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January 31, 2008
The Human Car ~ Gore Must Be Pleased
The Human Car has the power to revolutionize transport
The Human Car launched on April 22rd 2008 (Earthday) in South Menlo Park, Ca. This bi-directional human power interface harnesses all the large muscle groups of up to 4 people allowing users to easily cruise at speeds of up to 20 mph (45 mph with power assist). The machine offers a viable (preferable) alternative to the car in a wide range of scenarios.
A prototype vehicle (aka The Trouble Maker) can be seen on YouTube. This vehicle has been taken up to 80 mph on downhills. As well as cooperative power drive, coordinated leaning from the front is required to steer the vehicle. There are currently 4 pre-production prototypes of The Imagine, the next generation of HumanCar. This includes features such as: a exoskeletal safety cage and chassis that has been tested at up to 100 mph on salt flats; duel electric motors and variable human power input. It will also carry regular vehicle extras like a radio a trunk and wi-fi. It will retail at $15,000.
The HumanCar started life as a flash of inspiration in the mind of Charles Samuel Greenwood, an engineer and drag racer in the late sixties. The project has been passed down a generation to Charles’ son Chuck. Chuck has been making the most of the Silicon Valley’s explosion of clean-tech resources.
He is a member of the Green Technology Alliance and part of the Green Alley Project, which is taking over defunct car dealerships in South Melno and turning them into green-tech showrooms (including for the Tesla and Zap cars). His passion has made the HumanCar a reality and he clearly believes the machine has more to offer then simple transportation; test drivers regularly come back with their friends the following day, desperate for another ride. By all accounts the act of moving the vehicle together is a powerfully unifying and life affirming activity.
We have highlighted the multiple benefits of human powered transport before. The ubiquity of cheap energy from trapped sunlight, captured by prehistoric plants and now distilled into gas, has retarded the evolution of human powered transportation devices.
Our mass dependence on this cheap energy has profoundly changed the landscapes in which we live (urban sprawl, congested cities and out of town shopping malls) as well as the landscapes of our bodies. Rising gas prices (and the threat of peak oil), environmental damage (including global warming), new urbanism and health concerns now present a real opportunity to go back to the drawing board to explore new ways of getting around using human power.
The bicycle remains a triumph of human ingenuity and a supremely efficient way of moving from a to b. However, there are drawbacks for the cyclist, you are alone and vulnerable on your bike and when it rains… you get wet! The HumanCar changes all that by offering communal pulling power and a roof. In the future we may return to walkable communities in which we can shop, work and live without the need for machine transportation.
Until this time the HumanCar offers a great solution, allowing us to travel on existing road infrastructure without emitting green house gasses and with a range of personal benefits, from exercising the heart to putting an enormous smile on your face. Something tells me that even if we construct walkable eco-communities we will keep the HumanCars not for efficiency… just because they are fun.
Wild Thing's comment........
Yabba-Dabba-No-Frigging-Way! It reminds me of those old see-saw, hand pump railroad cars in Buster Keaton type movies.
I love my bicycle and ride it a lot, but I wonder how they get car up a hill. LOL
Posted by Wild Thing at January 31, 2008 01:55 AM
Comments
My company truck: 2007 Chevrolet K2500HD, Duramax Diesel with an Allison 6 speed Automatic and it's a 4x4.I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My CARBON FOOTPRINT is REALLY LARGE and I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: GMC at January 31, 2008 02:26 AM
They are called hand cars. The next generation was called motor cars. I am from a railroad town. It is why I went to sea for 20 years.
Posted by: GMC at January 31, 2008 02:28 AM
$15,000? For something you have to peddle yourself?
I don't think so. We have one used minivan because we have what they call "children." A pedal car is a toy for little ones.
These people are nuts!
Posted by: Lynn at January 31, 2008 05:12 AM
The Human Car will be test driven at Chapaquiddick by Ted Kennedy?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at January 31, 2008 06:01 AM
Even China has realized that to succeed they need to get away from the bicycle and join the 21st century, the left wants to accomplish that at our expense. Hence, we have Algore!!!!
Posted by: Jack at January 31, 2008 07:24 AM
So if you are going up hill with 4 people and you are half way up the grade, and someone gets a cramp what then.
And say you make it to the top of the hill in order to achieve the 80 mph down hill speed. In the whole article there is no mention of any braking system, how do you stop it in a hurry, aka, panic stop.
This could cause a problem for environmental weenies and PETA, if for example Bambi runs out in the middle of the road and stops, how do you stop. Do they come with 'Deer Whistles' ?
They don't mention either, how you get this thing out of the way of an 18 wheeler, driven by a man who has just spent 10 on the road, is tired, aggravated and hungry, and now he has to downshift to avoid steam rolling this piece of crap to keep from hitting the legitimate cars on the road.
I can think of a lot better ways to spend 15 Grand than on a POS like that. Like a brand new Hemi for my Dodge Ram.
Posted by: Mark at January 31, 2008 07:58 AM
I bet it can't do this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=HGwzM83Gm7k
Yes, that's me in my car.
Posted by: BobF at January 31, 2008 09:17 AM
Flintstones, meet the Flintstones.....
Posted by: Robocop at January 31, 2008 12:41 PM
It's amazing the lengths the so called "tree huggers" will go. The extremes.
If you make recycling mandatory, stop packaging things like they are Fort Knox, have good clean reliable public transportation and stop supporting communist China, it would do a world of good. And is all so easy.
It's little things. Use water bottles? Well use one more than once. Refill it. Going to the grocery store, use reusable bags or boxes in the back of your car. Need to make a beer run, ride your frickin bike.
It's all little small things that if everyone did it,it would go a long way. The paranoia and falsehoods being spewed from King Albore are just insane.
Posted by: Jenn at January 31, 2008 03:35 PM
A diesel truck can be human powered ...
One metric ton of dead hippies will produce, through heat depolymerization, 80 gallons of biodiesel.
If the tree huggers want me to use a human powered vehicle, they are all welcome to volunteer for depolymerization into my diesel tank.
They can think of it as the ultimate green act ... they will no loger be leaving a carbon footprint.
Posted by: Kristopher at January 31, 2008 05:44 PM
I already had one of these. It was my older brother's, and he was born in 1936. The car was made before WWII, was olive green, had a tiny rumble seat and had "Roadster" in silver letters on one fender. It had little peddles and solid rubber tires. It went to the dump in about 1950.
I'd prefer a Big Wheel, myself, but they came along when I was about thirty.
Posted by: Rhod at January 31, 2008 06:50 PM
The Human Car is $15,000 and an example of American ingenuity.
The Tata Nano, a real car, is $2,500 and an example of Indian ingenuity.
http://www.news.com/2300-11389_3-6225465-1.html
Yabba-Dabba and so much for American technological leadership in the world.
Posted by: Les at January 31, 2008 07:27 PM
My 1982 Yugo has 750,000 miles on it and still runs on 50% Evercleer and 50% Listerine! Yugo A Go Go 2008!
Posted by: drstrangeloveb52isok at February 1, 2008 12:13 AM
GMC that is neat, thanks for sharing about your truck too.
Where I grew up we lived a little way from the Railroad station and I remember seeing one of those hand cars at the railroad station.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:15 AM
Lynn, yes it is expenseive especially when it is the person or people that do all the work. It might be fun around a safe country type area with friends but not if there is a hill. giggle
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:17 AM
Darth, that is what he should have been using I agree.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:19 AM
Jack, yes they sure do want to make we tax payers pay the price.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:22 AM
Mark, Yes and I hadn't even thought of how to stop it once a person gets to the top of a hill and is having fun going full speed down it. Big huge yikes. A soft tres? No such thing. haha
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:25 AM
Bob, I LOVE it, thanks for the link.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:26 AM
Robocop, hahahah yes.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:28 AM
Jenn, yes I think Al Gore is nuts. Amazing that he even has followers for his baloney.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:31 AM
Kristopher, LOL good one.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:32 AM
Rhod, oh wow. Thanks for sharing about that.
The closest I had when I was a kid was one of those boxes and wheels where it was like a bicycle inside of a box. Like a go cart type thing.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:35 AM
Les, oh my gosh I never saw that before. Thanks for the link to the Tata Nano. Interesting.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:37 AM
drstrangeloveb52isok, LOL sooo funny.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 1, 2008 12:39 AM
