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.
volkswagen beetle transformation 1
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
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