Hydrogen cars

Hydrogen cars are not only the future,

they are here, now. When hydrogen
cars become the status quo, the U. S.
can lessen its dependence upon foreign
oil, achieve lower prices at the fuel
pumps and cut down on the greenhouse
gases that produce global warming. The
future of hydrogen cars is not a pipe
dream, as there are already many
hydrogen fuel cell cars and H2ICE vehicles on the roads. California, Japan and the
European Union (especially Germany) have many hydrogen fuel cars being used as fleet
vehicles now. n 2005, Honda leased the first commercial hydrogen car to a family in
Redondo Beach, California, (pictured above). In 2008, the Honda FCX Clarity became
the first production line built hydrogen fuel cell lease vehicle rolled out to the same
family plus dozens others.

For the past 28 years, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has been conducting
research on hydrogen fuel cells for use in transportation, industry and residential use.
According to the LANL, "Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Research at Los Alamos has made
significant technological advances in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells,
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC), and related technologies such as the electrolyzer (a
fuel cell in reverse, liberating hydrogen from electricity and pure water)."

Motorcycle

A motorcycle (also called a motorbike, bike, or

cycle) is a single-track, two-wheeled motor
vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending
on the task for which they are designed, such as
long distance travel, navigating congested urban
traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road
conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most
affordable forms of motorised transport in many
parts of the world and, for most of the world's
population, they are also the most common type of
motor vehicle. There are around 200 million
motorcycles (including mopeds, motor scooters
and other powered two and three-wheelers) in use
worldwide, or about 33 motorcycles per 1000 people. This compares to around 590
million cars, or about 91 per 1000 people. Most of the motorcycles, 58%, are in the
developing countries of Asia—Southern and Eastern Asia, and the Asia Pacific countries,
excluding Japan—while 33% of the cars (195 million) are concentrated in the United
States and Japan. As of 2002, India with an estimated 37 million motorcycles/mopeds
was home to the largest number of motorised two wheelers in the world. China came a
close second with 34 million motorcycles/mopeds.

Auto

An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler (tuk-tuk, trishaw, auto, rickshaw, autorick,

bajaj, rick, tricycle or baby taxi in popular parlance) is a motor vehicle and a mode of
transport for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the
traditional rickshaw or velotaxi, a small three-wheeled cart operated by a single
individual, and is a 3-wheeled cabin cycle. Auto
rickshaws can be found in many Asian countries
such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, the
Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, as
well as in Guatemala and some African countries
such as Ethiopia, Sudan, and in some parts of
Egypt. An auto rickshaw is generally characterized
by a sheet-metal body or open frame resting on
three wheels, a canvas roof with drop-down sides,
a small cabin in the front of the vehicle for the driver (sometimes called an auto-wallah),
and seating space for up to three passengers in the rear. They are generally fitted with an
air-cooled scooter version of a two-stroke engine, with handlebar controls instead of a
steering wheel. Many auto rickshaws follow the original design of the Piaggio Ape C,
from 1956, which was originally based on the Vespa. Auto rickshaws are light duty
vehicles.

cycle rickshaw

The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local

means of transport; it is also known by a
variety of other names such as pedicab,
bikecab, cyclo, becak, or trishaw or, simply,
rickshaw which also refers to auto
rickshaws, and the, now uncommon,
rickshaws pulled by a person on foot. Cycle
rickshaws are human-powered, a type of
tricycle designed to carry passengers in
addition to the driver. They are often used on a for hire basis. Cycle rickshaws are widely
used in major cities around the world, but most commonly in cities of South, Southeast
and East Asia.

Tempo

One of the rarest vehicles that appears in the period photographs section, is this
interesting military-spec Tempo Matador. I think this photo was taken in Germany, but
I'm not 100% sure which Air Force was using this unusual pickup. TAF suggests Tactical
Air Force, but I'm sure someone will tell me exactly who used this van, registered 26 AR
07. Is this an RAF vehicle? Memories of a Tempo Matador at RAF Schleswig in
Northern Germany.
Roger dropped me a note in 2009, with his
memories of just such a vehicle at a
German RAF base in the 1950s: "I was
amazed to see your photo of the RAF
Tempo Matador and I noticed your asking
for any further information. I might be able
to help a bit with that. My father worked
for the Air Ministry Works Department
(AMWD) as a Station Engineer. The
AMWD was responsible for all the
facilities management and maintenance on
RAF airfields throughout the world and
therefore attached to the RAF. It was a
British civilian staffed organisation which at that time came under the management of the
Air Ministry in Whitehall. In the mid to late fifties we lived at RAF Schleswig in
Northern Germany and like at other camps we lived at, my Father had a fleet of vehicles
under his management and in this instance, were mainly driven by German civilian
drivers.