Segun Oyeyiola, a student at Obagemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, converted his old Volkswagen Beetle into a clean energy car by installing a wind turbine in the hood and a giant solar panel on the roof. In total, all of the supplies needed to get this car off of the gas-grid was $6,000.
In an email to Co.Exist, Oyeyiola, said that “I wanted to reduce carbon dioxide emission[s] going to our atmosphere that lead to climate change or global warming which has become a new reality, with deleterious effect: seasonal cycles are disrupted, as are ecosystems; and agriculture, water needs and supply, and food production are all adversely affected. Therefore, I came up of building a car that will use both winds and solar energy for its movement. This was my personal project because of the problem I’m planning to solve.”
Other scientists and engineers are stunned by his accomplishment.
Dr. John Preston, of McMaster University’s engineering physics department, says he’s never seen anything like it.
“If you could find a way to use both wind and solar in the same vehicle, that would be a marvelous thing. Using wind and solar means you wouldn’t have to drive just during daylight hours. If he has figured a way to do it, that would be quite remarkable,” Preston said.
Oyeyiola says that he wants to perfect the model until it can be ready for the market and “becomes Nigeria’s future car.”
See an animated depiction of the car below:
John Vibes writes for True Activist and is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war.
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