Finally, a great innovation for highways…
…especially in the area I live in. As most people who live around the North Carolina area like I do, you know that one of the most dangerous things we have to deal with during the winter is black ice patches. That would be when during the day, the temperature is warm enough to not freeze rain that falls, but during the night, the water freezes. When it does that, the ice is transparent and typically the only way to tell is when you see a reflection on the road or when you start slipping. It appears that a French company called Eurovia has created a new temperature-sensitive coating that can be applied to road surfaces to signify when the temperature of the road drops below 33°F. So, when the temperature is above freezing, the coating is transparent and then when it drops, the color changes to a dark pink.
This would help salt trucks to identify trouble spots when they happen and could help cities to determine if they need to salt some sidewalks prior to pedestrians slipping on it. There are some obstacles that need to be overcome, such as the durability of the coating and the lasting power of the pigment when exposed to high levels of UV rays from the sun. They are also trying to refine the night visibility of the coating as well. Definitely a step in the right direction, especially if it can be done for a good price.
Click the image to make it bigger!
Product Info -Eurovia-
Retrieved from -NewScientistTech-
A few other high gas mileage cars I considered….
…but found that there were some limiting issues. Another car I had been intrested in was the Honda FCX Clarity which is a purely hydrogen based car. Main limitation…only available in Southern California due to that is the only location of fueling stations right now. I have no clue how long it will take to make hydrogen refueling stations around the nation a standard.
The other one is something the brother-in-law brought up. The Th!nk car (from Norway) is another option, but like most hybrid vehicles, the problem is the price being too high for what it is. The Th!nk will start at $25,000 for the two seater version. Compare that to the Smart car which starts at $14,000 for the same size. It will take a long time to recover that in gas cost. The other problem I have heard of with battery cars is the expensive cost of battery replacement. One thing I have to give the Th!nk car is this, I love the look of one of their investors…take a gander at Mr. William E. “Willber” James…how could you not trust that face?
All to be played by ear I guess. I have two years to think on it anyway!
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