Open Source Car
OSCar - biofuels would fuel the OSCar. There exist several attempts at an open source car worldwide, all of which remain without product to date. We propose a pusher trailer - where a hybrid trailer pushes any lightweight, gutted chassis from behind - as Phase 1. This would prove the integration of an engine power source (initially preferred to be fueled by free waste vegetable oil) with electrical generation, wheel electric motors in the trailer, motor controls, and electric braking. Once this is proven, then an open source platform for designing cars from the ground up will exist. The key is cost control, initially by adopting surplus components, and eventually, by producing open source components and materials. Evolved phases involve aluminum structure, scaleable wheel motors, regenerative breaking, and motor controls - all open source. Distributed production is an automatic possibility.
Collaboration
Review of Project Status
8.28.07
OSCar is presently defining the design for scaleability. One may want to review prior work done by us here and other groups:
- http://www.theoscarproject.org/ - German project
- http://www.authenticbusiness.co.uk/archive/oscarproject/ - UK project
- http://news.windingroad.com/concept-cars/meet-cmmn-the-worlds-first-open-source-car/ - Netherlands project
- The Rally Fighter - a completed open-source car
- HyrBan, an open-source, hydrogen-powered car. In prototype phase.
Our first step is to devise a propulsion and drive system that has absolute power scaleability, from 1 kW to approximately 400 kW. The question is how to implement such design most effectively, to reduce production and maintenance costs, via scaleable design where scaling is accomplished by modular design. This is a biomimicry approach - like a tree that is made of millions of identical cells, which can be big or small in overall appearance. OSCar design according to the scaleability criterion is facilitated by making the device a hybrid electric vehicle. To implement absolute scaleability, the following must scale infinitely:
- fuel delivery
- primary power source output
- electrical generator output
- wiring for power delivery
- stored and regenerated power supply
- electric power controls
- total wheel motor power
- traction delivery
Our assumption is that we will proceed with:
- pusher trailer prototype to demonstrate component performance and scaleability as above - low cost approach to proof of concept
- ground-up design of chassis and car after components are demonstrated
- flexible fabrication capacity building once a working product is achieved