Car drives on energy you harvest in one day

Will it be possible for a new design of car to redress the imbalance that exists between much of technology and nature? Designer and engineer Jim Kor believes so and set out to build one of the most world’s most environmentally-sustainable powered vehicles; the Urbree is designed to efficiently store and use exactly the amount of solar and wind energy you can collect on the roof of a one-car garage in one day.

Before Jim Kor embarked on the Urbree project he posted on the walls of his workshop the following design ideals his team was to follow:

• Use the least amount of energy possible for every kilometre travelled.
• Cause as little pollution as possible during manufacturing, operation and recycling of the car.
• Use materials available as close as possible to where the car is built.
• Use materials that can be recycled again and again.
• Use parts and materials that last as long as possible.
• Be simple to understand, build, and repair.
• Be as safe as possible to drive.
• Meet the standards and regulations applicable to traditional cars.
• Be buildable in small quantities so we don't have to wait for it to become more widely accepted before we can begin manufacturing it for the public.
• Be mass-producable so it can be built more economically once it becomes more widely accepted.
• Be affordable.
• Be visually appealing.

The resulting Urbee is a two-passenger electric/ ethanol hybrid car designed to be incredibly fuel efficient, easy to repair, safe to drive, and inexpensive to own.

There is much about Urbee that is highly innovative including bodywork that is produced using 3D printers.

The engineers Kor Ecologic sought to maximize the efficiency of their design in every area; a slippery body shape halves the drag of a traditional sports car and large diameter motorcycle tyres inflated to high pressure keep the contact surface with the road as small as possible thereby reducing rolling resistance.

By reducing the maximum speed and acceleration of the Urbee compared to most other cars it has been possible to dramatically reduce the horsepower required – the smaller engine is lighter and helps boost range.