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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Burger King - who is planning a makeover nationally, tried the MotionPower in New Jersey (http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/speed-bumps-that-also-generate-electricity/?ref=automobiles)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/motionpower.jpgJim Motavalli - BLOGS (http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com) - Oct 8, 2009

Still don't like speed bumps --Ed.

The Four Seasons hotel in Washington, just a dozen blocks from the White House, is approached not by a simple semicircular driveway, but by a covered porte cochère. On Monday, travelers arriving there by car will slow down for what looks like a speed bump, but is in fact a new way to generate electricity.

According to Meetesh Patel, president and chief executive of New Energy Technologies, a car passing over the company’s small ramp pushes down embedded actuators connected to a generator. New Energy Technologies isn’t being too specific about how its MotionPower device works or how much electricity is generated, but driving over the ramp turns on a green light — providing visual confirmation that the device is working....http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/speed-bumps-that-also-generate-electricity/?ref=automobiles

Actually it's only the journalist and the editor who mentions speed bumps and its this wording that does the device a disservice. As the spitting ignoramuses pointed out in the comments if you've already slowed down to the correct speed it causes a net energy wastage.

The device is actually meant for ramps designed to help slow vehicles down to a stop (example was a hotel entrance) or to a lower speed (example was a toll booth***). In effect it's a regenerative braking device. I'm sure all the hypermilers here see stop ramps as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. ;)

I have two issues with it:
1) Is the energy recovery really sufficient to recover the energy cost of installation and maintenance?
2) As more cars use regenerative braking and suspension systems will it cause a net efficiency loss in the future?

But I'm glad to see these systems in place since the more implementations there are the more efficiency can be improved.

*** Having recently, finally (inertia is costly ;) ), bought an E-ZPass I've found that at the tollbooth we use most frequently that I can lift off the gas when going 35mph at the last "Reduce Speed Now" sign and coast through. E-ZPass will, eventually, save us money on tolls but it also saves gas by avoiding a stop and will help us stay warmer because we won't have to lower the window in winter.

Hi All:

Motion Power with a poor vid embedded (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23404)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Still don't like speed bumps --Ed.

I'll join you on that one. They just installed some in our 15 mph zones here on base and all they do is contribute to the gas-brake-gas-brake syndrome.

Makes it much harder to coast through that section with all the people changing speed constantly.

The speed bumps are perfectly fine to cross at 20 mph, but people stil want to slow down to 5 going over them. Just to speed up to get to the next one 30' away.

Great. Transfer-of-wealth speedbumps. Your inertia transferred into their batteries. Look for them to show up in your bank's parking lot, as a supplement to overdraft fees. I demand wireless power transmission back into my car, with interest. ;)