In case you never got around to building an open source solar vehicle (MAKE, Volume 01, page 44), get ready for the next generation. What may well be the world’s first solar baby carriage was tested early this year, at temperatures far below freezing.
“Useless parking lots can be phased out immediately,” announced maker Jeff Dekzsty. Easier said than done, but with cars now severely restricted in Central London, and oil prices well on their way up, he may be onto something.
At its preliminary test, the Vee-P1 sped along at 20 kph (about 12 mph, as fast as a bicycle), carrying about 180 lbs., but can be converted to go up to 80 kph ( 50 mph, not recommended with babies on board). A slim 31 inches wide, it can easily go right into stores, alongside shopping carts and wheelchairs.
“Producing your power where you use it has become the premium world directive,” says Dekzsty. He should know — his devotion for the past five years to home-built, open source solar vehicles has led him to be called “the solar knight” in some
circles. A visit to solarvehicles.org yields food for thought as well as blueprints. One of the FUQ (frequently unasked questions) posted is “Why are all the answers to my questions so complicated and political?”
While he readily acknowledges his debt to other innovators, Dekzsty and his fellow crusaders have been tireless in their pursuit of a vehicle that will be the end of the “Death-Motor State.” The solar pram is merely the latest in a long line of vehicles and endless experimentation with various components. “Ah, research,” he sighs. “There’s really nothing like it under the sun (or moon).”
—Arwen O’Reilly
Solar vehicles: solarvehicles.org
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