Autoblog

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: EcoV Electric low-speed electric vehicle

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:20:00 EST

Filed under: Electric

EcoV Electric LSEV - Click above for high-res image gallery

Richard Marks spent 25 years as a General Motors engineer, and at the end of his tenure he was toiling away on the EV1. Following the now-infamous demise of GM's first electric vehicle, he went on to work for an assortment of suppliers before setting out to build a low-cost EV of his own: the EcoV Electric.

While the EcoV isn't likely to win any design or speed competitions, it does embody the DIY spirit of Maker Faire, and Marks has a partnership with a supplier, Energy Components Group (ECG) of St. Clair, Michigan, to produce the EcoV starting in early 2011. ECG has a facility in a renewable-energy renaissance zone that will be reconfigured to produce this four-seat electric car, which has a top speed of 25 mph and a range of 25-40 miles. The tubular steel space frame carries a rack full of deep-cycle, sealed lead-acid batteries, but there's no word on cost just yet.

Gallery: Maker Faire Detroit: EcoVElectric LSEV

Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Environmental Transportation Solutions]

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: EcoV Electric low-speed electric vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maker Faire Detroit 2010: The Twinkie-mobile, it's all sweet sugary goodness inside

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Humor

Big Dog quadri-cycle - Click above for high-res image gallery

Among other classic machinery inside the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI is one of the earliest mid-1930s Oscar Meyer weinermobiles. In the parking lot outside was another motorized conveyance representing a classic American "food" product, the Twinkie-mobile. Built by the same crew from I3 Detroit that built the championship winning vehicle for the Power Racing Series at the Detroit Maker Faire, the Twinkie-mobile took a parade lap of the course following the Sunday endurance race.

Just as actually Twinkies feature a creamy surprise in the middle, so to does the Twinkie-mobile. Buried under a flap in the nose is the outlet of a Twinkie cannon that shot out treats for the crowd in an attempt to garner more Moxie points for their race car. Get your daily does of high-fructose corn syrup in the gallery below.

Gallery: Maker Faire Detroit 2010: The Twinkie-mobile

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: The Twinkie-mobile, it's all sweet sugary goodness inside originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maker Faire Detroit 2010: 72-year-old building his own Ariel Atom clone

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Technology, Specialty, Design/Style

Bert Campbell's Atom chassis - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Ariel Atom is an amazing piece of automotive minimalism and could be what Lotus founder Colin Chapman would build were he still with us today. However, not everyone can swing the price tag for an Atom. In the case of 72-year-old Bert Campbell of Southgate, MI, his artificial hip also posed an ingress/egress problem. Bert is one of the participants at the first Detroit Maker Faire, and because of his mobility problem, he decided to the take the basic Atom chassis design and modify the sides to make them lower. To compensate for the loss of structure, he added a roll-cage on top.

Campbell bought the steel tubing at swap meet for about $20 and got the front control arms from another hobbyist in return for some help fixing a lathe. Campbell built his own tubing bender and roller to shape the steel and has done all the fabrication in his girlfriend's garage. Although he has several engines available, Campbell plans to install an 1100cc Yamaha motorcycle engine in the back with the original five-speed gearbox. Bert promises to keep us up to date as the project progresses, so stay tuned for more.

Gallery: Bert Campbell's home built Atom

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: 72-year-old building his own Ariel Atom clone originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Attention Car Makers: TechShop to open facility in Detroit with help from Ford

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Brutal Bus soapbock racer built at TechShop

Attention all you engineers, technicians, assembly line workers and anyone else out there with great ideas in Southeast Michigan. Coinciding with the first ever Detroit Maker Faire that we have been covering over the last few days at the Henry Ford Museum, Ford and TechShop announced today that a public access workshop will be opening up in Detroit before the end of this year. TechShop is an idea that was spawned out of the first Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA in April 2006.

If you've got an idea for a product or just some one-off project you want to build but you don't have the skills or the tools to proceed, TechShop is the place for you. Think of it like the workshop at MythBusters open to the public. Techshop has all kinds of amazing tools from CNC machining equipment to computer aided design workstations. For a monthly membership fee of $100, you get access not only to the equipment but also to people that can teach you how to use it properly and other members to bounce ideas off of.

Dream coaches are on staff at TechShop to guide makers in the right direction and connect them with the people that can help complete their projects. A prime example of what is possible at TechShop is the DodoCase for iPads. The creator came into the shop earlier this year with a concept and after a couple of classes and guidance in working with bamboo, fabrics and adhesives had a prototype in less than four weeks. He now has $400,000 in back orders.

The first TechShop opened in Menlo Park in October 2006 and was followed by a shop in Durham, NC. New shops will open in San Francisco and San Jose this fall along with Detroit. The idea of opening in Detroit was inspired by garage tinkerers like Henry Ford and Ransom Olds that went on to build the American auto industry. Ford officials met with TechShop at the San Mateo Faire two months ago and will now be helping the TechShop crew find a location and make connections in the local scene. Ford will also provide support to makers and consider any worthwhile ideas that come out TechShop that could be viable on its cars. Check out all the details in the press release after the break.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Attention Car Makers: TechShop to open facility in Detroit with help from Ford

Attention Car Makers: TechShop to open facility in Detroit with help from Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Amick A2 wind-assisted electric vehicle

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:39:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Electric

Amick A2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

One of the makers we encountered setting up for the Maker Faire Detroit on Friday afternoon was Douglas Amick. Amick was unloading the A2, a three-wheeled, battery-powered, wind-assisted tandem-two-seater. The A2 was originally built by Amick's late father, James, who devised the aerodynamic arch on the rear of the vehicle. That element is claimed to help propel the vehicle forward in crosswinds.

Apparently, airflow coming in at an angle to the vehicle will swirl around as it passes through the arch, actually applying force to the A2's rear, giving it some boost. We'll have to check with some contacts with aerodynamic expertise on the veracity of this claim. Regardless, the Amick A2 is kind of cool-looking. Apparently, it originally had aluminum air batteries installed but they're no longer functional.

Gallery: Maker Faire Detroit: Amick A2

Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: AmickGlobal.com]

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Amick A2 wind-assisted electric vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Power Racing Series, as grassroots as it gets [w/Video]

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:55:00 EST

Power Racing Series - Click above for high-res image gallery

One of the highlights of this weekend's Detroit Maker Faire was the Michigan premiere of a new grassroots racing event: the Power Racing Series. The brainchild of Jim Burke, the Power Racing Series is like LeMons in that the machines have budgets limited to just $500 not including safety equipment. Unlike LeMons, the Power Racing Series vehicles are based on Fisher-Price Power Wheels or Little Tykes toys that have been modded to support the mass of adult drivers and larger 12-volt lead-acid car batteries.

This weekend's competition features three individual events including a drag race, a 15-lap road race and a one-hour enduro on Sunday afternoon. The drag race was won by Royce Pipkins, president of the Milwaukee Maker Space, in his Grave Digger. When the 15-lap event began on Saturday afternoon, the #3 car built by the crew at the I3 Detroit hacker space clearly had more speed than any other vehicle. Unfortunately, about halfway through the race, the car ground to a halt. A key connecting the rear wheel to the axle had sheared the soft metal of the axle. The crew repeatedly tried pounding in new keys, but the car would only run another lap or two before running into trouble. Ultimately Pipkins had the durability and speed to finish 15 green-flag laps before anyone else. Look for the Power Racing Series at a parking lot near you soon.

Update: On Sunday afternoon, the Power Racers went back to the track for the one hour enduro and the extra distance took its toll on the field. Royce Pipkins and his Grave Digger pulled into the pits after 35 minutes with two burned out motors.The i3 Detroit also came at about 40 minutes and had to do some rewiring to bypass a failed motor controller. Meanwhile the OmniCorp Detroit team motored on to complete the most laps. The I3 Detroit machine ran third on the track but accumulated enough Moxie Points from the crowd to finish first overall and capture the 2010 Power Racing Series championship. Check out some video highlights after the jump.

Gallery: Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Power Racing Series

Continue reading Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Power Racing Series, as grassroots as it gets [w/Video]

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Power Racing Series, as grassroots as it gets [w/Video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Humor

Big Dog quadri-cycle - Click above for high-res image gallery

Friday afternoon, we had the opportunity to walk around the site of the first-ever Maker Faire Detroit while exhibitors were getting set up. Among the wheeled contraptions we encountered was the contraption you see above: the Big Dog. This human-powered conveyance was designed and built by Tom Wilson of Royal Oak, Michigan in his basement and garage. Big Dog is actually the third such vehicle Wilson has constructed, with his original inspiration coming from a similar device he saw at the Burning Man festival several years ago.

Looking closely at the 600-pound machine (which stands a towering eight feet, six inches tall), it's clear that Wilson put serious thought and craftsmanship into it. Note the inboard-mounted rear disc brakes and the elaborate gear-change and chain mechanism. The centrally-mounted propane tanks are there to support the flame effects from the tower. We'll add photos of that if we catch it being demonstrated this weekend.

Gallery: Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog

Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: ThirstyBeachLandscaping]

Maker Faire Detroit 2010: Big Dog quadricycle originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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