Build this Car: 1000 hours, 2500 Bucks, 100 MPG
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 09.20.06
Jory Squibb built this handsome vehicle (the Moonbeam) from two old Honda scooters over the course of a year. It has a variable speed transmission, interior heat from water-cooling of the engine, and room for two intimate people. We love the way the roof works- a fine convertible when open, sealed tight when pulled shut. Top speed is only 45 mile per hour, but there are lots of low-speed urban vehicles around. Very simple controls- "I wanted to steer with handlebars using all the electrical controls, brakes, throttle, as well as the speedometer cluster. This is such a major simplification!" Not only that, Jory is kind enough to put full instructions and pictures on his website so that we can all start tomorrow. Jory says " "Moonbeam" is clunkier than I had hoped: a rolling tribute to all my mistakes. But being a prototype, and not a production car, its purpose is to try out an idea, which can then be later refined. Maybe you, yourself, will carry the project a step further! ::Jory Squibb via ::Business Week
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
I love it, it reminds me of the Isetta of the fifties :
http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/isetta-velam.html
Yes, it looks very much like the bubblecars of old...
Funny how things go in circles. The bubblecars were made to create affordable transport for those that needed it. Then changing styles and larger cars brought them into decline, finally something like safety standards probably killed them off.
Now, here is a guy building one in his garage ... and we think it's great. It's small, efficient, lightweight... a perfect city car.
Trouble is, if Ford or GM tried to produce something like this they'd never get it safety/type approved. It'd fail all the crash and impact tests and it would never be allowed anywhere near the road. No surprise that even a small car weighs around a tonne these days :(
How safe is it?
How clean is it using two old scooter engines?
If it were classified as a motorcycle (or scooter, which it's based on), you can probably forgo crash tests.
The idea of a tiny scooter or battery-assisted bicycle is great, but I think their functionality is in a different class than any type of car.
The moonbeam is pretty darn cool :)
erm, this was linked to for:
"S4: Substance, Sexiness, Style, Sustainability"
in the newsletter :\