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In the fast lane

My First Car Jack Keller Sr., 82, Belleair Bluffs '42 Buick "Sedanette": My dad always favored Buicks, so I bought this used beauty for $1,600. This car was one of the last ones built during World War II. This is my wife, Jeanne, sitting on the fender.

By Times Wires
Published September 17, 2007

Drive 500 miles without any gasoline?

An Austin, Texas, startup called EEStor is promising "technologies for replacement of electrochemical batteries," meaning a motorist could plug in a car for five minutes and drive 500 miles roundtrip between Dallas and Houston without gasoline. "It's a paradigm shift," said Ian Clifford, CEO of ZENN Motor Co., which has licensed EEStor's invention. "The Achilles' heel to the electric car industry has been energy storage. By all rights, this would make internal combustion engines unnecessary." EEStor's secret ingredient is a material sandwiched between thousands of wafer-thin metal sheets, like a series of foil-and-paper gum wrappers stacked on top of each other. Charged particles stick to the metal sheets and move quickly across EEStor's proprietary material. The result is an ultracapacitor, a battery-like device that stores and releases energy quickly. Skeptics fear the claims stretch the bounds of existing technology to the point of alchemy. "We've been trying to make this type of thing for 20 years and no one has been able to do it," said Robert Hebner, director of the University of Texas Center for Electromechanics. "Depending on who you believe, they're at or beyond the limit of what is possible."

Lawmakers target distracted teens

At least 12 states are considering bills banning teens from using electronic equipment while driving, according to AAA. At least 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed bans. In California, legislation introduced by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, would ban 16- and 17-year-olds from using any electronic device while driving - cell phones, text-messaging devices, laptop computers, pagers, etc., even those with "hands-free" features. Violators would get a $20 fine for the first offense and a $50 fine for subsequent offenses, but they wouldn't get points on their records.

Chrysler joins diesel truck brigade

Chrysler LLC says it will build a diesel-powered version its light-duty pickups after 2009. Previously, Chrysler, like other automakers, put diesel engines only in heavy-duty versions of its pickup trucks. General Motors and Ford also plan diesel-powered versions of their light-duty pickup trucks in the coming years.

My First Car Jack Keller Sr., 82, Belleair Bluffs

'42 Buick "Sedanette": My dad always favored Buicks, so I bought this used beauty for $1,600. This car was one of the last ones built during World War II. This is my wife, Jeanne, sitting on the fender.

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[Last modified September 17, 2007, 01:27:14]