff your shoe). The mechanism will only work on the door itself, though, as the window is operated separately (but in concert with the door in normal operation). In such an emergency you will have to clamber out over the window, trying not to break it, but at least you will be able to exit.

Now you're asking which Tellurian Motors vehicle(s) might get these doors -- and that's a good question.

It becomes a packaging issue, since there has to be a cavity between the floor and bellypan large enough to accept the doors. This results in less headroom, so it's a tradeoff...

Had thought of redesigning the Time Further Out, but that's out.

No, but I'm leaving a slot open for a luxury coupe, a 'grand touring' (GT), yet to be designed. It may well resemble the TFO, and some customers may want to have one of each.

Added stiffness in the chassis (due to the double floor) is the element that convinces me this model should have a convertible variant -- or, maybe that this new model should be offered only as a (hardtop) convertible. Hmmm...

Stay tuned while I mull over the design, of a convertible GT with extra-long doors. Should it have a Targa top or be a true convertible? I'm thinking, full drop-top. I'm also thinking it will be more expensive than a TFO, and only the Electrum and EXOVAN (and built-to-spec limos) will cost more.

Actually each vehicle will be built to spec...

Okay, enough about this.

Phil Smith
My 42nd birthday, 2009

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The Big, Fast Limo

2008-12-19T00:10:00.003-05:00

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For a VERY long time now, and thanks in part to a certain amount of influence from the works of Syd Mead, I've sketched various versions of a purpose-built limousine -- and by that I mean a vehicle designed to be a limousine, as opposed to a stretched-out sedan.

The layout involves a cockpit forward of the front wheels, a passenger compartment with benches facing one another in the middle, and (back when I conceived the vehicle type) an engine between the rear wheels -- basically an updated stagecoach arrangement...

To be clear, and to remind you, I don't sketch very much anymore. I just checked, and it doesn't look like I've scanned any of my old pencilwork involving this vehicle type -- and I don't feel like opening the Pandora's box of all those old sketches just now. Sorry, but this means that once again I don't have an image to share.

An interesting thing has happened in recent years: Wheel manufacturers have been making them bigger and bigger -- not as big (yet) as what I used to put on my high-speed limos, but getting close. This has made me consider designing something meant to take something as 'small' as a 36" rim -- but with the envelope being pushed as far as it is, I could probably ask a tire manufacturer to supply rubber to fit a 48" rim (4 feet) or even a set measuring 60" (5 feet). Believe me, I used to draw them bigger than that...

Excessive? Absolutely -- but there are buyers for vehicles costing millions (of dollars, Euros, pounds, whatever). There's a market, and there's potential for profit. It's just that no one has offered this type of vehicle yet. With recent advancements in electric vehicle technology, owners won't even have to feel guilty about fuel consumption.

Just imagine, if you will, such a machine. The lines are that of a sports car, but it's much, much larger. You and your friends arrive in style, more than anyone has before. It looks like it would do 200mph between LA and Vegas -- and maybe it could.

Please hire a competent chauffeur.

Phil Smith

December 19, 2008

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Big Three Bailouts?

2008-12-04T00:22:00.002-05:00

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What's in it for US?

I have questions. Do you?

The 'Big Three' US automotive manufacturers, in order of viability Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, are asking for a government bailout.

Really?

We -- or, 'we' -- already bailed out several financial institutions. That was a big deal and very controversial, and now as 'we' slide further into a recession this other shit comes up, much more relevant to someone like ME, a lifelong automotive enthusiast who would like to one day build and sell vehicles of my own design.

Automotive manufacturers are failing, and asking for governmental grants.

To me this is bullshit. As for the bailouts of other corporations, yeah that's bullshit too -- but it's done and over with already. Plus, that whole deal is/was beyond my ken. I don't like math, don't comprehend why anyone thinks credit is a good idea, and the entire phenomenon of the stock market, to me, is an anomaly. These are people who make money by moving money around, and somehow they failed at it, and somehow it's vitally important to the economy that they don't suffer for their failure -- and you've lost me.

On the other hand we have corporations that produce a tangible product, and are failing. Okay, that means you're done -- and your corporation is done unless someone else wants to buy it and turn it around, different management, same name. I understand many Chinese investors would be interested. Court them, sell, take your money and retire somewhere. No?

The automotive landscape is littered with failed companies, many of which have been resurrected over and over through buyouts (especially in England, for some reason). Should it matter how large a corporation is, when it fails? Shouldn't those involved simply take their licks and move on?

Those at General Motors wanted to buy Chrysler, when Chrysler appeared to be in serious trouble. What the GM people apparently realized was that they were in trouble too... I guess there was a slew of conference calls leading to the Big Three's march on Washington... Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Again I say BULLSHIT. Are these people capitalists, or socialists? Maybe they switch back and forth depending upon their situations...

The United States of America is SUPPOSED to be a democratic republic -- yeah and I suppose a certain amount of socialism has crept in, not that socialism in and of itself is necessarily a bad thing, but if we are a democratic socialist republic we should know about it...

...and here's the thing: If we're going to participate in socialism, THE PEOPLE ought to benefit.

It's a simple concept. If the People's money is used to bail out a corporation, the People ought to gain a percentage of ownership in that corporation. Please tell me if you think that doesn't make sense.

Money from taxes goes to the government. Sure, the government decides what to do with it, but if it's invested in corporations, are we not all then shareholders? Shouldn't we be?

Look, I'm familiar with the argument. These particular corporations employ a lot of people, and their suppliers employ exponentially more. If they go down, a lot of people lose their jobs. But hey, that's capitalism. If you're leading a large corporation and you're too stupid to not back your shit up, a lot of people suffer -- and it's on your head. It's your fault for not having enough foresight, and you should know that you have a lot of apologizing to do for people who have lost their jobs -- unless...

...Unless you can arrange to sell your company to someone who can do a better job of managing it. This is where the Chinese could come in. They're ready. They're willing -- and they just might be able. It shouldn't matter, as long as they have the money (which they do). This is business.

But no, they have to fly into D.C. on their private jets and whine. Boo fucking hoo.

I personally don't give a shit if Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler all go down the tubes. I don't even give a shit about their employees, who thanks to their union make ridiculous salaries for jobs that don't require that much skill.

That's right, motherfuckers, I once worked in a cardboard box factory for minimum wage. If anything on an automotive production line is significantly more complicated and requires THAT much more skill, to legitimize those wages... Point is, automotive workers are overpaid, and that's part of the corporations' problem.

Don't get me started about unions. On some levels, they are quite useful in getting their workers a fair wage (and benefits, and working conditions) -- but some go too far.

Right now I'm cringing at the idea that, in trying to get my cars built, I'll come up against a union telling me how much my workers ought to earn, and what they can and cannot be expected to do, and so on and so forth. I've never had employees, but it seems to me they can decide for themselves what they are willing to do for a specific wage. After all, we live in a completely different age from the one in which unions were initiated.

I have digressed, and gone off on a rant.

Maybe letters to Congress can make a difference -- I don't know -- but seriously the People deserve something in return if their tax money goes to corporations. A friend of mine said:

"I think every US taxpayer (including the working poor who may or may not file but still sure as hell pay taxes)

should be given the choice of $10,000 in cash, stock options or a new efficient subcompact car.

"I am absolutely serious. Financial crisis solved, auto industry saved, environment helped, millions of new jobs created (as so many people would take the car)... Hell, think how many people would take the money and use it for education..."

Ask me, the automotive industry in the United States of America has been a dinosaur for decades. It's continually playing catch-up with imports, with mostly dismal results. This is a result of complacency. Apparently there exists a passel of executives who are extremely out-of-touch with the reality of the business of peddling merchandise. They have failed to provide customers with what they want, with enough of a profit...

The whole point of this post is to suggest that, if our government is to throw money at these corporations, this being taxpayer money -- the taxpayers ought to, if not have a say in it, at least get a percentage. What's that? My money is being given to GM? Do I get some stock?

Seriously.

Phil Smith

December 4, 2008

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Runabout

2008-12-02T05:48:00.003-05:00

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15 months ago I outlined a small vehicle concept that has been very much on my mind over the past couple of days. No, sorry, I still don't have an image of the Tellurian Runabout to share -- but I do have this shot of a Polaris Ranger (cropped from a screenshot of the Polaris website):

I'd like to use those rims, and the image gives you a rough idea of how small this vehicle is to be. Just imagine a trapezoidal frame -- of square steel tubing -- extending out past the wheels, and mirror-tinted windows filling in the spaces...

The Runabout has no body to speak of -- it's all greenhouse and exoframe above the wheels and black bedliner-coated 'tub'... William Towns' Microdot will help you visualize...

Speaking of visualization, I've perhaps been concentrating on this concept (which I see as the logical first Tellurian Motors offering) because I recently watched The Secret. I see myself with sudden money, able to afford to convert my '81 Cressida to electric while I order a Westfield XI kit (to build as an EV), pay off previous debts, find some suitable real estate, and get to building the first Tellurian Motors vehicle -- a Runabout.

TELLURIAN MOTORS

vehicles for Planet Earth and beyond

The Runabout makes sense as a first because of its relative simplicity -- not to mention its otherworldly, even post-apocalyptic appearance. It should make a splash and make people ask what's next. Plus, well, it is to be an electric vehicle that meets a lot of drivers' daily demands -- traversing less than 100 miles in a day alone or with one passenger, with little cargo, at speeds which do not exceed 25 miles per hour (making it registerable as a Low Speed Vehicle, or 'LSV').

The way I imagine it, it could certainly exceed 25, and an owner could enter a 'cheat' into its central processor to disable the limiter -- or simply select an 'off-road' mode...

And, hey, it would be attractive to some buyers as simply an electric UTV...

You know what? I really don't care how marketable the Tellurian Runabout -- or any of my other concepts -- may be. I just want to create, and as a lifelong automotive enthusiast and amateur automotive designer I see a niche for every vehicle I conceptualize. Much more than that, I'd just like to be able to drive the things I dream up. Automotive design, to me, is the ultimate in 'performance art'.

Deal with it.

Phil Smith

December 2, 2008

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Electric Lotus Land

2008-11-24T18:23:00.002-05:00

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A few months ago I may have seemed to have been drooling like a teen over the Tesla Roadster. Yes, it's impressive, and no doubt it has inspired many. For that matter, I'd still like to have one -- but I'd rather have an Aptera, if I had to choose...

The Tesla Roadster is about as close to an electric Lotus as you can get, considering the level of involvement Lotus had in its development -- and that Lotus indeed builds most of each Roadster in England, then ships the 'gliders' to California for final assembly. It was also, more or less, the newest Lotus and the first entirely new Lotus (with the exception of a few specialty models) since the Elise was introduced in 1996...

...but this year Lotus has unveiled the Evora. Much as I may have wanted an Elise, the Evora is much more 'civilized' and quite lovely (except for its taillights, which could and would be modified, just as those on the TR would be, if I owned one -- don't ask me why Lotus can't seem to design nice taillights these days)... I'll take one in Isotope Green, please, with a Paprika interior...

HOWEVER.

I can't see myself spending that much on a new car. The old saying, "They don't build 'em like they used to," still rings true. As far as I'm concerned there have been very few decent automotive designs put into production since, let's say, the mid-Seventies. This is from a purely aesthetic standpoint, of course, and being surrounded by late-model vehicles every day tends to soften that opinion, but I stand by it.

Blame the government. Beginning in 1974, all new passenger cars sold in the United States of America were required to have bumpers that could withstand a 5mph impact with 'no' damage. Near as I can tell, this (and horsepower-sapping smog regulations) made all the talented American designers give up. I figure some of them found other creative outlets, while others found drugs and alcohol. They certainly don't seem to be around to teach the latest generation.

Vehicles simply shouldn't be designed to crash. You should look at your car and be able to appreciate the art of it. When considerably more time has been spent making sure it meets safety regulations than goes into making it beautiful, something is wrong. Of course things have changed, and we can have beauty and safety wrapped up in the same package -- theoretically.

In practice, it hardly ever works out. Many a gorgeous concept has been transformed into a mediocre production vehicle. The classics are classics not just because they're of a certain vintage; They are of superior design, aesthetically.

SO.

So if I had the money to throw at a new car, I'd rather buy an old one and convert it to electric. Even better, I'd like to build one of my own design (and yes, that's what this blog is supposed to be about).

Okay, but if I'm gonna do that, let's take a few well-thought-out steps toward that goal. First, yes, convert an existing car to electric. I already have a candidate languishing out on the street... Rather than jumping from that straight into an original build, though, let's take an intermediate step and assemble a component car.

The Westfield XI is a reproduction of the Lotus Eleven, a Frank Costin design and one of the most beautiful things, in my humble opinion, to ever hit road or track.

You will no doubt have your own opinion. There are a number of other kits I could go with -- and maybe I would, after this one.

Anyway, in a nutshell, an electric Westfield XI is my idea of an electric Lotus. One could be built at a fraction of the price of a Tesla Roadster...

Phil Smith

November 24, 2008

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Adaptation

2008-07-29T04:29:00.006-04:00

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Technology keeps marching along, and the atmosphere for 'alternative' technology keeps getting better.

I could have been designing my vehicles, all along, with 'free' energy in mind. I knew it was there, knew it was real -- but also knew that people weren't ready for it.

I talked about the latest in battery technology, then switched over to that very promising development -- ultracapacitors -- after seeing evidence of them as being tangible. Through all this I knew that, eventually, there would be devices that would produce electricity more or less out of thin air. Only small amounts of electricity, if any, would need to be stored.

Any electric vehicle could be upgraded to take advantage of these developments, and that's one reason I swung up onto the electric bandwagon.

A couple of guys in Australia have managed to come up with a viable, reliable, and mass-producible 'over-unity' system. It's a magnetic motor pressed into service as a generator. It works. Give it a kick-start and it will power your house. No, seriously. Buy one of these and you won't need to be on the power grid (though you may still want to, so you can sell the excess to your local utility).

People have been tinkering with this idea for years, but it has been met with skepticism from two fronts. Not only is it a 'perpetual motion machine', it is also an 'overunity device' -- so, to conventional thinking, it's doubly impossible.

You just can't do that. No, no. NO.

Any sense in arguing? Just prove them wrong.

Eventually there will be more elegant (solid-state) devices that output electricity with little or no input, but what we have NOW, after all these years of suppression, is the magnetic motor/generator -- let's call it MMG for short -- and it will do nicely.

The good news is that we no longer need to worry about storing X amount of electricity onboard a vehicle. No large and heavy battery packs, no massive banks of ultracapacitors -- and range is now unlimited. The bad news? Quite frankly I don't see any for Tellurian Motors, except that we will have to wait in line with the rest of the world to acquire these devices -- which is preferable to having to negotiate with Zenn for the rights to use the ultracapacitors made by EeStor (see previous posts).

The emergence of the MMG may spell bad news for many, but no, certainly not for Tellurian Motors -- and it is unequivocally good news for Tellurians (AKA Earth Humans).

As the sole designer for Tellurian Motors, I will be taking on the task of adapting our range of vehicles to carry MMGs. Since each model exists mostly in my head, this is easy as pie. I could design them to accommodate smaller, lighter (solid-state) systems, but I like them to reflect the technologies that are or will soon be available -- tangibly futuristic, if you will.

One thing about powering a vehicle with 'free' energy is that you really don't have to worry about aerodynamics, unless you want to go faster than anyone should think of going on public roads. Use all the energy you want -- or at least, all your systems can handle. Efficiency is still important, but we won't need to bang our heads together trying to make our vehicles slip through the air like so many flightless birds. Weight's not an issue, either. Both curb weight and aerodynamics will continue to be important for performance, of course...

What will emerge (again) as the most important aspect of vehicles, in my estimation, is STYLE. Sure, being stylish can mean using recycled and/or organic materials... Do aluminum and leather count? In any case, I think the public will find themselves ready for my angular designs.

The future, as I've said, is electric, and that becomes more and more evident as new technology is developed. We will adapt, and our world will be transformed.

Phil Smith
July 29, 2008

Update: I've noticed a scrolling message on the Lutec site that reads, "Product release date postponed indefinitely due to possible Transfer of Technology negotiations". Not sure what the means, except that we now have no idea when the LEA will become available... Argh.

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Driver's Ed

2008-07-09T04:26:00.002-04:00

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Prepare yourselves, for I'm about to rant.

While I'm come to accept that people (in general) are stupid, every day when I go out on the streets I see them doing things that get me agitated.

Fairly often, when they do these stupid things behind the wheel they are also talking on handheld cellphones -- which is a stupid thing to do in and of itself, especially when the damned thing is in the left hand, making the use of a turn signal rather difficult... Argh. Hang on, now...

I've realized that, in order to be a better driver myself, I have to try to keep these things from getting to me. The act of complaining to my passengers, I can see, represents the very kind of distraction that we all need to avoid. Now that I think of it, when I'm driving by myself I may mutter a bit, but I don't go on and on to myself about whatever act of vehicular stupidity I've just seen...

What I need to do, and what everyone should do, is to look at the streets and highways as a battlefield. Be aware of every potential threat, use your best strategy -- and don't complain about it. The bad drivers are GOING to be there. They don't have a clue how easily they could maim or kill someone, so we must treat them as hazards.

You might find yourself in the turn lane in the middle of a seven-lane street, waiting for a break in traffic so you can turn left -- only to have someone in the near lane stop to let you through. This is someone being a dumbass, while trying to be nice. You can't see well enough past the line of traffic behind that person's vehicle to know whether it's safe. You could try to wave that person on, but from my experience it's better to flip your turn signal stalk upward, signalling right instead of left, and merging back into traffic to try again at the next left. The driver trying to be courteous simply doesn't realize how hazardous it may be for you to go on and make your left turn. I can't tell you how many times I've had to deal with this exact situation at Murdoch and West Virginia Avenue here in Parkersburg. ARGH! Just GO! I can wait!

[continuing, ~5 days later]

There is a four-way stop on West Virginia Avenue that wasn't always there -- but the change was made several years ago. Twice in one week, this summer, I witnessed people blowing right through that stop sign as if it didn't exist. One of them, I can tell you for certain, was holding a cellphone when she did it. I've been noticing more and more people running red lights, too -- so now more than ever, I look before starting to cross an intersection.

Back in May, over on my Phil's Mythos blog, I made a post called The Cellphone Number of the Beast, which I concluded with "I just wish they had the sense not to drive under the influence of microwaves." The town of Belpre, across the river in Ohio, passed an ordinance quite a while back against the use of hand-held phones while driving. I don't know how many of our States have banned the practice, but as of July 1st it is illegal in California, punishable by a $100 fine. How long do I have to wait before it is illegal here in West Virginia?

Please, if there is anyone reading this who talks on a cellphone while driving, STOP. If you absolutely must, please at least hold it in your RIGHT hand so it doesn't get in the way of making turn signals. If your car has a manual transmission, you really have no business trying to use a handheld while driving anyway.

A big part of the problem in THIS country is the ease with which people acquire (and keep) driver's licenses. As with all too much else, it's dumbed down. Neither the written test nor the driving test is very challenging, and no one is required to undergo ANY kind of instruction. To renew your license, you merely need to show up and pay a fee, and get a new picture taken -- unless you're above a certain age, in which case they might check your vision.

We might as well not require licenses at all.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go out there and drive a bit, even though I've already had a few beers (and will likely have more at my destination). No matter how many I have, as long as I feel I can handle the task I know I'll do a much better job of driving than the vast majority of people out there -- especially the ones talking on cellphones.

Argh.

Phil Smith
July 14, 2008

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Wheels of Confusion

2008-07-06T05:09:00.004-04:00

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It's not unusual for me to borrow a song title for a blog post. In this case, if you were wondering, it's one from Black Sabbath...

If you've been reading my Phil's Mythos blog, you're more up to date. You know about the Brubeck 2, and more than before about ultracapacitors...

Here's the thing:

While the oily stranglehold has us looking for alternatives, someone with inside knowledge is preaching to us on video about those who really rule the world -- and that they are keeping a mind-bendingly massive oil reserve secret.

Have you heard anyone talk about America's 'strategic oil reserves'? Turns out, the real strategy is to stay quiet about just how much oil is there, ready to tap and send down the pipeline, on Alaska's North Shore. Enough to supply us for 200 years, the former chaplain says.

WELL. That changes our outlook, doesn't it? Within the next decade, I personally predict that all such major secrets will be revealed...

Of course, electric vehicles will still be significantly more efficient -- but there will be far less pressure to convert existing vehicles. By the time the secret is revealed, however, I expect (and hope) that manufacturers worldwide will be offering full-electric vehicles as a complement to, if not in place of, their internal combustion and hybrid vehicles...

...and yes, progress continues. Ultracapacitors will soon eliminate electric vehicles' range issues.

For that matter, there are suppressed technologies that could have everyone who is anyone flitting about in 'flying saucers' within half a decade...

...but I digress. Maybe there's a silver lining here.

Shortage or no, we've been spurred to look for ways to use less oil. WHEN the secret of our vast reserves has been spread globally, we will already be well on our way.

What then?

It would make sense for automotive manufacturers to continue switching production over to all-electric vehicles until -- eventually -- internal combustion engines are no longer used for new vehicles. Things don't always make sense...

...but I think they will, more often, in the near future.

Meanwhile, Tellurian Motors remains no more than a daydream. Along with a few other daydreams, though, it will be featured in the novel I'm writing. Never fear; No matter how successful the novel is, I will still dream of building my own cars. Count on it.

Phil Smith
July 6/7, 2008

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THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC

2008-04-05T03:00:00.002-04:00

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Humor me if I repeat myself here and there...

There is a component being developed, called the 'supercapacitor' 'ultracapacitor', that is about to revolutionize the automotive industry -- and doubtless many other industries -- by replacing batteries with something much better.

One could say it's a bit of a shame that ultracapacitor developer EEStor is partnered with Canada's Zenn Motor as opposed to, for a couple of examples, California's Aptera Motors or Tesla Motors, but then there's something to be said for being associated with a firm that delivers an affordable product. Let's just hope Zenn's 'highway speed vehicle' is blessed with better styling than their current, low-speed offering -- but I digress...

Capacitors store electrical energy. They can be charged quickly, and can discharge quickly. A super- or ultracapacitor is capable of storing much MORE energy. The quick charging time of capacitors was undoubtedly part of the inspiration for developing capacitors to 'super' and 'ultra' levels. Someone must have thought, "Hey, if the performance of capacitors can be significantly increased, they could replace rechargeable batteries -- and outperform them!"

But, creating something in a laboratory is one thing, and mass-producing it and offering it to the public is another thing altogether. And, if you've got something with this kind of potential, you'll want to keep your cards close to your chest. So, we'll have to wait and wonder, while the general public remains completely in the dark -- and manufacturers relying on battery technology officially dismiss the idea as fantasy.

Now, let's just suspend disbelief for a moment. If this new type of energy storage system can do what they say it does, batteries will soon be relegated to history. While it remains to be seen how much more quickly they will charge as compared to batteries at the input power level we're used to, a high-voltage, high-amperage system could fully charge an ultracapacitor-equipped electric vehicle in about five minutes (so they say).

What this means for the automotive industry, ultimately, is the abandonment of the internal combustion engine. When electric vehicles attain the kind of range we've come to expect, coupled with charging times quick enough to mimic refueling times (and once enough charging stations are in place), why would any vehicle manufacturer want to stick with internal combustion?

Early adopters will no doubt face a bit of a challenge, but let's just say for the sake of argument that at 220 volts, ultracapacitors will charge in about half the time as lithium-ion batteries. That becomes very significant when you're talking about a partial charge, and a 220-volt home charging station is a relative cakewalk to wire up.

I really have no idea what the specs are, or will be -- but for that matter almost no one does. You'd have to ask the scientists, engineers, and technicians involved. Expect them to be sworn to secrecy for a while, though, maybe for as much as a year. It could be that their systems' performance will outstrip early claims right out of the box. Then again, those estimates might not be met or surpassed for a while yet. And, who knows how much these systems will cost...

Right now, even if you have to scrounge up a used forklift motor and buy a truckload of golf cart batteries, it makes sense to convert an existing car to electric. There are more and more conversion specialists going into business, if you're not up to doing the job yourself.

Me, I'd open a place called 'Harmonic Conversions' and have my mechanics wear overalls with QUANTUM embroidered on their backs...

It would be, will be, completely natural for some of these conversion outfits to begin offering original product. Some may order kits to assemble for customers, as electric replicas / enhanced versions of classics. Others will no doubt go a step further, and roll out their own creations. Existing kit car manufacturers will likely begin to offer electric power options.

For that matter, there have already been kit car customers who intended from the beginning to install batteries and electric motors instead of fuel tanks and gasoline engines, dating way back to the early days of kitting.

Where does Tellurian Motors fit in? Well, I don't want to have to deal with government regulations more than I have to. Many kit car companies manage to offer turnkey vehicles, by separating component sales from assembly fees -- and some even manage to refuse to sell kits without assembly. This is a loophole I'd like to exploit, should I manage to reach the point where I'm not just building my designs for myself and a few close contacts. I wouldn't have to sacrifice any complete rollers to crash-testing, or lower myself to including airbags (which are never necessary if occupants are properly restrained and the vehicle is well-engineered -- or for that matter, if you're smart and diligent enough to avoid a serious collision).

Don't get me started about government.

The major manufacturers are about to be caught out. Hybrids? They're all proud of themselves for offering parallel hybrids, while plug-in series hybrids are much more efficient. Beyond that, any series hybrid is easily converted to pure electric. What are they thinking? They won't be able to switch over quickly enough.

No, they never should have 'killed' the electric car. Had they continued with their programs, they could have avoided being shown up by the much smaller companies that have since sprung up to (partially) fill the void.

We want electric cars, and we want solar panels. We want to rid ourselves of our dependence upon the enormous corporations that provide us with fuel and electricity. Will this level of liberty be allowed?

I say YES.

The times, they are a-changin'. The end of the world, as we know it, will not be a bad thing. Never mind political and/or social influences -- technological advances will have enough effect on their own. Sure, behind the scenes there has been a development that will assure that technology is no longer suppressed, but the vast majority will never know about it until their children and grandchildren tell them, wondering how they could have missed it.

Tellurian Motors, if it ever exists outside my own mind, will be building "vehicles for Planet Earth and beyond". They'll be rare, and sought after by discerning individuals, and powered by the latest technology available. If at some point I have to start designing flying saucers, so be it.

Stay crunchy.

Phil Smith
April 5, 2008

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heretic

2008-03-25T16:07:00.005-04:00

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~*~ heretic ~*~

The words 'heretic' and 'heresy' are derived from a Greek word meaning 'to choose'. Why it should ever have been considered so heinous to choose what to believe is beyond me, but heresy is still considered to be a bad thing, and a heretic a bad person. Proud to be one myself, but never mind that...

Last October I posted about rods & customs, and gave a brief overview of a rod concept I call the Rumbler. I finally settled on a powertrain layout for it recently -- a pair of Ford flathead V8s in tandem...

So what about an electric hot rod? Well, if that's not heresy, I don't know what is. From its genesis, the hot rod scene has been centered around loud V8s. At its core, however, it was always about performance and style -- and the rod I'm about to describe is no slouch in either category.

Yes, it's very 'different' to shorten a 1934 Ford body by cutting out the cockpit, leaving the rumble seat as the only space for driver and passenger, but I've had another idea for a 1934 Ford five-window coupe all along (hey, I like the '34). It involves chopping & channeling the body, but only forward of the rear deck -- until, in fact, the roof is at the same level as the rear deck.

This is very different indeed, a 'choice' that I'm not aware of anyone else having made. While many have chopped & channeled their rides down to waist level, none of them (that I know of) have left the rear deck up in highboy territory.

Is there room? Fair question -- but by moving the firewall significantly forward and placing the electric motor directly in front of the differential (eliminating the driveshaft tunnel), we gain much space to make up for what is lost with the chop & channel. With a quick-change rear end, the final drive gear can be switched several times until the 'right' one is found for direct-drive (no transmission -- reverse by switch, turning the motor in the opposite direction).

Most cars of that era have fabric inserts in their roofs, and most rodders fill in that space with steel. A lot of those who have done extreme chop & channel jobs, on the other hand, have simply left the space open. The shape of the Heretic's body lends itself to the adoption of a soft, retractable roof inspired by that of a Citroen 2CV.

The Heretic will feature a fully independent suspension, cycle fenders all around (can't go fenderless here in West Virginia), and Halibrand magnesium wheels. Bumpers, front and rear, will be cut-down '64-'67 Stingray items. The grille shell will NOT be cut down, but laid back and filled with a yellow-tinted plastic panel, behind which will be some very powerful auxiliary lighting. I haven't settled on headlights and taillights yet.

There are wonderful little chrome steps that used to be fitted to the rear of cars with rumble seats, to aid ingress/egress. The Rumbler will have these, and I should be able to find space on the Heretic for them -- to allow driver and passenger to drop into the car through the open top more easily.

Paint? The Heretic should be the colour of dried blood, so deep a red that you might at first think it's black, but with a rich pearl to nearly always give a hint of sanguine -- and a little ground glass (blue) thrown in to further confuse the eye and generally make the car look that much more wicked.

Interior should be leather, in a hue I'd like to call Blueblood Blue.

That interior, it must be said, will be tight. There is barely room in this beast for batteries. Luggage space is nil. Plus, as with any electric, range is an issue. Both of these problems are solved with a teardrop trailer, fitted with a generator so that it can double as a 'pusher'.

A 'pusher' is a trailer-mounted generator that effectively turns an electric vehicle into a series hybrid. The Heretic's pusher teardrop will have a pair of large propane tanks, and will feature matching Halibrands and cycle fenders -- paint and interior to match as well, of course... Sleeps 2, grill out back...

The name has been used before, on other vehicles, but a quick Google search shows nothing called Heretic in the 'traditional' hot-rodding vein.

I know I should be spending my energy elsewhere, but this concept has been nearly all I can think about -- since last night, when it crept up on me like a...

Like a hairy tick? Yeah, I might airbrush a small one on its rump...

Phil Smith
March 25, 2008

UPDATE

Almost immediately after posting I knew I had more to say about the Heretic...

For one, Blueblood Blue is a colour determined by the hue of undyed, chromium-tanned leather. It's an odd fact that a significant portion of the leather you'll see has been dyed to look natural, after having been turned pale blue by the chrome process. I've always liked that colour, and see no reason to have the leather dyed. It will be oiled, yes, and that will darken it a bit -- and then that hue will be picked up a few shades darker for the carpet, retractable top section, and frame rails.

Yeah, earlier I hadn't thought about the colour of the frame rails. I don't generally come up with hot rod concepts... While I'm at it I should mention that I'm (now) thinking of simulated chrome powdercoat for the Rumbler's rails...

The headlights, I've now realized, should be mounted on stalks to ride up above the level of the grille shell and hood. They should also be, not sure what they're called, those buckets with turn signals incorporated on their tops, powdercoated the same Blueblood Blue 'suede' as the frame rails.

I'm also going to have to add a roof rack. The Heretic is very much in the mid-Sixties style of rodding, and should be able to carry at least one old-school longboard.

One other thing I didn't mention is that the Heretic is to have a full belly pan, likely of bare aluminum. Oh, and one of the reasons I want to use a five-window body has to do with character lines. The rear-quarter windows will be flipped upside-down, so that the bead lines will meld smoothly.

I fully realize that much of this post will read as nonsense to those unfamiliar with 1934 Fords, not to mention rodding and customization in general. It's certainly not lost on me, either, that the entire subject may seem at odds with what one may assume is the subject of this blog -- new concepts for a new car company...

Well, you've got to have a sense of history. The Rumbler and the Heretic, then, may be seen as preludes to entirely original designs. The basic concepts for both of them, if you can believe it, date back to the 8th grade, 1980/81. Thing is, in this genre I've seen a boatload of incredible creativity -- which has inspired me to be creative myself, within these particular parameters.

So yeah, among the vehicles in my ultimate fantasy garage are a few show-winning hot rods, pure flights of fancy. They share space with a few unmolested classics, some mild kustoms, and a bevy of original Tellurian Motors creations...

March 29, 2008

UPDATE 2

~ ULTRACAPACITORS ~

As mentioned previously in at least one of these blogs of mine, Zenn Motors is working with the highly secretive EEStor and hopes to release a vehicle powered by ultracapacitors by Autumn 2009.

Ultracapacitors change the game. Suddenly there are no issues with range and recharge time, and there are no excuses. The obvious choice for power will be electricity. Recharge stations will quickly become ubiquitous, and people will be buying electric cars as quickly as they can be built -- and converting existing cars as quickly as they can get their hands on ultracapacitors.

It's easy to forget ultracapacitors exist, as they're still in development and many within the electric vehicle community consider their viability to be a myth -- so as I was writing about the Heretic I was only considering currently available technology.

While I would still like to pair the Heretic with a teardrop trailer, and having a propane-powered generator onboard is still a good idea, you can see that it becomes less necessary.

Did I forget to mention solar panels? Onboard solar panels will make more sense when they are charging ultracapacitors instead of batteries. Using even a small solar array, your vehicle will effectively recharge itself -- at a much slower rate, of course, but hey, it's 'free'.

As someone who has more or less kept in touch with automotive developments for 30 years, I find it a bit disheartening to see little mention of the coming electric revolution in the pages of automotive publications (which I now read online). They report on concept vehicles, certainly, and the ongoing efforts of established manufacturers -- but as a group, they could be called 'clueless'.

Here's looking forward to a story by Winding Road about the Aptera...

April 4, 2008

UPDATE 3

The other night, something unusual happened. I drew a hot rod...

Some things to bear in mind: I don't draw nearly as much as I used to; I have never been much of one to draw what I can see, except what I see in my head; This was done without any images of '34 Fords for visual reference -- from memory...

There are a lot of things left out, in this sketch. For one, I completely forgot about the roof rack and the old-school longboard strapped to it (a fun feature, but one that can always be added later, unless I choose not to). You don't see any frame horns poking out in the front, and that's not because they're neatly tucked in. No split front bumper, no suspension bits, and I didn't even finish the cycle fenders. Well, this is the difference between a sketch and a rendering...

Sketches are for development work. After a few more, maybe I'll do a drawing...

One feature that was developed during this sketch was the 'hardtop'. Window frames are cut out of the doors and welded to the body, the rear-quarter windows are flipped over and swapped side-to-side -- and the 'posts' are removed. Thus, the character line running the full length of the stock body is married to the one around the windows -- where the line comes down from above the windows to join the full-length line on the stock body, here that line is no longer full-length. Follow it from the rear and it extends to the windshield; From the front, it goes along the door as usual, but then it sweeps up behind the rear-quarter window.

Those rear-quarter windows, fixed in place on the stock body, now retract. Instead of rolling down, though, they may pivot from a point below the leading edge. There's your hardtop window treatment.

...And there's your heretical electric hot rod. Eventually there will be a 'final' configuration, but until then many details are subject to change...

Phil Smith
April 8, 2008

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Time Further Out

2008-03-10T15:47:00.004-04:00

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This is just a quick-and-dirty sketch from the other night, but (maybe) you get the idea...

Phil Smith
March 10, 2008

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anticipation

2008-03-04T02:47:00.002-05:00

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You're just gonna have to wait.

Oh, I can see them, in my head, all the amazing vehicles I've posted about here, and more...

Do you have any idea how much I want to drive the Rumbler, that '34 Ford roadster shortened by the removal of the cockpit? Yeah, that's right, you open the rumble seat, raise the windshield, and climb in. Closed, the thing just looks like automotive sculpture, the only clue that it's more than that being the chrome handle on the lid -- and that's a clue just for those who know what a rumble seat is, and have enough imagination.

I'd paint it a dark reflective blue, of course... You want more details? Too bad. I'm keeping them in my head.

I still (or again) want the Brubeck to sport a pair of Kawasaki ZX14 engines, running on propane. Electric version later, sure...

I'd still love to resurrect the Checker Marathon/Taxi, as a business venture -- because no other vehicle could serve the purpose better than a Checker, and people still relate to that form as what a taxi should look like. Give it a body made from recycled plastic, a chassis capable of meeting modern safety standards, electric motivation, and a few styling tweaks by yours truly, and there you go. Build it in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as the original was. Put a lightweight shell on a monster truck chassis and call it 'Monster Taxi', for promotion...

Time Further Out? DUDE! You have no idea. This is a premium sedan, luxurious and sporty, done in my signature flat panel style -- in stainless steel. Yes, vintage jazz fans, the 'TFO' is named after a Dave Brubeck album -- and promises to be just as revolutionary.

I'm still struggling with how it will ultimately appear. It has to be the most elegant thing anyone has ever seen, and at once timeless and futuristic, so it's a tough assignment.

See, I'm not any closer to being able to afford, well, anything. I can carve 'utensil art' from wood I already have on hand, and I can write. All I really need, beyond the basics, is something to work with -- a creative outlet or two, or a few...

The carving brings me deep satisfaction. I swear, when I look at the finished pieces, even though I can recall every step of the process I can scarcely believe I had anything to do with such beauty. I remain in awe.

Writing? Well, I'm finally confident enough in my level of life experience and my writing skills, to be working on a novel.

The carvings are gifts. I could never put a price on them. The novel, well, it's probably also a gift -- but I do expect a lucrative publishing contract.

With book money, maybe I could build a car or two...

Meanwhile I have little time to be even writing about my automotive concepts, except within the novel. I certainly can't be expected to sketch them (or to resist, should the urge strike me) or hunt down a free CAD program. Rest assured, some of my concepts will be described as actual rolling stock, in print.

Phil Smith
March 4th, 2008

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SORCERER / TMX

2008-01-15T04:09:00.000-05:00

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A while ago over on Fated to End Sometime I mused briefly about this small 4X4 concept, for which (I thought) I finally had a name, or at least a designation: TMX. Maybe the 'X' stands for 'cross-country', or maybe it's short for 'Tellurian Motors eXtreme'; It hardly matters, since while I was writing that short piece I came up with 'Small, Off-Road Capable, Environmentally Responsible Electric Roadster', or SORCERER.

As for the 'Capable' part, this vehicle is designed to rock-crawl with the best of its class -- out-Jeeping the Jeeps, out-roving the Rovers, out-cruising any Land Cruiser, and, if you'll excuse me, out-humming the Hummers (including their new HX concept).

Did I mention it's electric?

What I most certainly haven't mentioned before is something that has been frequently passed off as a myth within the electric vehicle community -- 'supercapacitors' with the capability to not only replace batteries, but outperform them. I'll spare you the technical details; Basically, this is what's been missing -- an electrical energy storage system capable of being recharged as quickly as a 'conventional' vehicle can be refuelled, while matching (or exceeding) the kind of range we've come to expect.

Of course the only company (that we know of) manufacturing these zappy little numbers has come under contract to a major military aircraft supplier and is now cloaked in a veil of secrecy. Of course.

This won't stop Tellurian Motors from making use of them...

WHY DO I SAY THAT?

I'm working on a novel of near-future science fiction, and so Tellurian Motors and our complete lineup will appear on the printed page long before I'll even be able to convert my derelict Toyota Cressida (the Defiant) to electric. Within this fictional world, things will be as I would like to see them, more and more, as the novel progresses. Along the way, a few plausible uses of technology will be revealed, supercapacitors being the least among them.

By the time the real Tellurian Motors is up and running, supercapacitors (also known as 'ultracapacitors') should be available. Right?

Phil Smith
January 15, 2008

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TMT

2007-12-12T03:06:00.000-05:00

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TMT

The BRUTRUCK has evolved to the point where it deserves a new name. As you may recall, 'BRUTRUCK' was the second design in the style begun with the Brubeck. Join 'Brubeck' and 'truck' together, and there you go. The new name, 'TMT', simply stands for "Tellurian Motors Truck"...

What do you know? I promised you an image, and here it is. Looking at it, I can see that some stray pencil lines play havoc with the windshield... Who cares? It's a quick-and-dirty sketch, which after scanning was manipulated only by resizing, cropping, and colour shift from sepia tone. Click for a larger version.

I sketch on printer paper clipped to an aluminum clipboard, with layers of paper under the working sheet. On the page this crop is from are three other images. Two of them are small thumbnail sideviews, at the top. Below those is a rear 3/4 view, much larger. All three are of the TMT with its suspension raised. I didn't 'slam' it until the final sketch, which you see above.

Understand that most of my sketches are for developmental purposes and do not necessarily represent my latest vision of the concept in question. They can be messy and awkward, and it's tough for me to share them. If I had chosen to include the rear 3/4 sketch here, you would be able to see that the rear bumper has a U shape similar to the front, with a gap above it and below the tailgate, for the license plate and taillights.

You don't see mirrors because all Tellurians use small cameras and monitors instead. The TMT has its sideview cameras mounted on linear actuators, to extend out far enough so the driver can see past a trailer. You also won't see a tow hitch, because it's retractable...

Round headlights have been abandoned for this vehicle. The rectangular units shown use a multitude of large LEDs pointed backward at carefully shaped reflectors. LEDs use less power than any other light source, so it makes sense to use them for all lighting on electric vehicles -- and on series hybrids such as the TMT. I had thought of a single bar lamp, nearly full-width across the grille -- but no. This way there's room in between for a winch.

You may be looking at my sketch and thinking it looks like a toy from Hot Wheels or Johnny Lightning, issued somewhere around 1970. This was not my intent, just as it was not my intent for the Brubeck to look like one. It's possible that somewhere in my subconscious is a predilection for such shapes, due to early imprinting from toy cars of that era, which were indeed present in my childhood. If that's so, I actually think it's pretty cool...

I've thought it over, and despite what I said before there's no reason not to include a 4-door option for this truck. Contrary to that previous post, I see a 4-door instead of an extended cab, and not the other way around. Also, look for the option of a removable roof panel (which would leave a 'Targa bar', though it would not be a true Targa configuration due to square tubing on each side connecting the windshield frame to the back of the cab).

Yes, the TMT has an integral roll cage, just like every other Tellurian Motors vehicle, as part of the frame.

By the way... While writing an earlier post I totally forgot about biodiesel. With a biodiesel series hybrid (as opposed to a diesel vehicle converted to run on biodiesel) you can forget about warming the fuel before starting, since you can set off under battery power. When it's too cold for biodiesel to flow properly, in the TMT you can rely on the batteries to get you underway while the electric warmer does its job (if you really need to fire up the generator for extended range).

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to bed and dream about this...

Phil Smith
December 12, 2007

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Design Breakthrough

2007-11-26T02:00:00.000-05:00

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Not long after my last post, I was doing small sideview thumbnail sketches of BRUTRUCK -- and made a breakthrough.

It was no more than an adjustment of fold lines and angles, but it transforms the look of the truck and heralds a refinement of almost every vehicle in the Tellurian Motors lineup. The truck has now outgrown its awkward stage...

I should be working on more digital images instead of trying to describe what I see in my head, as usual. Okay then; Expect at least one new image in the next post.

Phil Smith
November 26, 2007

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Truck U

2007-11-18T21:53:00.000-05:00

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What the truck?

BRUTRUCK, the truck from Tellurian Motors.

This post will tell you why BRUTRUCK should become the template on which all other pickups are based. Ready?

ECONOMY

The most energy-efficient vehicles are electric -- so efficient that you can go 100 miles on a dollar's worth of energy. To put that in perspective, say your truck can go 20 miles on a gallon of gasoline (which isn't bad -- for a truck), and say you're lucky enough to find gasoline for $3/gallon. You just spent $15 to go 100 miles, and as fuel prices go up you'll spend more and more. Along the way you'll also need oil and filter changes. Now you're asking yourself why your truck isn't electric...

BRUTRUCK is built using simple materials and techniques. Although a few important components are quite expensive, the body and chassis require no tooling. A chassis jig will be the only unique piece of equipment necessary for BRUTRUCK production, meaning it could be assembled in any well-equipped shop anywhere in the world. This may be one of many models Tellurian Motors will offer, in various stages of completion, as 'component vehicles' -- or even as detailed plans. Build it yourself and save thousands.

RANGE

BRUTRUCK has a removable onboard generator, technically making it a series hybrid. The hybrid vehicles you can get from major manufacturers (including the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, scheduled to be ready for the 2009 model year) are parallel hybrids. The difference is that a series hybrid relies solely on its electric motor(s) for propulsion, and its motor (or fuel cell) is there only to generate electricity. Parallel hybrids are not designed for sustained operation on electric motors alone. While parallel hybrid vehicles are more fuel-efficient than conventional internal combustion vehicles, they do still consume fuel as a function of their operation, and do not perform well when converted to plug-in hybrids...

A plug-in hybrid is one that can operate as an electric vehicle. Some owners are converting their parallel hybrids into plug-ins -- but the weight of the extra batteries causes a decrease in performance as well as a decrease in efficiency. More powerful motors will solve one issue, but not the other. Since a series hybrid is essentially an electric vehicle already...

Short range and long charging times are what keep electric vehicles from being as useful as internal combustion (and hybrid) vehicles. Never mind that most drivers do not typically go beyond an electric's range on any given day -- they still want the ability to go farther with minimal fuss. A series hybrid would function much better as a plug-in than any converted parallel hybrid, and with 'normal' usage (plugging into a charging station every night) its driver would hardly ever fire up its generator.

VERSATILITY

What do you use your truck for? Do you ever haul or tow an electric generator? BRUTRUCK's battery packs are located under the bed, behind the cab and in front of the rear wheels. Under the hood is, you guessed it, a generator. If you really need to, you can remove it at a jobsite or camping area and leave it behind, running on battery power -- which is no big deal, because you're always running on battery power. You might normally leave it in place (so that you can recharge your battery pack while providing external power), but it's nice to have the option of removal -- especially if it needs servicing or replacement.

The generator could run on any number of fuels, but propane is recommended for its low emissions as well as its ready availability in small exchange tanks meant for outdoor grills and campers. Another 'clean' option is natural gas -- however NG isn't nearly as available, so unless you have a home fuelling station and don't plan to go too far, go with propane. Gasoline and diesel generators can be fuelled almost anywhere, but how truculent would you have to be to specify one for your BRUTRUCK?

Ideally, the generator fitted to your BRUTRUCK would use propane and external combustion to heat water into steam (in a 'lossless' system), which would propel a steam turbine. However these are not yet available, so the greater efficiency they will provide will have to wait. When the time comes, the most difficult part of your upgrade will be the expense. Once that's covered, simply slide the old one out and clamp the new one in.

The space normally occupied by a generator could also hold a fuel cell -- or another battery pack.

BRUTRUCK is capable of handling any of the tasks you'd throw at a conventional light-to-medium-duty pickup, and more. Powerful electric motors front and rear provide all-wheel-drive and instant torque. An adjustable airbag suspension keeps BRUTRUCK level under heavy loads, can help navigate over (and under) obstacles, and can be dropped down for easier cab access. Four-wheel steering allows extremely tight low-speed turns, and the rear wheels can be turned in the same direction as the fronts to 'crab' -- for parallel parking, as one example...

The BRUTRUCK's wheel wells are designed to easily accept the dimensions of Mattracks, bolt-on rubber tracks that take the place of wheels and tires. With these on, you can go almost anywhere...

RESCUE

Oh no! Your friends have forgotten to charge up before leaving the house, or have otherwise exceeded the range of their electric vehicle. Good thing they know someone with a BRUTRUCK, because otherwise they'd have to hire a tow. With your onboard generator, you can find your way to wherever they're stranded and give them a charge.

Or, you're out in the wilderness, four-wheeling with your buddies, and someone has gotten stuck. Of course they ask you to help -- your BRUTRUCK, with its batteries mounted low, provides a more stable winching platform than anything else out there. You did remember to order a winch, didn't you? Order two -- one on the front as usual, and one on the rear to help get your boat trailer in and out of the water...

STYLE

Ever see a truck, and have to take a second look before you know what it is? BRUTRUCK, like everything from Tellurian Motors, has that instantly-recognizable flat-panel style. It isn't easy manipulating angles, planes, and lines into visually pleasing forms -- without a single curve -- but we manage. One reason is to keep the manufacturing process simple, but it doesn't hurt to stand out from the crowd. Speaking of crowds, be prepared for them to gather everywhere you stop...

INVESTMENT

Electric vehicles are inherently more reliable than internal combustion vehicles, due to fewer moving parts. We at Tellurian Motors do not expect you to keep coming back to trade your vehicles in for newer ones. We'd much rather you drive them indefinitely, upgrading various components wherever necessary and/or desirable. Keep on truckin'.

Phil Smith
November 19, 2007

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Pinto II

2007-11-07T11:18:00.000-05:00

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There was a time in my life when I drove a green car. It ran on regular gasoline (with lead substitute, where I could get it) and leaked (and burned) oil, so it wasn't 'green' in the eco-friendly sense, but it was green all right, inside and out.

I loved that Pinto. Some of you will never understand, but for me it was the perfect car. I was single, and in my twenties, and didn't have a lot of money to spend. I didn't mind having to replace the spark plugs every so often, because they were easy to get to. I didn't mind buying Castrol by the case, because it had a nice smell as my German-built 2.0-liter overhead cam 4 burned it.

The seats were comfortable, it was fun to drive, and believe it or not, the main reason I bought this '72 -- and the '73 I had before it -- was the styling.

During the 1973 model year, Ford and other American manufacturers started putting big ugly bumpers on their cars, due to legislation that would take effect in 1974. Even imports got them. Nowhere else in the world was there a requirement that vehicles be able to withstand a 5mph front or rear impact with no damage, but we were stuck with it. These bumpers ruined the looks of many cars, and since the majority of Pintos were fitted with them I can forgive those who remember the Pinto as being decidedly unpretty...

Enter the Pinto II. As described in an earlier post, it is a completely new car inspired by the original, done in the Tellurian Motors flat-panel style. It's also electric, so it will be 'green' even if you order yours in bare aluminum.

No images to share yet, unless you count the finger painting at the top of this post...

Phil Smith
November 7, 2007

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The Estate

2007-11-01T09:44:00.000-04:00

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It's frustrating.

These images in my head -- I know I can never get them on paper or on a monitor screen the way I see them in my imagination...

And so, here I go again, describing a vehicle concept instead of offering images:

The Tellurian Estate

Mid-sized by 1970s standards, the Tellurian Estate would be considered a full-size "station wagon" today. Based largely on the Time Further Out, its seating capacity ranges from 5 to 8, the maximum being achieved with a front bench and a rear-facing third row for 2, both optional.

I'll stress again how much sense I think it makes to use a motor for each axle in electric passenger cars. With appropriate hardware and software, this gives you on-demand all-wheel-drive. Use a light foot, and you're cruising around in 'economy mode'. Punch it, and the other motor kicks in -- which also happens when the traction control system detects wheelspin. Both motors would always be employed for regenerative braking. Lockout switch disables the second motor ('valet mode')...

Should there be a problem with one motor, you'll be glad to have the second one to keep you moving.

The Tellurian Estate has a long nose, housing the battery packs up there to open up the rear for more passenger/cargo volume and provide a forward weight bias to offset passenger/cargo load. Handling will be at its best when you need it most, carrying many passengers or other precious cargo, weight balance then being closer to 50/50.

As the name implies, yes you can use this car on your country estate. On-demand all-wheel-drive and electropneumatic suspension give the Estate much more capability than a typical passenger car, allowing limited off-road use.

If you want to ride up high and tackle more challenging terrain, we offer the BRUTRUCK and EXOVAN.

Phil Smith
November 1, 2007

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hot rods & customs

2007-10-09T02:02:00.001-04:00

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In my first post here, I mentioned some ideas for rods & customs that have been rattling around in my head...

The Deuce 2.5

Have you ever seen an original 1932 Ford pickup?

I have.

Have you ever driven a US Army 2 1/2 ton 6X6?

I have.

The '32 Ford has long been known as the 'Deuce', and that Army workhorse has long been known as the 'Deuce-and-a-Half'. At some point I began to imagine what a '32 Ford would look like if it were modified to 50% 'more'...

Here's my take on it: You know right away, this is going to be a wild custom rod. Instead of two axles at the rear, this beast has two at the front -- and yes, all four front wheels steer. A custom frame is needed for this, but there are a few highly qualified frame builders out there who can handle the task. The sweeping front fenders ('wings') of the original are scrapped in favour of a quartet of angular cycle fenders, reminiscent of the Army truck. Rear fenders are similar.

1932 saw the debut of Ford's flathead V8 engine. Only extreme car geeks like me know that Ford's Lincoln division had a flathead V12 based on the V8. This 'Deuce-and-a-Half' should ultimately have one of those Lincoln V12s, but sourcing it and then having it rebuilt with custom components for greater performance and reliability could prove extremely problematic. A vintage Jaguar V12 will do, even if parts and maintenance are as much or more of an issue. Perhaps a Lamborghini 7.5L V12 under that stretched hood...

Many pickups back then were roadster pickups, with removable folding tops. Army 2 1/2 tons also featured removable tops, either of steel or canvas, to meet a minimum break-down height requirement for aircraft transport. Thus the Deuce 2.5 is not a 'hardcab', but a roadster pickup -- also featuring wooden bows supporting a canvas canopy over the bed, which has fold-down center-facing wooden benches on the sides, just like the Army truck (finished not in green paint, but high-gloss polyurethane).

Paint is olive -- but candy, not drab. Chrome? Yes, please. Even the blackout lights (a full set) will be chromed, or powder-coated to resemble chrome. Reproduction headlights should be fitted with steel covers with slits, just like those used during WWII (except, chromed). Wheels should be painted steelies with Baby Moon hubcaps...

I've pictured this thing cruising without the cab roof, and without the front and rear canopy flaps, but WITH the canopy. Also missing are hood sides, the better to show off the 6-pipe headers on each side. Internal combustion is okay if fuelled by Joe Cell technology...

The Rumbler

Ford changed their styling for 1933, but the only major change for 1934 was the grille. I like the '34 better, so I'll use that as the basis for the Rumbler. What is the Rumbler, you ask? This is something I've been thinking of since junior high. Imagine a '34 roadster with so much space dedicated to its transplanted engine -- an Allison aircraft V12 -- that the body has been cut back so much that there is nowhere for the driver to sit but in the rumble seat...

A rumble seat, in case you are unfamiliar, is a seat set into what would otherwise be the trunk space. Once upon a time, some buyers would opt for this extra seating in the expense of cargo capacity. The seatback folds backward with the lid, where the lid would ordinarily open forward...

For the Rumbler, this is the only seating -- and the windshield disappears into the cowling when the rumble seat is closed, so that the car appears to have no driver compartment at all. Modifications are made so that occupants are not sitting bolt upright, but nestled in with plenty of legroom...

This is a custom rod inspired by drag racers of yesteryear. What would be ironic would be if I executed the concept with a massive electric motor and a ton of lithium-ion batteries instead of an enormous V12 from a WWII fighter plane (with a full hood and sides to conceal those components, instead of no hood at all). Then, it wouldn't rumble...

Customs (as opposed to hot rods)? Let's just say I like doorhandles, and that I've seen too many customs (and rods, for that matter) get way too smooth. I like what was done in the '50s and early '60s, and despise the smooth trend that began in the '80s. I'd like to do a '49-'51 Mercury to show everyone how I think it should be done, but what I really want to customize are those forward-control vans and pickups of the 1960s...

ChevyVan, its GMC equivalent, first-generation Ford Econoline, and Dodge A100. Just let me loose...

Phil Smith
October 9th, 2007

Just when you thought I'd gone on long enough, here's more:

Yes, I said I like doorhandles, yet they are conspicuously absent from my concepts. For me, it's a matter of preserving a certain amount of the flavour of yesteryear. If I ever do get the chance to build a few hot rods and customs, it will be my intent to present them as if they were modified long ago, during a 'simpler' time. They'll be low-tech, and the lowest-tech way to open a door is with a handle.

My original concepts are for the future, in which I am allowed to use technology with abandon.

About forward control: Volkswagen pioneered it with their Type 2 (Transporter, Kombi, Samba Van, Microbus). There was COE (cab over engine) before that, but VW put the engine in the back... A forward-control vehicle is basically anything with the front seats over the front wheels. Within that genre are quite a few vehicles I admire and would like to own. Plus I happen to think that the FC driving position inspires people to drive more carefully, as it puts you right up there where the impact would happen...

Just imagine, if everyone had to pilot their vehicles from such a position. Wouldn't they be more careful? Wouldn't there be fewer accidents?

Let's just say the modifications I would make on the vehicles I mentioned above (plus a Jeep FC150, and a Haflinger and a Pinzgauer from Steyr-Daimler-Puch) would be mild -- yet each example would be right in my eyes...

I'd rather build an EXOVAN, after all. Seriously, with the effort and money people put into restorations and modifications of old stock, it would be easier to create something new. The difference with me is, I have new things to create -- not just old things to breathe on and/or covet.

When it comes down to it, I'd much rather perform and be recognized for original designs, over well-executed customs and hot rods. This is not to say that I wouldn't, if I had my druthers, proudly display those steel dreams in my garage and out in the world. It's just that my creativity goes beyond that, and nothing would bring more satisfaction than driving something (completely) of my own design.

I hope you understand.

Phil Smith
October 13, 2007

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DARK STAR (introduction)

2007-09-30T02:30:00.000-04:00

*****

DARK STAR

My five-seat, five-door concept had no name. These days, among my flat-panel designs, that's unusual -- but sometimes the naming of a vehicle is more difficult than preliminary conceptualization. The other night, while watching THE ELECTRIC UNIVERSE, very near the end as the film was winding down it became obvious that this car should be called Dark Star...

[THE ELECTRIC UNIVERSE in a larger format here: http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=7y7x85v6og]

I'd considered the using the name for this car before but had dismissed it, partially because I'd used it for a sports car drawn only a few times, years and years ago. Being that I used to call my larger fantasy the 'Eclipse Motor Foundation', it was a perfectly natural model designation (I think I may have considered 'Dark Star Motors' at one time, as well)...

Back to the movie (spoiler alert -- switching to a less visible text colour to make this part easier to ignore): It reveals that celestial bodies and phenomena are electric in nature -- that our Sun, for example, is not (as is widely believed) a nuclear fusion furnace, but rather an electric plasma 'event'.

Needless to say, I was inspired. There are countless references to a 'dark star' in our culture, including one song by the Grateful Dead and another by Crosby, Stills, & Nash. There is the theory of a 'brown dwarf' star lurking about in an extreme, off-plane orbit within our solar system...

Plus, Tesla Motors has codenamed its upcoming five-passenger sedan 'WhiteStar', so what better name?

Dark Star will be different from WhiteStar in many ways, their main similarities being seating capacity and electric power. WhiteStar may or may not have all-wheel-drive, and if it does, it may very well be a conventional system running off a single motor; Dark Star will employ two motors, one at each end. The 'extra' motor and transmission, in my estimation, will not weigh more than the extra componentry needed for conventional all-wheel-drive.

WhiteStar is a four-door sedan. Dark Star is a five-door 'hatchback', and will be shorter in length. Whereas the Tesla sedan will seem to have larger cargo capacity in its trunk, folding down the rear seatbacks of Tellurian five-door will provide ample room. The tradeoff is decreased passenger capacity in that configuration, but remember, the Dark Star can fit in a smaller parking space.

Why is Dark Star not a sedan? There is already a five-passenger sedan in the Tellurian Motors lineup. The Time Further Out is more upscale and fits in a different segment. Dark Star, instead of being sort of like a TFO with the trunk and part of the nose chopped off, has its own unique architecture.

Yes, it's reminiscent of many hatchbacks of the past, which I personally think is part of its appeal. I'm sure that many share my fondness for the folded-paper designs of the late 70s and early 80s, and will enjoy my 21st-century take on the style.

Okay, I'm about to rant yet again about the current state of automotive 'style'...

On second thought, never mind.

You'll have to see it -- and on that note, I have to apologize once again for the dearth of images in this space. I could try to tell you that I want to keep my cards close to my chest, but that would be bullshit. I just don't have enough images as yet, outside of those in my mind, to share.

Suffice to say, at this point, that my main inspiration was the Lancia Delta -- which if you've never heard of, I'll understand. Giorgio Guigaro was responsible for that, as well as the original VW Golf (Rabbit) and Scirocco and (among many, many others) the Isuzu Piazza (Ace of Clubs). Picture a trapezoid atop a rectangle, off to one side, for the sideview, and you're partway there.

Once again, the construction technique involved is the major theme behind the designs. You can refer to earlier posts for details...

Phil Smith
September 30, 2007

November 18 update: I discovered a while ago that the code name for the Tesla Roadster was Dark Star (followed by White Star and Blue Star for subsequent models) so this Tellurian model will again go unnamed, perhaps until one is built...

*****

folded paper

2007-09-20T02:37:00.000-04:00

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I recently stumbled across a name for the angular style that began in the late 1960s and became popular in the '70s: "Folded Paper".

That is certainly descriptive, yet it only barely describes my own recent style of design. Paper, after all, can be folded gently, and for that matter it can be curved. What I'm after is an almost unrelenting angularity -- corners as sharp as it is safe to make them, dividing planes as perfectly flat as the materials will allow.

Ironically, folding paper is a method I've considered for constructing models of my concepts. I could even work up image files of various models as cutouts, to be printed out -- and to be shared in this space for anyone to print out, cut out, fold and tape. Presto! You could have a collection of paper Tellurian Motors models littering/decorating your computer desk...

They'd all be to scale, of course.

Just don't count on me to actually do this. My plan for models is to begin with folded paper, then apply the template to some Lexan sheets I happen to have lying around. It would be nice to place each of those bodies on a remote-control chassis, but it would be much less expensive to build each chassis out of LEGO...

Can hardly wait to be cutting and welding square steel tubes, bending aluminum or (gasp) stainless steel, having glass cut to fit, ordering components, and putting everything together. To bridge the gap between amateur automotive designer and car builder, quite a bit of time, money, and effort will have to be spent.

Will it be worth it?

I personally think it would be helpful if there were electric cars out there that looked very DIFFERENT from other vehicles. My designs are unique, perhaps futuristic. It's all well and good to convert existing vehicles to electric power, and my hat is off to anyone out there producing entirely new electric vehicles -- but any of these could easily be mistaken for an internal combustion vehicle, if seen sitting still.

Do I expect to be copied? Absolutely. After all, the simplicity of my proposed manufacturing technique makes it that much easier for dedicated hobbyists (let alone budding manufacturers) to build their own...

Should I freely publish all specifications, making my designs 'open-source'? Hang on a bit there. That could result in who-knows-how-many crappy and potentially unsafe homebuilts with me as a named progenitor. Tellurian Motors would have to employ extreme caution in any such endeavour.

Instead, Tellurian Motors could perhaps become a 'component manufacturer', offering 'kits' in various stages of completion to home builders...

Problem is, I'm not comfortable. If I have to build 'kits' and then have them assembled by Harmonic Conversions (an entity as currently fictional as Tellurian Motors) before sale, in order to sidestep regulations and keep homebuilders from botching it, that's what I'll do.

But listen: If I only get to build ONE vehicle of my own design, it will be a major accomplishment. If I am then able to build but a single example of ONE other concept, I'll be happy as a clam. If I end up with a stable of one-offs, I'll be in Bliss.

If people want to pony up for their very own Tellurians...

Wow.

Phil Smith (fil)
September 20th, 2007

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Electrum Update #1

2007-09-03T01:37:00.001-04:00

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Of all the ways I could spend my time, as you can see I've been working on my electric supercar concept, the Electrum. The images above were done mostly in MS Paint, a program that is partly responsible for my flat-panel design style. It's becoming very useful for plan views of my recent concepts...

I probably spoke too soon, saying the Electrum would be only about 40 inches tall. If it were 48 inches tall (4 feet), then the 'Tenfold' rims you see in the top image would be 24s -- and someone like me (at 73 inches) will actually be able to fit inside. We don't want the car to be too difficult to get in and out of...

To that end, the doors open scissor-style, pivoting from the rear. Duck in and place one foot on the floor as you grab the steering wheel (or grab handle, on the passenger side), and rotate into the seat...

Yes, the frameless windows do retract fully into the doors. No, the omission of mirrors in the Paint sketches aren't an oversight -- cameras and in-dash monitors are used instead, as with all Tellurian Motors vehicles (though some will feature a conventional rear-view mirror).

The Electrum follows my basic formula of a spaceframe made of square steel tubing covered in flat panels, but especially with this model, there is a question of what body material to use. Aluminum is perhaps easiest, but stainless steel is certainly possible, as is carbon fiber. We'll leave that up to the individual customer...

Phil Smith
September 3, 2007

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Supercar

2007-09-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

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Friday, August 24, 2007

I recently watched the movie Fracture, in which Sir Anthony Hopkin's character drives a Porsche Carrera GT. The Carrera GT is one of those hideously expensive automobiles built for ultimate performance, known as supercars.

As I saw it being driven and heard the shriek of its V-10, suddenly I had another concept to add to the Tellurian Motors lineup. You have to know I was comparing the GT to the Tesla roadster, and you also have to know that the (still conceptual) Tellurian Brubeck is no match for that ultimate (now discontinued) Porsche and will likely fall short of the Roadster's performance.

Why not an electric supercar? Yes, I know it's an exclusive market, but there are enough enthusiasts out there with obscene amounts of money to throw around to ensure demand for supercars. Heck, the Tesla Roadster goes for around $100K and isn't technically a 'supercar'. My electric supercar would go for around the same price as a Corvette ZR-1...

Oh, but I wasn't even thinking about that. I was just excited to have another flat-panel design concept taking shape within my brainpan. Full lineup? Sure, I had a full lineup before this, but which model was the flagship? It's a feather in any manufacturer's cap to have one car that can approach or exceed 200 MPH, with acceleration and handling to match.

If you're wondering how any flat-panel vehicle can be aerodynamic enough to achieve such speeds, maybe you're not familiar with the F-111 stealth fighter -- not that my supercar will resemble it in any way (except for the flatness of its panels), but you get the point. By the way there have been many angular sports cars and supercars in the past -- maybe half of them 'mere' concept vehicles -- that I'm sure I've been influenced by...

...and if you want to talk about influence, I'd say most of mine has come from Italian design houses -- Bertone, Italdesign, Zagato, Pininfarina, even Ghia. The Italians know design. Throw in Frank Costin, William Towns, Syd Mead, and countless others including architects and furniture designers, and you get the picture. As I said in the first post in this blog, I pay attention...

Right now I want to give 'props' to all those who have come before me, striving to bring form to functional objects. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

So, back to the car, the supercar: Imagine if you will, an elongated hexagon. That's the main feature of its 'face', and the upper half of it is windshield. There is a smaller version of the Brubeck's box bumper and grille, with round driving lights, at the leading edge. The car is extremely low, on par with the original Ford GT40 (which was 40 inches tall). This is, as yet, the most visually stunning of my designs. The pure geometry of it will astound -- and that's not bragadoccio. I am astounded myself, just imagining it.

It will be hard to look at. As you circle it, its panels and angles will line up visually to give the sense of optical illusion -- and while that may be true of other Tellurian Motors offerings, in this case, more so.

It will be all-wheel-drive, with electric motors front and rear and (of course) sophisticated software that tells the front motors when to kick in and keeps both transmissions in sync, among countless other tasks. The Tesla Roadster manages over 140 MPH with a 2-speed transmission and a 250 horsepower motor. The Tellurian Electrum will have 4 speeds and a pair of the most powerful motors that will fit -- or even a motor for each wheel.

Electrum? Electrum is an alloy of silver and gold which occurs in nature, the use of which dates back to the beginning of civilization. As much of a tongue-twister as 'Tellurian Electrum' is (say it five times fast), I can't think of a better name for an electric supercar. It rolls off the tongue in a delicious manner.

Remember the car in the movie Tron? That was a Lamborghini Countach, designed by Marcello Gandini while he was with Bertone. I'm not saying the Electrum will be able to execute perfect 90-degree turns at breakneck speed like Tron's car, but I would expect journalists to make the connection.

This is an extremely sophisticated vehicle, and certainly not for everyone. It is something for Tellurian Motors to aspire to, and to work toward. We'll begin with the Runabout, and work our way upward...

September 1, 2007

Only minor editing of the above (composed offline) was done today.

It's almost funny, that the metal I've chosen to name this car after is, or was, 'unrefined'. Besides silver and gold, naturally-occurring electrum would often include copper and other elements. The composition would vary from location to location. Similarly, we expect no two Tellurian Electrums to be alike. Customers can choose from a variety of body materials and specify whatever upholstery and carpet they like. These are handbuilt specials...

...as are, to some degree, all Tellurian Motors offerings. It would take quite a bit of demand for us to invest in robot welders and assembly lines as opposed to assembly areas. Stranger things have happened, and for all we know the Electrum could be the first to become that popular.

To quote John Lennon (yet again), "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." I intend to produce a pencil drawing of the entire Tellurian Motors lineup, parked together, to scan and include in a future post. Along the way I'll be sketching each individual model, over and over again, until they're 'right'. The best of those will show up here as well.

Wish me luck.

Phil Smith
Late Summer 2007

PS (after 3 AM)

I managed to reinstall MSPaint... Here is a crude line drawing of the Electrum that I'm only about 50% happy with:

PPS Here's a frontal view:...and a rear (as with the side view, these are preliminary images):

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A Full Line?

2007-08-17T22:56:00.000-04:00

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What are your automotive needs?

I keep coming up with new designs. Now (in my head) there's a full line of Tellurian Motors offerings, all electric, and all done in the same style.

I suppose I should work up something like a brochure, if for illustration purposes only... In the past, it never mattered. I could just do a rough sketch, or even keep a mental image of my concepts. I used to be very private with my sketches, showing them to very few close friends, if to anyone at all. If it existed in my mind, that was enough -- since I never expected any of them to be built.

Things have changed. Recent developments have not only inspired me to get 'back to the drawing board', but have given me resolve. Don't ask me how I'm gonna do it, but I fully intend to make Tellurian Motors more than a fantasy. So, yeah -- remind me to produce more images to share in this space.

A full line? Just about. There may be a few segments not covered, so far. Here are the models, in order of conceptualization:

Sports car (Brubeck)
Pickup (BRUTRUCK)
Touring sedan (Time Further Out)
Versatile off-road vehicle (EXOVAN)
2-passenger runabout
2+2 sporty coupe (Pinto II)
Small 4-passenger 4X4
5-passenger 5-door hatchback

The last two are very much still in my head, under development, but I've sketched many a Jeep alternative in the past, and the 5-door will resemble the original Lancia Delta in overall form. For that matter it will resemble the Pinto II, which is itself a flat-panel interpretation of the hugely underrated Ford Pinto...

If you want to really get down to it, only the Brubeck is anywhere near a final form, with EXOVAN a close second and the runabout third (though that one's so simple, it almost designs itself). I've actually got quite a bit of work to do...

Model by model:

The Brubeck, though conceived with twin bike engines, translates very well to electric power. One electric motor between the rear wheels, seating two in what looks like a bench until you settle into it, whereupon you discover that the upholstery stretches, and the foam underneath gives in, in just the right ways to provide proper support. One might compare it with the Tesla Roadster, but the Brubeck is more about style than performance. Of course it must have a killer sound system, which in the original would be eclipsed by the symphony of a pair of Kawasaki ZX14 engines...

BRUTRUCK is being redone. Silly me, the original version was steam-powered, with natural gas heating the boiler. One benefit of steam (external combustion) is torque, something every truck needs -- but electric motors are even better at delivering torque. BRUTRUCK is all-wheel drive, and the new electric iteration (with motors fore and aft) is very much like a rebodied EXOVAN, designed to accept Mattracks. It will be available in single-cab and crewcab versions, but no 'extended' cab.

Time Further Out, the touring sedan, will be as much for driving as arriving. You WILL be noticed in this car -- not that you wouldn't be in any other Tellurian vehicle, but this one exudes elegance. It seats five, so it could be your family car, but it could also be something for which you hire a chauffeur. Red carpet? Sure. Just don't forget to drive it yourself...

EXOVAN has been covered better than any other Tellurian Motors model, in this space. It remains 'our' most versatile offering.

The runabout, introduced as the Salt Flats Runabout, is quite versatile as well. It could serve as a city car, a street-legal golf cart, or even an ATV (fitted with the Litefoot variant of Mattracks). Simple enough to leave most glass panels off for open-air motoring. Select rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, choose open or closed, with any level of tint... This will be the easiest one to construct, so may represent the first Tellurian Motors vehicle ever built. I can see people enjoying them on sand dunes...

My first and second cars were early Ford Pintos. In my 20's, I admired their design and didn't need more than a 2+2. Plus, believe it or not, they were fun to drive. Conveniently, the form of a Pinto can be easily approximated in flat-panel design. The Tellurian Pinto II will be a great first car for twentysomethings, or indeed for any single person, or empty-nesters who fondly remember the fun of the original. Both hatchback ('glass-ass') and coupe versions will be offered.

Want a Jeep, but dismayed by how large the Wrangler has gotten? Behold the electric Tellurian 4X4, yet to be named. Its proportions mimic the venerated CJ3B, and yes it is a very basic off-roader. Removable hardtop is an option, but removable doors are standard and attach to a door bar, just a bit of safety-related bullshit for the insurance adjusters... The fold-down windshield is a given, but it will be frameless. Full rollcage, yes, and in square steel tubing, of course...

Last is the 5-door. At this point I have to give props to Giorgio Guigaro, who penned the original Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit and Scirocco, along with the Lancia Delta and countless others (including, while he was with Bertone, the Lamborghini Miura). For that matter I have to recognize Marcello Gandini, who did the Lamborghini Countach, Corvette Ramarro, and many other Bertone creations -- and William Towns of Aston Martin Lagonda and Aston Martin Bulldog fame.

I am, it must be said, influenced by my predecessors. No one can escape that. Yet, here I am, adapting the angularity that was in vogue in the 1970s to a simplistic construction technique...

The 5-door is a family car, or something for a single person who is considerate of passengers, perhaps a carpooler. It has a hatch and fold-down rear seats, for cargo capability. It is all-wheel-drive, with the front motor only being called upon when more power and/or traction is needed. It is relatively boring to look at, within the Tellurian Motors stable, but may outsell all others due to its practicality.

It may be called Omicron (a Greek letter somewhere in the middle of the alphabet, and a nod to the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon or 'Omnirizon', the nearly identical Chrysler responses to the Rabbit -- be assured that it will be more attractive).

All of these vehicles will be (relatively) easy to prototype...

Now you're wondering what HAL 9000 is doing here. He/it is the inspiration for exterior lighting. Taillights, turn signals, headlights and driving lights. When you see it, you'll get it. Circles will offset the angles, in beautiful juxtaposition...

Phil Smith
August 18, 2007

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Schmo Better Blues

2007-08-13T14:07:00.000-04:00

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[This blog post has been, for some reason, difficult for me to finish. I suppose I feel the topic is one that should be covered responsibly, so that readers will be informed and inspired, rather than the opposite... As Dad once said to me about a circuit model he had built and was attempting to explain, "This is important..."]

After seeing the video, I wondered if I should attempt to perform a much more defiant conversion on my 1981 Cressida...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2czE_HNWl3Q

Never mind the first ~39 seconds. [I don't want to get into the politics of global warming in this space, but considering the subject matter, I can't help it.] There is much geographical evidence to show that warming is a periodic thing. This is supported by recent astronomical observations of increased solar activity and a warming of Mars similar to what we are experiencing on Earth. We certainly aren't helping matters with all our pollution, but there probably isn't anything we can do to slow down or stop global warming.

We just have to ride it out.

Global warming is indeed an inconvenient truth -- I haven't seen the film yet (partly because I suspect it will make me angry, and I don't like to be angry), but it seems to me that global warming is a convenient starting point for an awful lot of misdirection.

"Money makes the world go 'round." Don't doubt it. Money brings power. People with power want to keep it. Fuel prices keep going up and up, then down again until we think we're getting a bargain. Oh yeah -- then they go up again, and on and on, ad infinitum.

It's nice that Elon Musk, a man with quite a bit of money and therefore a certain amount of power, has decided to found and fund Tesla Motors and slowly bring awesome electric cars into the marketplace. It's great that battery technology keeps advancing, making electric vehicles more and more practical and desirable and inspiring me to start designing again.

What's not so nice is that any invention that potentially threatens to upset the apple cart gets suppressed -- often with 'extreme prejudice'. This is not 'conspiracy theory', but an observable conspiracy in action.

http://www.thejoecell.com/

If you visit the history page at the link above, you will only get a hint as to how long the device has been around. It is said that devices similar to the Joe Cell were fitted to tanks in WWII, to increase their range. Tanks from which country, no mention... The origins of this technology appear to date back to a full century before I was born.

So anyway, back to the video. Until I saw it, I'll admit, I knew almost nothing about the Joe Cell, and certainly had no clue as to how it works. I'm still a bit confused, but the video opened my eyes. It shows, once and for all, that we need no longer rely on petroleum for fuel.

JUST ADD WATER, MAKES ITS OWN SAUCE

[Okay, that's inaccurate...] It would take only a few months of development by a qualified team for the Joe Cell to be commercially available in kit form (detailed instructions included), for any Joe Schmo with a certain amount of mechanical ability to fit to a gasoline-burning vehicle, which would never consume ordinary fuel again...

...That is, until the fuel generated by Joe Cells is considered 'ordinary'.

And, it WILL be. Automotive enthusiasts, fear not. With a simple conversion, you will be able to run your internal combustion engines in perpetuity, as long as you are able to maintain them, for close to nothing. You have a diesel? No worries, that will be worked out as well.

All we have to do is get past the power elite, who depend upon us paying through the nose for fuel. This becomes a much smaller hurdle day by day, as the power of our connectivity increases. Elsewhere I've predicted that YouTube will help the revolution more than anything else. Well, the internet in general is fueling the revolution...

...and other formerly suppressed technology is certain to be revealed. Joe Schmo will one day have no energy bills at all. Power lines will be taken down and recycled. Batteries? Only for smaller devices -- but then eventually, none at all.

Proliferation of Joe Cell technology will be a very good thing, but we must remember that electric vehicles are still more reliable and require much less maintenance. Perhaps the best application will be in something resembling a fuel cell, if that is even possible. Its greatest potential may instead be as a fuel source for "bladeless" turbine generators...

THE ICEMAN GOETH

In any case I see Joe Cell conversions for existing ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles as a stopgap measure. ICE may never die, and as a lifelong automotive enthusiast I'd hate to see every single vehicle converted to full electric. However I can see a day when only the most hard-core, purist enthusiasts insist on using gasoline, decades (even centuries) after manufacturers have stopped producing piston engines.

We do have a rich automotive culture on this planet, which should be preserved. I don't want to live in a universe where the 1971 Plymouth Satellite Sebring, as one example, is nothing but a distant memory...

Automotive designers are almost required to be futurists, and some of us might take it a bit too far at times -- but it's become very critical for our species to consider the future. No planet can sustain the kind of population growth we're perpetrating. We need for our technological progress to continue unfettered, meaning we need to get out from under the massive thumb of Big Oil. Only then will we be able to develop the transportation required for off-planet emigration...

Phil Smith
August 2-13, 2007

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Flat-Panel Design

2007-07-31T13:31:00.000-04:00

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There have been quite a few vehicles, over the decades, with very straight lines and panels that were nearly flat. One in particular comes to mind (this is the later, smoothed-down version):

1989 Aston Martin Lagonda

The house of Bertone did a lot of wedgy things in the Seventies and into the Eighties, as did former Bertone employee Giorgio Guigaro (original Golf/Rabbit, Scirocco etc), but these designs are by William Towns.

1976 Microdot concept

Behind the Microdot is the Hustler, the only vehicle I know of with purely rectangular wheel openings, and one I wasn't aware of, years ago, when I was messing around in MS Paint and accidentally came up with something that would forever change my design ethos...

The three-diamond wheels you see above? At the time I was hoping to come up with a presentation for a Mitsubishi design contest, so I incorporated their logo. After the deadline whooshed by, I continued to develop the Brubeck...

...and eventually came up with the "Tenfold" wheels shown here, in this crude representation. Each spoke and slot occupies the exact same amount of space. It's a simple yet carefully considered wheel design, entirely appropriate for mounting on a simple yet carefully considered flat-panel vehicle.

WHY FLAT PANELS?

The straight lines on the first Brubeck MS Paint sketch weren't meant to last. I was merely trying to overcome the blank page syndrome (akin to writer's block) by creating a simple image. It was to be something to work from -- or perhaps it was merely an exercise. That contest was over five years ago, so I can't quite recall... Anyway, I was so quickly overcome by the potential of the design that it immediately became my main focus. I was listening to some vintage Dave Brubeck vinyl at the time...

Before long I realized that, beyond being different, flat-panel bodies would be very easy to construct in comparison with what we're used to seeing. Back in the day, curved metal panels were pounded out over a wooden buck. Mass production brought enormous dies that stamp sheets of metal into shape. Fiberglass, carbon fiber, and other composite body panels require a mold. However for flat panels all you need is a pressbrake -- and a welder, if you have more complex shapes such as the Brubeck's endcaps (bumpers).

Then for the windows, readily-available flat glass can be cut to shape -- no need to find existing windshields and backlights to modify, or to have custom pieces made.

There you have it. To build flat-panel bodies, you need fewer tools and no tooling. Add a welded square-tube steel spaceframe for a chassis, and the biggest piece of model-specific equipment you'll have lying around will be your frame jig.

Suddenly, the dream of building a car of my own design was in exponentially closer reach. Still very much a dream, mind you, but one much easier to attain.

Here is an early version of BRUTRUCK, a concept I've recently revisited and refined. The new version, which is based on the EXOVAN platform, might be called BRUTRUCK Model G... Not ready to show sketches yet.

The Brubeck sports car is conceived as a farewell to internal combustion, with its pair of propane-burning Kawasaki Ninja ZX14 engines and rear-wheel-drive -- however an electric version is inevitable. An electric Brubeck will obviously lack one significant feature -- the in-your-face quad exhaust, to be replaced with round taillights -- but there is no reason for body modifications, other than a slight adjustment to the rear cap, closing the vertical gap (instead of a wrapover rear light cluster, there will be a simple horizontal bar for the third brake light).

There is another flat-panel concept I've been toying with over the past few years, that only recently has begun to look right in my mind's eye. Sure to be compared to the Aston Martin Lagonda, the Time Further Out -- yes, named after a Dave Brubeck album -- is an electric luxury touring sedan suitable for chauffeured red-carpet arrivals, something that valets will choose to park out front...

A very recent addition to the conceptual Tellurian Motors stable is the Salt Flats Runabout, which happens to be very similar to William Towns' Microdot, shown at the top of this page -- but then again, it is very different. For one, of course it will use no molded panels. Two, it will not have anything people would normally call a 'body'. Suspended within an exposed metal frame will be sheets of mirrored glass, and battery boxes will hang below the beltlines on the sides. The glass doors, very much like those on the Microdot, will swing up gullwing-style but will have a full trapezoidal profile and small round access ports.

These ports will be very useful. The benefits of the powerful air conditioning unit (running off its own motor) would quickly go to waste each time one of those doors is opened. If you want to talk to someone, or hand off or receive a small item, open a port. A removable, flip-up panel -- call it a moonroof if you like -- in combination with these ports will provide some ventilation at lower temperatures...

/ |_\

--o-o

The one-off Salt Flats Runabout is intended purely for one location, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and various events held there every year. While it has dimensions similar to those of the Microdot, its roof will be a few inches lower, and its sloping sides will allow for only 2 occupants, not 3. Those 2 occupants will be able to navigate around pit areas in cool comfort, shielded from the sun (and prying eyes) while still being able to enjoy the surrounding vista. Battery life will be measured in hours, not miles...

Yes, it could be made available for futuristic music videos and movies, should such a demand arise...

Any questions?

Phil Smith
July 31, 2007

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Electric Dreams

2007-07-24T15:40:00.000-04:00

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A short article in Autoweek, mentioning Volkswagen's plans to sell Chinese-built cars in North America, includes this photo of Santanas on the assembly line:

The Santana is a continuation of the second-generation Passat. It is the seventh generation that VW wants to build in China and sell here. Still, seeing brand-new Santanas got my wheels turning.

BOXY, BUT GOOD

One of the reasons I'm so fond of my 1981 Toyota Cressida is its crisp styling. In the Eighties, cars gradually began to turn into jelly beans. They're becoming more distinctive, but the days of simple, clean, functional lines seem to be long gone.

What a pleasant surprise, to find that Shanghai Volkswagen is currently producing this nice boxy 'throwback'...

The business opportunity here is obvious. In car-hungry China, the tooling for older models is put to good use, producing lower-cost alternatives. Just imagine -- a deal could be struck to import these freshly-manufactured 'old' cars (minus their engines, fuel tanks etc) to an assembly facility, where they could be completed as electric vehicles.

Would you pay $25,000? Sure, an electric Santana might not do great in crash testing, but you'd never have to purchase fuel for it, and it would be a lot simpler and less expensive to maintain than any internal combustion vehicle.

Santana: I'm Winning

There are rumours of older Subarus (yes, the boxy ones) being produced in China as well, and that's something I'll have to look into.

By the way? The second-generation Passat, in three-door hatch form, was sold here as the Quantum. Ring any bells?

For whatever reason, the Santana didn't sell all that well here in the United States. Chances are that many new-car buyers wouldn't recognize it, especially without VW badging and those huge US-market bumpers. It would be new, and different.

Could this be the production version of the Tellurian Motors Defiant? Would Volkswagen be interested in selling electric cars in China -- and elsewhere?

Phil Smith
July 24, 2007

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Highway Voltage

2007-07-18T23:03:00.000-04:00

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Was doing a little online research this evening and eventually found a surprising number of photos and specifications of electric vehicles, the majority of which are conversions: EV PHOTO ALBUM

Some of these owners have the right idea -- converting interesting older cars into full-electric vehicles. Of course, any electric conversion is interesting, and arguably the right idea. Questions: Would you rather be driving an old Geo Metro, or a well-restored Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia? What kind of impact will your conversion make with the public? If the only thing 'cool' about your electric vehicle is that it's electric, is that cool enough?

While some of these conversions cost surprisingly little, those are the ones with a low-tech approach. They have short ranges and mediocre performance. Still, they are a viable alternative for trips around town -- exactly the kind of driving that most motorists do most frequently. I know I rarely get our family car above 45 MPH, and rarely drive more than 30 miles a day...

I also know that my driving habits would change drastically if I had an electric vehicle. I'd be cruising around for the fun of it, like I used to do in my Pinto when gasoline cost around a dollar a gallon. Guess what that means? I'll want as long a range as I can get, and I'll want better performance than my Cressida gave before its conversion.

The good news, I found, is that my Defiant conversion is possible without having to pry the components away from Tesla Motors -- and it won't cost as much as I thought. It still won't be cheap, but it beats paying for refurbishments and performance upgrades on its original-equipment gasoline engine.

Okay, now let's imagine a Tellurian Motors dealership, with the Harmonic Conversions shop in back. Out on the lot are former project vehicles, ones that their owners gave up on after being faced with the difficulties of restoring or replacing their original gasoline engines. Others are well-kept examples whose engines weren't doing so well. Each will have been chosen carefully. Not just any car, truck, van, or whatever will qualify. My 'quantum' mechanics will be kept busy enough with customer conversions, after all...

What's that you say? The lot is empty? You're probably right. If it's full, maybe there's a gathering of the local electric car club, all converging around the latest offering in the showroom.

That latest offering may be a Tellurian Motors original, not a conversion...

Phil Smith
July 19, 2007

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The Defiant

2007-06-12T01:47:00.001-04:00

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I have in my possession a 1981 Toyota Cressida -- a non-running 1981 Toyota Cressida. I call it the Defiant, after a ship in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It has a fuel clog and a faulty starter. Just as I'm a designer and not an engineer, I'm much more of a driver than a mechanic...

I'd work on it myself, but I have no garage -- and for that matter no driveway. I could do it in the back yard if I could get someone to push me in it down the street and up the alley. I even have a pair of ramps...

But despite it being a low priority and outside our budget, is there a point to reviving another internal combustion engine? This Cressida may now be technically a 'classic', but it's no more than a footnote in automotive history. Few appreciate its angular design as much as I do, and almost no one (statistically speaking) remembers it as the somewhat luxurious sports sedan it was.

As much as I'd like to restore it to its former glory, as an automotive designer I have the urge to customize. Thing is, about all I'd do to the body is shave the drip rails from above the doors, since they're rusting away anyhow -- I appreciate its design that much.

What I do not appreciate is the effort it would take to get its inline six-cylinder engine back into good working order. Never mind an engine swap or performance upgrades. Internal combustion engines are very messy, especially when their seals break down. Also, they require periodic infusions of lubricating oil, and in this case, untold amounts of gasoline for fuel (not that I would feel better about it if it took diesel).

I had previously considered converting it to run on natural gas / propane (propane is basically refined natural gas), which would be an improvement. There are systems available that would allow home-fueling, and fairly simple plumbing would allow for use of exchangeable propane tanks of the type used for barbecue grills. So equipped, my Cressida would qualify as a low-emissions vehicle...

By the way? I finally got a chance to watch Who Killed the Electric Car? the other night...

...and it finally dawned on me, that the best thing I could do with my old Cressida would be to convert it to an electric vehicle.

Now is the time to suspend disbelief, because what I'm about to lay out is the stuff of dreams.

What if I could acquire all the necessary components from Tesla Motors for this conversion? All the bits that make their Roadster so fabulous, aside from the body and chassis, would transform my old Toyota (acquired from a friend in exchange for a six-pack of Guinness) into a technological wonder.

I've done the math, and those components would add about 1000 pounds -- but remember, the unspecified weight of the existing driveline and fuel tank (much heavier when full) would be removed. I estimate the converted Cressida's weight to end up at around 3000 lbs -- more than the Roadster but likely less than the avoirdupois of Tesla Motors' upcoming sedan, codenamed White Star.

Challenge: Will a White Star be able to match the performance of a converted '81 Toyota sedan? Hey, probably not -- but then Tesla Motors will have to conform with modern safety standards...

If somehow the money came together for this project, and if I were then able to get Tesla Motors to supply the components, the obvious next step beyond Defiant is EXOVAN. Actually, the Defiant then becomes an important phase in the realization of EXOVAN, whether Tesla Motors decides to take on the project or merely agrees to supply components. Will it be the Tesla EXOVAN, or the Tellurian EXOVAN?

For the Defiant, there is no question -- it will be a product of Tellurian Motors. Now I have to work on an image of the hood ornament that just popped into my head...

Phil Smith
June 12, 2007

Postscript:

One of the reasons major automotive corporations have been reluctant (to say the least) to produce electric vehicles is that they require far less maintenance. An electric car will cause you less trouble over the years, costing just a fraction of the maintenance expenses an ICE (internal combustion engine) car will run up. There is much profit to be made from parts & service, not to mention oil & filters. Plus, since they're easier to maintain, electric vehicles don't need to be replaced as often.

Example: The failure of a simple relay in our 1995 Neon (bought new) disabled its cooling fan, and I had no idea anything was wrong until it was too late. It overheated and blew the head gasket, creating conditions where oil and water DO mix -- the radiator was filled with a pudding-like sludge. By this time the Neon was several years old, and what with things being packed so tightly under the hood, repair costs (mostly labour, in dissembling and reassembling systems just to get to the head) would've been more than the car was worth. It was sold for parts. Sad. We loved that car.

Though the high-tech components of today's (relatively) long-range electrics are quite expensive, if they were used to convert an older vehicle the resulting cost might be on par with that of a new ICE economy car.

Realizing this, we gain a new appreciation for the name 'Defiant'. In defiance of the automotive giants, a large number of small conversion shops could spring up, allowing owners of older vehicles to transform them into incredibly efficient and reliable transportation.

If I had such a shop, I would call it 'Harmonic Conversions' and have my mechanics wear coveralls with the word QUANTUM embroidered on the backs...

Phil Smith
June 13, 2007

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Sketchiness, Volume Two

2007-06-11T02:49:00.000-04:00

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Despite concerns, here they are... (all clickable for larger versions, as always)

This first represents early conceptualization of EXOVAN:

Originally, EXOVAN was intended to have a vaguely egg-shaped exoframe over a flat-panelled body (as in the quick frame sketches above, done early this year). I don't mean to bitch, but the curves were next to impossible to execute with Alibre Design's trial 3D CAD. Okay, fine. A non-curved exoframe would be easier to construct anyway...

Then of course my evaluation period expired, ending my first foray into 3D CAD. If I can extend my evaluation at no charge, I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Nor have I actively searched for another program to use, or managed to get a Linux distro running on this machine so I can find open-source CAD to work with. Among other things, spoon-carving has been keeping me busy...

Today however I grabbed my clipboard and began to re-hone my pencil skills -- I will admit to being rusty. Here's a rough one:

Crude, but here EXOVAN comes to life in a way it can't in CAD without hours and hours of work. There was another sketch on that page, but it's all cattywampus and generally ill (and not in a good way), so I did a crop...

Now to the next (below). The window treatment was not intended to appear 3D -- it just worked out that way. Maybe a version of that could work...

...but then, driver visibility issues arise, as well as problems getting the windows to open far enough.

Being positive about the sketch, it's good to see EXOVAN with conventional wheels (plus they're much easier to draw than Mattracks). The major reason Mattracks aren't more popular (besides the price) is that they can't handle sustained speeds above 40mph. I suspect that many buyers would not choose the Mattracks option -- and that most of those who would, would rather run their EXOVANs on wheels for 'regular' use. With this in mind, I can see that I ought to always render EXOVAN with a trailer hitch -- if for no other reason, so that owners can tow their Mattracks along for fitment at remote locales.

You see that I've done a 'Dutch' door treatment on the rear of this one, a glass hatch above dual swing-out doors. Maybe that's best, maybe it's not. There are many ways to execute that opening, but 'Dutch' doors are a good compromise and will probably be a good solution for the demonstration prototype. Also, rubber bumperettes...

OK now here we go, another sucky sketch:

Here you can plainly see solar panels incorporated into the roof, and side windows that slide sideways. This certainly isn't the most flattering render of EXOVAN, but the sketch is an important development step. Cooling and exhaust vents have been revised, along with forward lighting. A side marker light / turn signal has cropped up at the forward edge of the front-side window, plus we have front license plate mounting and more rubber bumperettes.

As with other flat-panel concepts I've worked with, I find that freehand sketches are a tough way to try and capture something like EXOVAN. I promise, with practice, I'll do better...

Phil Smith
June 11, 2007

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Sketchiness, Volume One

2007-06-05T13:51:00.001-04:00

Looking back, I guess you could say it was a dark time in my life. Nothing seemed to be going my way, and my favourite concept to draw was the hearse variant of the car shown in this scan:

It was 20 years ago, summer of 1987. I had dropped out of college and signed up for the Army, too young to know that when my girlfriend said, "Maybe we should just be friends for a while..." that it meant she was done being my girlfriend (I had taken the suggestion literally, hoping for a return to intimacy). I was just a kid, and a troubled one at that...

At the time I didn't know that the pentacle originally represented the path that the planet Venus traverses in our sky. Drawing pentacles, whether in crumbling concrete or in the centers of crosses, was mere irreverent doodling.

Something that I could not possibly have known was that 2 years later, Mitsubishi would 'steal' my car name. Nor did I realize that Peugeot had used it in the 1930s...

Back in high school, a modified 1975 Lincoln Town Car started showing up in my notebooks. It was no more than a hot rod / pimpmobile, but it kept evolving and growing. Something so big and fabulous, to grab your attention and block out your view of anything else, should naturally be called Eclipse. I began to draw a dark spot in the sky in my sketches, and as you can see, the Eclipse has its own unique hood ornament (it lights up in eerie ways). Before Mitsubishi introduced its little 2+2, I had even decided to name my car company the Eclipse Motor Foundation...

Ah, well. Such is life.

Believe it or not, beyond drawing my Eclipse as a sedan, limousine, and hearse, I also did a coupe and a 'speedster'. It was to have a monstrous 24-cylinder engine so that despite its size, it would go like Hell. Its appearance was at once regal and menacing. It was the ultimate in conspicuous consumption, wretched excess pushed to an aesthetic limit.

Perfect for a rock star's funeral procession.

While in the Army I had plenty of free time, much of which I would spend at the desk in my room, drawing for hours on end. Years later, the demands and conditions of fatherhood curtailed that activity somewhat. Still later, the arrival of a computer in my life upset the apple cart almost completely, and these days I hardly ever reach for a pencil...

...but I've been meaning to. Now that I've been able to work with 3D CAD on the EXOVAN concept, I have a clear vision of what it might look like -- and now that I am no longer able to use that program, scanning a pencil sketch seems the best way to share that vision in this space.

Look for more scans, of sketches old & new, in future posts.

Phil Smith
June 5, 2007

PS

I found my big stack of old sketches, tucked away. This one, from 1990 (pretty sure) I remember liking the unfinished look of -- if I continued, it might not look as good...

...and here's one from late '88 or early '89:

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Setback

2007-05-28T06:52:00.000-04:00

It's a damned shame.

The software company that provided an evaluation copy of its 3D CAD program has a name that is based on the Latin root word meaning 'free'. However, from the very beginning I was assaulted with solicitations for upgrades, and now that my 30-day trial is over, I find I am unable to use the program at all, despite a one-word assurance from an anonymous support tech that I would still be able to use it offline.

That was the one and only time I made use of but a single online feature, just to ask. If the one-word response had been 'no' instead of 'yes', I would've understood -- and then I would've made better use of my remaining time. Instead, I was misled.

Of course it is possible that the tech was pretty sure he or she was giving me the correct answer, just as it is possible that the answer was simply too short, and should've been accompanied by instructions. A third possibility is that the process is purposefully complicated and time-consuming, designed to discourage the very liberty the company's name implies. A fourth is that their online (site-related) software is inadequate; Possibility 4a is that the 'glitch' was intentional.

Perhaps I should have remembered sooner that the prefix 'a-' usually means 'not' (a + libre = 'not free').

At the moment I'm too annoyed to go looking for another program...

Phil Smith
May 28, 2007

...By the way? The new header image here was done using the GIMP, an image creation/manipulation program written for Linux but now available in a Windows version. Open-sourced, of course.

Phil Smith
May 29, 2007

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EXOVAN 2.0

2007-05-21T01:00:00.001-04:00

This time I'm starting with the frame...

...and as the concept continues to evolve, the exoframe is no longer hanging out inches beyond the body. Instead (so far, only in my mind) it juts out like a metallic version of the framing on woodies from the 1920's and 30's. EXOVAN's framing is of square steel tubing, now turned at a 45° angle.

This may make for a little more head-scratching during frame-up, but in the end makes the frame simpler and lighter. Yes, the idea of having bolt-on sections has been ABANDONED. The frame you see here is all welded...

Not that I know enough about structural rigidity, but looking at these images, right away I see a weak area in the floor that I'll have to address. Doesn't matter anyway, because what I care about is its function and appearance. Engineers will have their say.

This version of EXOVAN, once I add body panels, glass, and so forth, will be closer to the thing that will be built...

...and yes, one way or another, at least ONE example of EXOVAN WILL be built.

Dammit, it BEGS to be.

Phil Smith
May 21, 2007

UPDATE

Phil Smith
May 22, 2007

UPDATE 2

The evaluation period on my 3D CAD program expired today, but all that means is that I can no longer use online features. Not a problem -- hadn't been using them anyway. Above, you can see that I've begun to add panels after further frame reinforcements.

I know I've left a lot of things out, but I need to finish this 2nd draft before I start on the 3rd...

Phil Smith
May 23, 2007

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Frame Job

2007-05-12T01:11:00.000-04:00

- FIRST VIRTUAL MODEL OF EXOVAN COMPLETE -

It took some doing -- and these images do NOT represent the definitive version -- but here ya go. The virtual model was done as a single (intricate) 'part'. With the program I've been using, you get to select only one colour per part. A bit too late, I discovered (I think) that new parts can be created within an 'assembly'... I had thought that new parts had to be created separately before being joined together in an assembly -- my mistake. If you go to the gallery on the Alibre Design website, you'll see what a hard time those designers/engineers would've had, creating parts in separate windows...

Above, you see EXOVAN in olive, camouflaged... The lights highlighted in bright green are for off-road use, too bright for streets and highways -- the two pairs of smaller ones are the main headlights. If you click on it (all of these are clickable for larger versions) you may be able to make out a double pair of even smaller lights, which are turn signals...

Extrusion 1 (the second step in the process, after a line drawing) is highlighted in red above, showing (in blue) where some of the side windows are.

Here I've made use of a different colour scheme to highlight panels in varying copper shades, to show glass area around the cockpit.

Note the cooling exhaust vents above the front track. This is a design feature I've used on previous flat-panel concepts, but in a slightly different location.

You may notice that the rear is more exposed to potential damage than the top, front, and sides. Somehow, along the way, I became quite fond of the 'naked' EXOVAN body -- and when it came down to it I couldn't bring myself to clutter up the rear. In any case this is not an area where one expects much damage in off-road situations, even rollovers.

I've left the tracks floating in space on purpose. Any suspension and steering linkages, or drivetrain details, might be misconstrued -- as an automotive designer I am only PART engineer, so I won't try to fool anybody into believing I have everything figured out. Besides, this is only a quick-and-dirty first draft, merely an illustration of concept.

By the way, please don't tell me the exoframe just aft of the side portal is likely to get hung up on trees. If I were to do it over (and I probably will) I'd angle those sections out. Speaking of angles, the original concept called for sweeping curves in the exterior framing, which I may yet be able to produce with a 3D CAD program -- in a forthcoming virtual model.

A friend asked me a question recently about EXOVAN's steering. I can't answer about ratios, but it seems obvious that, unlike the Tesla Roadster, EXOVAN will require power assist (as will Tesla Motors' upcoming sports sedan, codenamed White Star). This assist, in the absence of an internal combustion engine (abbreviated ICE), must come from electric motors (plural -- EXOVAN features rear-steer). Toy remote-control vehicles have electric motors for steering. Suddenly I envisioned EXOVAN drivers being able to exit and pilot EXOVAN over particularly difficult terrain via remote control.

...And why not? Extreme rock-crawler drivers employ spotters to help guide them. Imagine being your own spotter, able to plainly see what your vehicle is up against while you yourself are at the controls. This could be done with a Wi-Fi laptop displaying all the views from EXOVAN's cameras (EXOVAN will feature only a pair of fisheye mirrors, the driver mainly relying on camera views).

Next: Lexus already has a car that will parallel-park itself. Imagine exiting the vehicle near your front door and watching it head off to its charging station by itself. You are confident that it will be waiting for you in the morning, charged and ready to go. The future is not only electric -- it is robotic as well.

In future posts, look for images manipulated with Photoshop to make EXOVAN look more real. You may also see some of my previous designs (I could be persuaded to scan old pencil sketches), and those discussions on a pair of timeless vehicles of others' design that I feel should be resurrected. However the very next one is likely to be about EXOVAN again...

Phil Smith
May 12, 2007

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Pincushion

2007-05-08T15:46:00.000-04:00

Today I managed to get started on the exoframe. For the image above, I chose the 'Shaded & Visible Edges' view in the CAD program -- now you can plainly see where the side portal is...

The image below shows the rear clearance lights that I added on just to get myself started. Also, you may be able to tell that the first two front-center roof posts are offset to the driver's side, just enough to allow clearance for the front hatch:

I had actually forgotten about that clearance issue the first time around with the roof posts, placing one of them in the center, directly between the side hatches (the glass hatches slide up between the roof and the frame, and require a certain amount of room to do so); It was an easy fix, so no worries.

Next I'll have to figure out how to connect the dots, so to speak. If the resulting visible frame doesn't look beefy enough, remember there is also interior framing. With only the frame represented in these images, EXOVAN is sturdy enough to be driven (though this is not recommended). The bolt-on exterior sections will provide extra cross-bracing and rollover protection, and can be unbolted individually -- to access damaged panels underneath, or to repair or replace the frame sections themselves.

The main reason for these sections to be bolted on rather than welded amounts to a practicality issue in initial construction. If you weld the whole frame up first, good luck getting the body panels on...

You will notice there are no frame protrusions on the bottom of EXOVAN. It's one big skidplate under there -- with panels perhaps twice as thick as on other parts of the body -- allowing EXOVAN to slide over obstacles rather than get hung up on them.

EXOVAN is coming together, and once I'm satisfied enough with this first-draft model I'll grab a capture and Photoshop it for more detail and colour...

Phil Smith
May 8, 2007

Back to the Drawing Board

Shortly after publishing this post, I began the maddening task of attempting to connect the through-body frame stubs with exterior frame sections. Much to my dismay, I found that a couple of key features for this kind of thing are left out of the free version of the 3D CAD program I'm using. At least I got the satisfaction, while browsing through the tutorials, of discovering that I'm already messing around on an 'advanced' level...

I kept at it anyway, enough to see EXOVAN partially clad in exterior framing, but finally called it a night. Went to bed with an inkling of how to finish my model with the (virtual) tools on hand...

...and I've been thinking about it since. What I'll need to do is to go back to an earlier saved version and create all the through-body extrusions all over again, this time with square sections instead of round ones. This will allow me to reposition some of them, and it will give me more flat surfaces -- surfaces to do drawings on, drawings to make extrusions from. Then I can either keep the square tubing or fillet the edges to make it round.

Since it will be better to use square tubing for the interior framing anyway, and since straight cuts will be simpler than round ones on the body panels, all the new through-body extrusions will be left square. That squareness will also come in handy when it's time to make the brackets for bolting exterior sections on.

Cooling still has to be addressed -- yes, even electric vehicles need cooling -- but I have an idea for duct openings that I think will be, um, pretty cool. Plus, they'll provide a mounting point for the headlights. Not sure if I'll do matching ones in the rear, and reposition the taillights into them...

Phil Smith
May 10, 2007

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Codename: XV

2007-04-29T21:05:00.000-04:00

My progress on creative projects can all too often be described as 'glacial'. As an amateur, I can take my time and create when I feel like it...

Here we have the first images of EXOVAN, from my 'workspace' in Alibre Design 3D CAD -- captured and cropped using Irfanview.

Not much to look at, but at least it's a visual. I'm still teaching myself to use this program, so these images are quite crude -- I might do better with a chunk of wood and a bandsaw. This form represents the beginnings of the body shape:

As you can see, the main body is roughly octagonal. Remember, all glass and body panels are flat. In this next view, I've highlighted the area of the rear portal in red:

There's a lot to add before this starts to look like it does in my head, and a pretty steep learning curve along the way. For now you'll have to imagine the Mattracks and the exoframe, not to mention windows and hatches. Also, many aspects are subject to change...

Updates when available.

Phil Smith
April 29, 2007

UPDATE

I've revised the rear portal, added cuts for the side portals and hollowed out the trackwells -- and for illustration purposes, the image below shows a hint of the interior:

...the side portals don't show up well in this next image, but you can see where I've altered the front for the forward portal. You may be able to see that the lower side panel is highlighted, which gives a sense of where the leading edge of the side portal is:

All these images are clickable for larger versions. Someone please remind me to alter the HTML here for a wider text body...

Phil Smith
April 30, 2007

UPDATE 2

...Altering the HTML for the previous template wasn't producing the results I wanted, so I've switched to a different one and tweaked it. The look of this blog will likely continue to change periodically.

Here we see a new cutout for the forward portal ("extrusion 30", highlighted in red):

The center front portal was causing problems. EXOVAN just isn't wide enough for it -- you either end up with a portal that is unacceptably narrow, or window framing (and an exoframe tube) directly in front of the driver. Moving the portal over to the passenger side solves other issues -- now we can get by with 2 windshield wipers (instead of 3), and there is room on the driver's side for a flush-mounted winch.

Yes, EXOVAN is now asymmetrical, making it just that much more outlandish...

UPDATE 3

Phil Smith
May 2, 2007

UPDATE 4

Now I'm just playing with my Mattracks simulations -- but in the process inching my way up that steep learning curve...

Phil Smith
May 3, 2007

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Introducing EXOVAN

2007-04-23T05:15:00.000-04:00

E X O V A N
by Tellurian Motors

At this very early stage, there are no images of this concept to share. As unique as its appearance will be, however, there will still be many features to explain -- so let's begin...

EXOVAN is so named because it is a van with an external frame, or 'exoframe'. An exoframe is a sort of evolution of an external rollcage. If you're building a vehicle that is meant to have such protection, as desert racers and rock crawlers have learned, it makes sense to design and engineer it right in, instead of adding it later.

Now you know -- this concept is a go-anywhere vehicle, one large enough to carry several people and their stuff. EXOVAN will have full bodywork within the frame, intersected by a few crossmembers. The interior bracing will be carefully placed, so as not to interfere with cargo and passengers.

For maximum mobility, EXOVAN will have four rubber tracks instead of conventional wheels and tires. A company called Mattracks makes these. They're designed to provide traction where even the biggest and most aggressively-tread tires will fail. As a side effect of their larger footprint, they don't tear up the soil as much as tires do, which is beneficial to the environment.

Mattracks is gearing up to produce the first vehicle designed specifically to use their track system, a small side-by-side 2-passenger off-roader called the Gladiator. It should be available in 2008. I didn't know about the Gladiator when I conceived EXOVAN, but was excited rather than upset to learn that it also has an exoskeletal frame as well as another feature important for serious off-roading -- four-track steer.

Few details have surfaced about the Gladiator. I don't know whether its four-track steering is constant, with the rears always turning opposite the fronts, but EXOVAN's is not. Just like the systems on monster trucks, EXOVAN's rear steer will be operated by a lever and can be turned in the same direction as the fronts if the driver so chooses. Unlike monster trucks, however, EXOVAN will employ a speed-sensitive lockout for the rear steer to prevent rollovers that could be caused by turning too sharply out on the highway.

Rollovers are something to be expected in off-roading, and they are indeed the main reason for this concept's exoframe. To help keep it from becoming stuck on its side or roof, much of EXOVAN's steel frame tubing will be mandrel-bent into graceful curves. Conversely, its rubber tracks will help put it back on its feet after a full rollover or when set right (with help from winches mounted front and rear, which will also be quite useful for rescuing other vehicles).

To help reduce damage, the exoframe will be covered in a material used for truck bed lining. Since a certain amount of damage can be expected, sections of the frame will be secured with bolts rather than welds, to be more easily removed for repair or replacement. For much the same reason, all body and glass panels on EXOVAN will be flat. Ease of repair can become an important feature in remote locations, after all.

Ground clearance also being very important, EXOVAN will employ a long-travel airbag suspension, adjustable to clear low overhead obstacles.

Since an adjustable airbag suspension requires an on-board air compressor, we might as well put it to other use. With no tires to air up and down, that use will be the pneumatic operation of fold-down steps incorporated into the lower halves of the hatches. The upper (glass) halves are electrically operated, sliding up between the roof and the exoframe, and can be left open while the vehicle is in motion.

In case of electrical and/or pneumatic failure, limited access can still be had through these portals, but one may rather use the conventional manual double doors at the rear. EXOVAN has three step hatches, one on each side and -- this is very unconventional -- one on the front.

The front hatch is in the middle, requiring a gap in the front of the exoframe. I'm quite prepared for this to be received as a controversial feature. If it is deemed necessary, EXOVAN can be redesigned with conventional front-hinged doors for the driver and forward passenger.

For a long time, I've wanted a Steyr-Daimler-Puch Pinzgauer 710K. When I learned about Mattracks, well of course my dream was updated to include them. As an automotive designer, I began to think about doing a rebody -- but since I'm quite fond of the way the Pinzgauer looks I didn't spend much time on sketches.

Better to design something new anyway, starting with Mattracks. What got me more interested in developing this concept was the idea of an exoframe. Somewhere in the back of my mind was my intention to make this an electric vehicle, and suddenly things started coming together...

There is one company in particular, Tesla Motors, that is at the forefront of electric vehicle technology. Their Tesla Roadster, to be released later this year, is a highly impressive showcase of performance, efficiency, reliability and range.

The Tesla Roadster is mid-engined, with a single drive motor supplying power to the rear wheels. EXOVAN could use one of these motors for the rear tracks and one for the fronts. A lithium-ion battery pack twice the size of the Roadster's positioned low in the chassis would give EXOVAN as low a center of gravity as possible for such a vehicle, allowing it to tackle steeper grades.

Independent control of the long-travel adjustable suspension at each track would increase mobility that much further, providing more traction and preserving an acceptable body angle -- to prevent (or at least stave off) that seemingly inevitable rollover. This independent control would also allow one corner to be lifted for track maintenance, obviating the need for a jack.

Its interior space could be used for any number of configurations and purposes. It could be a cargo van, luxurious passenger vehicle, television remote production unit, small camper, or ambulance. The possibilities are only limited by its dimensions. How big is it? On the outside, about as big as a full-size SUV. Inside, with driver and forward passenger positioned over the front tracks, EXOVAN will have more room than a minivan.

Mattracks has a Trail-R-Mate series -- a tracked trailer could be towed behind EXOVAN. Perhaps I will design an exoframe camping trailer to match, with a fold-out solar array on board capable of recharging its tow vehicle's battery pack...

As far as concept vehicles go, EXOVAN would not be terribly difficult to construct, especially for Tesla Motors. Other companies could be brought in on the project, at different levels of involvement, specifically Mattracks, Rhino Linings, and possibly Airbag Man (or some other suspension specialist).

All companies involved would benefit from the attention EXOVAN will generate when it hits the show circuit -- that is, if it ever gets built.

My hope is that someone at Tesla Motors reads this and takes interest; I'll be inserting the URL to this post in a comment or two on their blogs. In my opinion they are the only ones who could build EXOVAN. Without their technology... Well, it would just be an empty shell waiting for essential componentry.

Sure, something similar could be built on a Pinzgauer chassis and still be sensational, but built around Tesla Motors' technology it would be nothing short of spectacular.

As a self-taught amateur I really have nothing to lose by publishing my idea in this space. If they do become interested in EXOVAN, I'll have no answer for them when they ask what I want as compensation...

Okay, maybe a Tesla Roadster in Jet Black and a position as a design consultant? Wouldn't that be nice...

To anyone reading this: Feel free to posts comments, and I can be contacted privately here. I will gladly answer any questions.

I won't say that the next post will feature images of EXOVAN. I'm currently teaching myself to use a CAD program, hoping to do better justice to the concept than I could with a scanned pencil sketch. However I may get impatient with that process and proceed with a lower-tech approach. Meanwhile I may become inspired to use this space to write about other things...

Phil Smith
April 25th, 2007

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Welcome to the Factory Floor

2007-04-20T11:37:00.000-04:00

Hello and welcome to the Tellurian Motors blog.

You have likely not heard of Tellurian Motors before, and that is because the company exists only within my own mind. However I would very much like to make it a reality, and this blog is one step toward that goal.

All my life, I've been an automotive designer. As a small child, when I first began to draw, I made up my own cars and trucks. Later on I tried to draw existing vehicles, but always found it more interesting to try my hand at a new design. There was a time when I would fill several pages a day, not because anyone asked me to, but just for the sheer enjoyment of it.

Art teachers and guidance counselors in public school didn't pick up on this and push me to apply to a college with a decent Industrial Design program, but I myself didn't realize it was something I could turn into a career back then. Had someone suggested it, it might have changed my life...

No sense dwelling on the past. I wouldn't change a thing. Here I am at the age of 40, no longer able to deny what I am -- a self-taught, amateur automotive designer. When I close my eyes I see wheels and tires and fenders, windshields and doors and roofs. I see cohesive forms, expressions of an alternative definition of Performance Art.

I love to drive, feel more at home behind the wheel than anywhere else. I understand how things work, but am not much of a mechanic. I'm an artist, and my preferred medium is automotive design. Period. That's what and who I am, and I realized recently that my main goal should be getting at least ONE of my designs built.

A while back I figured, since furniture was something I could actually build myself, I should shift my focus a bit and work on that. I came up with some original ideas and learned woodworking, and the results were pretty cool -- but this was me plying the wrong trade.

In this space I'll be describing some of my original concepts, and supplying images when they're available. I also have ideas for customizing old cars, trucks and vans (tweaking other people's designs) and I hope my descriptions of those will have you picturing them nearly as well as I do. And, there are at least two vehicles that have gone out of production, that I feel should be brought back to life... They are both timeless and nearly perfect. One is iconic, the other almost unknown...

What you won't see are wildly impractical dream cars with features almost no one would appreciate. An automotive designer has to be part artist and part engineer, and I've been at this for decades.

My next post will be about a recent newcomer to my mental stable of concepts. This one is unique in several ways, not least of which in that I consider it to be worthy of the attention of a couple of innovative corporations -- yes, I think if I can get their attention, this is something that might actually get built. My feelings about this one are so strong that it is indeed the main reason for the creation of this blog. My URL can be slipped into any message I send them, and then they can navigate here to see and read about the sensational vehicle that will help promote both companies even if only one example is ever constructed.

Wish me luck.

Phil Smith
April 20, 2007

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