Z-Kart is the name of George Fortin’s newest vehicle. Called by some a contraption, and by others an image of a dream, the Z-Kart doesn’t have at all any of the safety requirements of a modern automobile. It is rather a four-wheel carriage that drives electrically, but what’s most important, though, is that it’s made in a garage… in California.
Speed is not a strong spot of Z-Kart, since it can only reach 40 mph, with Mr. Fortin’s hopes of reaching 50 by changing the gear set. The range is not impressive, either.
Let’s be honest, what do you expect from a home-built electric vehicle, when big car manufacturers with infinite more possibilities only brag about 100 miles for a standard car, at best?
Fortin built his Z-Kart by using a 72-volt DC motor and fueled it with the electricity generated by 6 lead acid batteries, just because that was the cheapest option available.
The chassis is made from solid polyethylene and the rear hubs are from aluminum. The kart itself is a hybrid between different types of vehicles, with parts taken from vehicles in the range of go-carts to motorcycles and dune buggies.
Congratulations, George! Your project proves the world one more time that not only the big ones can do stuff, and that electric vehicles are much easier to build than gasoline ones. Their lack of complexity can make every DIY enthusiast build one for their own small needs.
Some need to go shopping, others may use them to carry the kids to the nearby school, or others just for fun. This type of cars, despite their security certifications, should be made available as kits that anyone with some handiness could assemble. Just like they do with bicycles, the most unsafe and though most used vehicles… at least in some parts of the world.
[via ecofriend]
