The Human Powered Car
Seattle company HumanCar®, founded by Charles S. Greenwood PE, has been developing human powered vehicles for over 30 years. Their showcase creation is the human car, a 4-wheel, 4-passenger vehicle that can achieve remarkable speeds of 60+ mph! Unfortunately the car is not available to the public, the orginal prototype cost $250,000. The stated goal of the project is to develop efficient transportation alternatives that inspire a “sense of an evolving socioeconomical model”. According to HumanCar®, “The time is drawing near when all of the elements – manufacturing, marketing, and product optimization – come together in a cost effective and aesthetically pleasing form.”
HumanCar® Sales Brochure (PDF)
ImagineTM Pre-Order Information
Thanks to HumanCar® Inventor, Charles S. Greenwood PE, for providing this information, more to come!
HumanCar® Resources
- HumanCar® – Official website for the HumanCar®, A street legal human powered car.
- Overview, About, Design, Blog, FAQ, Press Releases, Team Building, Applications, Videos
- HumanCar Videos on YouTube – A fullscreen YouTube playlist for the human car.
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August 22nd, 2007
zero emission – ??? what about the gaseous, liquid and solid wastes produced by the engines?
January 15th, 2008
This car is sick, where do i get me one of these?
February 21st, 2008
I say this is totally useless in some aspects. For one, it can never be a family car, where would the baby sit? It can probably be used as a method of working out but it doesn’t seem like you’d actually need a license to drive the damn thing. Younger childern could get a hold of it and it’d be a major safety risk due to the fact that it doesn’t look like it can be locked up. Not only that, but how about the elderly and disabled? Where would they be seated and how could they drive the contraption?
March 8th, 2008
I can respond to the obvious answers of the above post from Amanda. Fair questions, here’s the breakout. First, child seats, cargo, the disabled and elderly each work with HumanCar technology. In fact, adaptability is central to design. RFID lockout mode for safety. It’s usefulness is all about being used on a daily basis. In final analysis it may Increase mobility of the disabled and elderly. The form evolves….
March 12th, 2008
I think the human powered autos are great, and I also have a concept human powered vehicle, but I have no capital to investigate or explore the possibility of real life testing. If you would like to hear more or have any insight on the matter please contact me. At present i live in Germany, but plan to move to Washington state in the future.
April 25th, 2008
What happens when the people running the machine get tired? And how do you drive?
May 14th, 2008
What about rain and snow?
May 22nd, 2008
It’s a neat and novel design and idea… but not practical for any thing other than weekend tooling around…. no storage.. requires 4 people… requires constant energy from the riders…
June 17th, 2008
So negative … “Totally useless”. Geez, better than $5/gal. Car pooling in nice weather? … For safety, though, I’d be worried about merge time. Combine with electric and slap a roof on it?
July 12th, 2008
In two videos (1:50 and 2.37 min), near the end, these four guys blew the stop sign. If you keep blowing stop signs, then instead of a green-car, you could end up in a red-mess.
August 4th, 2008
I like the idea of the car. As was stated in another part of the video you could pick the style of body that you wanted. Could it be run by just two people, hmmm. Seems like that would be a possibility. Storage of groceries and such could be a part of the body style. I saw somewhere that it could reach speeds of 60mph, hmmmm, maybe downhill?
August 21st, 2008
I think it’s fanfabulous. Come on people stop being so blasted negative. At almost $5 a gal for gas, I would buy it and my husband and I are in our sixties. Love it, love it love it. Joan
September 4th, 2008
Amanda, it doesn’t have to be the new car of the world, its just an awesome car, that if you can use, saves money.
October 1st, 2008
I love to see people coming up with alternatives. I would love to see more. Trying to come up with ideas to get around with out using oil is great. A one or two person, with a place to put my golf clubs would be great.
October 8th, 2008
Anybody here seen the dog powered scooter?
I just got mine..My dogs love it..
Yea, yea, Maybe its just a fun way of walking the dogs..
But its a gas free way to go up to the corner store thats a mile away
October 8th, 2008
Uh – Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble were way ahead of these guys. Cavemen were very inventive and have been portrayed as primitive whereas in reality they were quite advanced for their time. Cavewomen like Wilma and Betty were also very advanced, that’s how they got Pebbles and Bam Bam. Hellllo!
October 10th, 2008
Why not a car based on principals of less work to generate a longer lasting charge, something along the lines of how the Flintstones started their “cars” by lifting them and then running. The natural motion of the human body in the state of running could “re-generate” energy needed in the motor. Think human powered gyroscopes basically. At optimum energy release the average human body emits (hope I spelled that right) more than 700 Watts of kinetic energy? Go figure.
October 10th, 2008
Totally different field here. But we all know those horrible Amber Alerts? Why not develop cost efficient laser x-ray systems (powered by generators that generate energy from automobile and pedestrian traffic) at stop lights and stop signs, on major highways and roads with central police huds. So when one of those alerts go out a central computer to that state/city/region notifies all known systems and will regulate and x-ray (as well as infrared for body heat and heart monitoring units (UT)to see body heat sig’s. and low level sounds as heart beats, murmurs, whimpers kidnap victims that may be in trunks or the like) all vehicles in the immediate vicinity?
October 12th, 2008
They need to make one for those of us old farts with bad backs, just watching those folk wrench back and forth made my back hurt! Why not make it with pedals?
October 12th, 2008
Reminds me of a bunch of guys rowing a roman galley. Just needs a guy beating a drum and one with a whip and we could get some serious speed out of one of these. Seriously though I would think the less people you had in one the less weight so two people should be able to make one go maybe not as fast.
October 12th, 2008
I don’t know how anyone could vote against the idea of a human-powered car. I’ve had the same idea for years with some modifications that could make this thing go faster, be safer, and only require one person supplying the energy. What you “simple-minded” people who vote “nay” on this idea forget, is, just because this is a simple idea and a simple prototype, is that it lays the ground work for all possible future advancements. We aren’t driving Model-T’s anymore, are we? But look what they lead to! Some people have no imagination. I think our government should pump some $ into this idea. By the way, government grants may be available for YOU to improve on this idea. At the very least voice your ideas and concerns. Others can build off your input. Rev up your brains and think of the possiblilites instead of being so negative.
October 13th, 2008
Think about the benefit to families and the environment in the over-populated cities of Asia and India. They already will squeeze three or four people on a bicycle. This would be a great transition for those families wanting to hop right into a fuel powered vehicle and might buy those governments some time to get their pollution emission problems in check. Have you thought of incorporating a magnetic motor into the equation to increase torque and decrease resistance to the operators?
October 21st, 2008
IT will give you more stamina in the sack jack.
October 22nd, 2008
Hey, I was a back seat driver in this HumanCar – Sept. 08. It is not so much work y’all!
I also lived in Asia… they would LOVE it! And, they wouldn’t whine like westerners do…
December 19th, 2008
I think this car is awesome! With a little more battery power it can do everything that you would need in a suburban environment.
January 8th, 2009
Somebody should invent something like this that a single person can use, maybe like a motorcycle? But then the rowing might get uncomfortable, so why not use pedals? It sounds like a pretty good idea on paper, but i think people would rather pay for expensive cars and gas.
January 29th, 2009
Hmmm… it says that it goes 60mph, but, that is COASTING downhill. Hmmm…
February 26th, 2009
That’s 60mph around a corner my man – do the research, this is race car technology not some 3 wheeler that flips over at 20mph – this is the real deal – plus like Jiffy Dog said it makes you cut from head to toe.
March 24th, 2009
Nothing wrong with a car that also lets you get some exercise! It may not be for everyone, but it could be just right for many!
March 29th, 2009
This car is ok but also another advanced one seater was the “pedicar ” of the 70’s . Here is a website for more info on it! It was an all enclosed vehicle with a 5 speed and reverse and had a straight line pedal motion . This car was discontinued and is no longer made it cost $550.00 . If this pedicar was made today with a sportier body and a two seater it would sell like hot cakes!
http://www.geocities.com/aircooledvair/pedicar.html
and
http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1972-10/1972-10-17-NBC-33.html
and
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_pedicar
and
http://www.geocities.com/ahotvair/human_powered_pedal_car_1.html
November 12th, 2009
I see only three problems:
1. Drivers, if they’re anything like voters, are destructive ignorami. And many are steering three tons of metal at over a mile a minute while eating a burrito and talking on the cellphone.
2. Most cities are designed for cars, not for people. It’d take generations to fix that.
3. Politicians will oppose you until you’re big enough to make fat campaign donations.
November 16th, 2009
Andy is right, actually most people wouldn’t give up the easiness of a car ( gas would have to be about 10 dollars or more a gallon for them to even think harder about that (not all people but most ) and their would (because of the collision factor almost need to have a area for pedal cars “like a bike path ” which almost assuredly will never happen .
So meanwhile in area’s that would allow it pedal cars would have to share the inner city roads .
this is not to discourage anyone from the adult pedal car idea i am slowly working on my own version i am using an abf berg pedal kart am planning on raising the body height , add 20 bicycle wheels and add an 18 speed derailer bicycle system and finally a light weight body . and eventually something i call turbo boost that will allow the car to take off fast from stop signs etc. so always keep an open mind its better than just giving up .
December 17th, 2009
I want to participate in the first HumanCar 500…
Natural NASCAR… FORMULA FITNESS… Sweat Box Derby… Peddle Passion…
Inspiring, innovative and ingenious. Keep it going, no pun intended.
Cheers,
Dave
December 19th, 2009
This is great, but I’m looking for something that is designed around the natural movements of the human form. The human being is designed to walk and run long distances – upright. The seated and bicycle models for human movement aren’t great for the joints and muscles (particularly the knees, hamstring and lower back) over the long term and tend to require people to already be athletic. Most of these human powered models seem to be prioritizing speed. Is there anything out there prioritizing HOW the human body is used? Essentially, I’d like to “walk/run” 150 miles without it taking all day, have a vehicle that exponentially increases my speed and allows me to use the roadways.
February 4th, 2010
Mr. Lonnie Hensley is describing the PEDICAR from back in the 70s, it was an invention of my father’s that never panned out the way he intended. His design is very unique, and it was meant to be used by both fit an unfit alike. In the development phase of the project, he was endorsed by Dr. Paul Dudley White, a former US President’s personal physician (or so I was told at the time, I haven’t checked that out) but this Dr. drove the Pedicar up a flight of stairs outside the capital building in (Hartford?) when he was in his 80’s… I have driven it myself, it was a very unusual and easy drive, fully self contained. He had an order for 10,000 units from the Army, but manufacturing fell apart.
It was awesome!