Diesel Mopeds?

Diesel Mopeds?

A blogger named Eric Rucker has this thread on his site, speculating on the creation of an open-source design for an 18cc diesel engine for motorizing bicycles that would provide 200-400 miles per gallon and could possibly be run off of vegetable oil. The thread is getting a little stale, but as the comment below shows, has some definite upsides, were it to be worked out. Most of the commentary and links here are too technical me, not being an engine... um, engineer, but I'd sure like to encourage anyone who has the skills for this type of thing to take a look.

- As to the potential market, it could be huge. I can see the millions of peasants and lowly paid city dwellers around the world with mild to temperate weather, who make minimum wage and who must commute long distances by human pedaling bykes or worst, in public buses, with fares eating deeply into their meager salaries and taking a lot of commuting time. For these people, a very high mpg, high torque at low rpm (less wear, safer speeds) micro diesel, purchaseable thru low interest micro-credits, could make a huge difference in quality of life (more time for family or own micro businesses (micro-taxis, small cargo deliveries, etc), with increased safety (flywheel solid state generator for lights/radio). I for one, would just enjoy puttering along on leasurely drives at 200-300 mpg- And then there is the possibility of using bio-diesels. Oh boy. Just love the thought of it. Anonymous commentor