8th graders build solar human hybrid vehicle

A group of 8th grade students at Novato Charter School in Marin County in California have produced an interesting new project. They've created a solar human hybrid vehicle that combines the power of the sun with pedal power. The students started off with a four-wheeled, four-passenger pedal powered vehicle called the Zero Emission Machine, or ZEM. The ZEM was built in Switzerland and the company that created it has since gone belly up because the vehicles were too expensive to manufacture.

The father of one of the students bought the vehicle and the students went on to add an electric assist system. The 24V motor is powered by a pair of 20 Ah silicone gel cell batteries that are charged by a combination of regeneration and solar power from a photovoltaic panel. Now called the SOHH, the hybrid has a top speed of 18 mph and is street legal in California.

[Source: The SOHH Project]