Riversimple to Unveil Open Source Car in London This Month

by Lisa Hoover - Jun. 11, 2009Comments (21)

The idea to build an open source car isn't a new one, but you've got to give vehicle design company Riversimple credit for originality. The company plans to unveil its first car in London later this month, a small two-seater that weighs roughly 700 pounds. If you agree to lease one for 20 years (yes, 20), Riversimple will throw in the cost of fuel for the lifetime of the lease.

The team decided to release the car's designs under an open source license in order to speed up the time it takes to develop the vehicle while also driving down the cost of its components. There's an altruistic value to the idea as well:

Human society is facing the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change, and transport represents a significant proportion of global emissions.We urgently need more fuel efficient vehicles, and by sharing our ideas and our designs we hope to encourage others to adopt this novel technology.

A preliminary sketch of the car:

Riversimple car

 

The eco-friendly vehicle will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells and made from carbon composites. Riversimple predicts the car will achieve the energy equivelent of more than 300 miles to the gallon.

 


Browse Blog

Gerard Braad uses OStatic to support Open Source, ask and answer questions and stay informed. What about you?



21 Comments
 

WOW. Giving you the cost of petrol is quite amazing! Well, fuel cells, but that is not the point. This shows confidence in the car!


0 Votes

There are a lot of challenges but my fear is making sure the darn company is around for 20 years to collect on the free gas!!!


0 Votes

When will the dreamers and schemers drop the hydrogen rhetoric?


0 Votes

Can't wait to have an 18 year old hatch when everyone else will probably be flying to work....


0 Votes

You know, 25 years ago, everyone said "We'll have flying cars in 25 years!"


Don't hold your breath.


0 Votes

@ "Me"


25 years ago, they reckoned that 20MB computers would be a reality.. by 2020.

Things change. Sometimes they developer more slowly, sometimes they develop lightening fast.


0 Votes

I want an antigravity hover vehicle! Eliminate our dependency on "government" roads.


0 Votes

...and increase our dependency on government skies.


0 Votes

As far as developing lightning fast, I'm still waiting for a macbook that goes faster than 2 Ghz.


0 Votes

There is a whole Hydrogen highway in Norway that's planned to be finished this year. Not only that but there are others all around the world being made. It would be a slow transition, but there is no reason we couldn't switch to hydrogen.


0 Votes

I'm not sure about London/UK but in Canada the 'safety' and performance regulations are what keep home built and cheaper Indian/Chinese cars off the road. We are 'forced' to pay $10000+ for a new car vs a $2500 Chinese one for lack of 'airbags, emmission tests/various gov. approvals etc... I would love to assemble/build an open source/kit car but not if I can never drive it on public roads.


0 Votes

Something like this will be very hard to be 'street-legal' in the US. SUVs will run these things over at the light! I guess they might have to classify them as 4-wheeled motorcycles!


0 Votes

Unfortunately we will never have flying cars for common motorists, the major governments which could support the manufacturers will not allow tons of "flying" metal to be driven by common morons. Imagine how many houses would be smashed, people (taxes) lost. I don't see it EVER, ill bet we develop Star Trek "Teleportation" before any common car legally leaves the ground.


0 Votes

Lets see...


12,000 average driving miles per year divided by 300 miles per equivalent gallon gives 40 equivalent gallons per year. Times that by assuming $5 per gallon gives $200 per year. Even $10 per gallon is $400 per year


gee, not hard to tack that on to the cost of a guaranteed 20 year lease...


They'll probably be just like the cell phone companies that hit you with an exorbitant "early out" fee. if you try to cancel your contract.


OTOH - the fuel cell technology will probably be obsolete in 5 years.


OTOOH - Do we know the life span of carbon fiber composites? Just look at the airline industry (Air France Flight 447): http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0612/p02s07-usgn.html


0 Votes

equivelent?


0 Votes

It is wrong to say that anyone will have to sign a 20 year lease to get one of our cars. What is true is that we intend to build the car to last, and to make it available only under a lease. But we will offer standard leasing packages. So for example someone might sign a 3 year lease and then return the car. We will then offer it for lease to others at a lower price.


See more at www.riversimple.com/FAQ.aspx.


0 Votes

so uh.......how much?


0 Votes

anonymous asked:


"equivalent?"


Well, what is the conversion from cubit feet of hydrogen per mile through the fuel cell in their car versus gallons of gasoline per mile in an internal combustion engine car?


Riversimple says its 300 miles per equivalent gallon.


According to the video on their site, they will lease the car for 200 GPB per month. thats about $328 per month USD today (who knows what it will be in 2012 when they actually release the car to the public)


I still say that the cost of fuel (H2 gas) is NOT going to be a big burden on them to carry.


But Im still concerned about the composite fiber life expectancy.


I doubt a 20 year lifespan is feasible.


0 Votes

As a city car, possibly shared/leased it may be viable but who advised on the naming of it ? Hydro-bug, Hydro-pod maybe.....................

A renaming competition to assist the acceptance of a modern, high-tech, exciting design ?


0 Votes

I think there's a lot of things yet to be discovered with regards to "hydrogen". It takes a lot of time for this innovation and requires energy to create hydrogen fuel & exhaust.


0 Votes

Lol that's great newsjust get to know few unknown things from your post. Keep posting more like this that will be very helpful.


Auto Shipping


0 Votes
Share Your Comments

If you are a member, to have your comment attributed to you. If you are not yet a member, Join OStatic and help the Open Source community by sharing your thoughts, answering user questions and providing reviews and alternatives for projects.