MADEONEARTH
First Comes Love
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
