Back in 2008, Terry Hope set out to create a personal micro mobility electric vehicle unlike any other. Hope spent more than 1,000 hours researching and then developing a vehicle that met his four important goals:
- Engineer an electrical circuit with a mechanical system to capture, store and harvest electrical power.
- Use alternative energies for a prototype electro-solar hybrid.
- Eliminate greenhouse gas emissions or carbon footprint by recharging the battery pack off-the-grid.
- Construct a vehicle with a small enough foot print to be stowed away inside a Samsonite suitcase for transport.
The resulting vehicle, called The Hybrid Electric Kinetic Photovoltaic Vehicle (THEKPV), can charge emissions free by utilizing the integrated solar array, can convert alternating current and solar radiation into DC power on demand, features a high-output A123 Systems LiFePO4 battery pack and four Maxwell Technologies BOOSTCAP ultracapacitors. In short, it’s a technological marvel that must be seen to fully understand how it all comes together. So, hop the jump to watch the KPV in action, and, while you’re at it, hit up THEKPV site as well. Hat tip to Terry!
[Source: The KPV]
The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.
