After playing all sorts of high jinks with a working 37-year-old Volkswagen Beetle, the engineering students at the University of B.C., Vancouver, have finally decided to transform the gas-guzzler into an electric machine. They hope to drive the car along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler at the 2010 Winter Games. They will not only endow the $2,400 vintage car with some respect, but will also make it a model for sustainable, zero emission transportation.
How will they do it
The upgrading process includes the replacement of the vehicle’s engine with an electric motor, and swapping the fuel tank with six-time more efficient batteries. The students expect that the refurbished car could easily do 80 kilometers for four-hour charging of its batteries. Mind you, they received a $10,000 aid from UBC’s electrical engineering department to cover the car’s purchase and equipment.
Next mission
Once the Olympics are over, their next goal will be to enter the UN-sponsored Zero Emission race in June of 2010, launching in California. For this, they will have their car fitted with a 250 kilometers capacity motor enabling it to travel 500 kilometers a day for about 80 days for the 30,000-kilometer trip.
Via: The Vancouver Sun