Made On Earth
Solar Dune Buggy
Brothers Michael and Kenny Ham have
a goal: to create cheap electric vehicles that
get people interested in renewable energy.
In 2009, they built Three-Wheeled Electric
Alternative by KinAesthetic Wind (TWEAK),
a solar-powered three-wheeler. “We wanted a
vehicle that could recharge itself,” says Kenny.
For help with their project, they offered an
extended learning course at the University
of New Mexico’s Los Alamos campus. “Our
students (eight men and two women) turned
out to be the perfect blend of age and experience,” says Michael, 30, a Ph.D. physicist in
computer vision research at the Los Alamos
National Laboratory. “They were solving
problems in ways we’d never dreamed.”
The group took a heap of parts — including an old classroom seat, the steering and
suspension components from a VW Beetle, a
sealed lead-acid battery, a solar battery charger, and three motorcycle tires — and turned
them into a dune buggy-like ride, all for about
$1,000. Two cordless drills supplied power to
the rear wheel through a series of old bicycle
parts and a motorcycle chain.
» Sun Cruiser:
makezine.com/go/tweak
—Laura Kiniry
Lissie Ham
22 Make: makezine.com/29
