Eco Factor: Zero emission electric car made from recycled materials.
Electric cars of today need to be cheap if manufacturers want them to be adopted globally. While most auto manufacturers are struggling to bring down the cost of their green rides, Robert Lange, a retired auto mechanic from California, has developed an all-electric vehicle for just $500.
The car, dubbed B.O.B or Balanced-Over-Batteries Car, was designed following the example of skateboard trucks, which adjust the angle of the wheels according to the tilting movement produced. The weird name of the vehicle comes from the placement of the batteries, which are hidden below the passenger cockpit, which apart from powering the vehicle also act as a counterbalance when the vehicle is leaning.
The clever balancing technique also ensures that the vehicle can easily be turned without the need of a power steering. Apart from running on a zero-emission electric engine, the vehicle is made from recycled materials. The front and the rear differentials came from 1975-76 Pintos, brakes from a Yamaha Motorcycle and the steering mechanism is adapted from a helicopter tail-rotor gearbox.
The vehicle has two speeds, which can be switched by altering the voltage reaching the motors from 36 – 72 volts. The use of reclaimed materials pulled down the cost of the vehicle considerably, and the designer claims that the total cost of the vehicle came in at around $500.
Via: Diseno-Art
