HumanCar Test Drive

While I find it very disturbing that the batteries are toxic, or so says most of the responders thus far, I have to admit, I liked everything about this vehicle except for the price. I am a recently returned Peace Corps volunteer without a job or a vehicle living at home until I find both and everything in me wants this vehicle for myself but also as a consciousness-raiser for those around me. I live in South Carolina deep in Red State JesusLand and while it might sound judgmental, I feel that there are many in my community who need the breath of fresh air up their skirts that the sight of one of these machines rolling through town would be. all that said... 15.5K?? Even 5K would be pushing it for me but I'm probably not the targeted consumer humancar is going after.. Maybe post the plans for the home garage tinkerer, that might be the ticket to changing the world..?? Outsource to other parts of the US, WHY WHY WHY was this treasure in Korea? My grandfather, who retired from New Process Gear, told me that the existence of the Asian auto industry can be traced back to when the General Motors higher-ups sold out the company and led a group of Asian entrepreneurs through their factories for cash. The one thing worse to the bottom line than garage tinkerers ripping-off your ideas is China or Japan doing the same thing and the profit not even staying at home...

Hello everyone- happy to chime on this thread as there's quite a bit of confusion here. I can hit some bullets for you.

In hopes to create an intelligent discussion vs. non-researched and frankly naive (Mr. Rasmussen?) dialogue I can set the record straight...

* I'm not the inventor- Charles Samuel Greenwood P.E. is the inventor/engineer
* What you see is a research vehicle that creates 3.1kW mobile
* Engineering http://humancar.com/design.htm
* We have been in this long enough to see psychological reflections emerge from miscomprehension of design/application such above (idea: perhaps just Google a topic before you make uninformed claims to the entire world with your first and last name - our engineering dept. among other areas is the world authority on the stress analysis of treehouse design see http://treehouseengineering.com/
* Large departments of engineers have failed to recreate the HC interface- there's more technology in the HC X-Axle than we can mention here. Takeaway - it's DARPA level engineering.

Bottom line: Subjectively it's a fight or flight response to defend the actual physical component of operating the device. If you are scared that's OK.

Yes, it's 100% full body and (the original geometry mule FM4) has 1000's of operators and hundreds of miles on it. This vehicle the Imagine PS is a platform for an array of vehicles we are building right now.
* The vehicle may operate one a SuyncGuideway http://humancar.com/synchguideway.htm

No it's not designed or should be operated at highway speeds. This falls into the 'duh' category

This system is currently the highest output human powered device in the world @ 3.1kW - and yes it has 110v AC out-

Prof. Greenwood P.E. created 1.1 hp BY HIMSELF for SBS Korean TV

An entire line of vehicles and home power stations dovetail from this project

A measured percentage of people is calculated (especially in the USA) to fail the comprehension test so in a way (some of) the above posts are a bulls-eye to our non-comprehension data. It's all good.

4,000 lb vehicles are boat anchors and the 350kg vehicle class is the next deal.

Other vehicles in this space will be known as 'humancars'

We will see a human-electric from eg BMW w/in 24 months...

thanks- Chuck G CEO HC Inc.

Matt- Might I recommend the site of Derk Thys to you to answer your question?

http://rowingbike.com/site/EN/

He's one of the main developers of rowingbikes in the world. His bikes are quite powerful human powered bikes that do very well in both races and as commuter-bikes.

From his bikes to the Himancar with electrical assistance is just a small step.

how the hell do you steer? Just thinking about how you would swerve whilst "rowing"...

ernest: by the looks of it its a kind of rowing machine set up: the poewer still comes from the legs, arm are just for holding on.