We've seen some
wacky prototypes of
electric vehicles over the years, but never anything quite like the Weng. It's a product of graduate students at Stanford, and it stands for Where Everyone Needs to Go. Where does everyone need to go? Less than 30 miles at 35mph apparently, as that's the maximum range and speed of this conveyance, which stylistically has more in common with a utility trailer than something you might want to actually want to pilot. But, pilot this thing you can, controlled by a twist grip on the right and a little PS3-style thumbstick on the left for steering, meaning it's both drive and steer by wire. Power comes from a pair of brushless scooter motors in the (scooter-sized) wheels, and from what we can see from the video below power looks to be rather scooter like as well. The kicker? An anticipated $10k price tag if this ever did come to production. Cool project, guys, and that you threw it together in a few months is hugely impressive, but in our estimation this is not "what a modern vehicle needs to be."
posted June 5th 2010 4:15PM
Weng electric car + Normal Car = Normal Car + Kindling + Scrap metal
@d0mth0ma5
Every time someone makes something like this they set back the popular acceptance of any electric vehicles back another decade.
Stop making go-carts and work on making a real, practical electric car.
@d0mth0ma5 How did I post on this earlier?!
@d0mth0ma5
*Ahem*
Plus dismembered limbs.
A whole lotta dismembered limbs.
@d0mth0ma5. I bow to you, Man who can time travel through Engadget Posts
@d0mth0ma5: if this thing cost less, and went faster, I'd actually consider it.. No, seriously.
@blenderman345
In it's current form?
I don't know. Riding behind the driver like a motorcycle doesn't do much for me. I like to have my own seat. This won't work for kids. Doesn't have trunk space. 15 mile range. No protection in case someone hits you. All that for just $10k! That's the greatly reduced price?
Make a few design changes, drop the price $5k then maybe, just maybe, you'd spark up some interest in something like this in places like beach communities in So Cal.
@Blackstar This guy actually has a point.
Make something that can sell, or don't make anything at all. ¬_¬
@The Madman That's a pretty terrible viewpoint in my view, failed products can lead to innovation through their mistakes.
@Blackstar While I agree with you to some degree (who cares whether I do or not), I at least have just a niggle or two with your level of negativity. 1. This was created by university students as opposed to a manufacturer. 2. It's a research vehicle, never mind a prototype. 3. Many creations started out as something many of us would never consider useable. 4. Give people a chance, I don't see you quitting the Cheetos and trying something new.
This is what electric cars looked like 100 years ago. I hope that is not what Stanford is calling its top of its game nowadays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle
@d0mth0ma5
If you aren't working on battery technology, you aren't working on electric cars.
@d0mth0ma5 at least the second letter isn't A, that would have been egg on their face. Or... Oh wait...
@d0mth0ma5
Why does it seem like the little community college down the road from me known as NCState is turning out useful inventions almost every month, while Stanford students continue to invent useless...whatever that thing is.
Note: I am a UNC fan (and graduate), but I have to give State the props for being much better at what they do than Stanford.
@junkfunk - While I agree with you to some degree (who cares whether I do or not), I at least have just a niggle or two with your level of negativity.
1. This was created by university students as opposed to a manufacturer.
2. It's a research vehicle, never mind a prototype.
3. Many creations started out as something many of us would never consider useable.
4. Give people a chance, I don't see you quitting the Cheetos and trying something new.
Well, I respect your opinion. However, it's not negativity, it's pragmatism.
1. So they were students... so, what's your point? That makes them exempt from the realm of practicality? "Where Everyone Needs to Go" and "Car" are highly presumptuous titles from them to describe this. Especially considering there are places people need to go when it's raining and even (dun dun dun) in the Winter time!
2. Research? Researching what? Electric motors? Handle bars? Wind burn at 35 mph on the highway? How long it would take for your groceries to slide off this thing at full speed? If this vehicle did 90 miles an hour, had a 1,000 mile range and it's only power source was 3 drops of sunflower seed oil and a Ladybug, THAT would be a research project. This is just 'dicking-around'.
3. You got me there. Though I fail to see what new thing this would bring to the table that 10,000 other electric vehicles before this one since 1903 have not already done. (Still waiting on the Segway myself, and at least that is half the price and could be put in a closet.)
4. They had their chance, and they came up with this. So unless there is some other detail about this I'm missing, please tell me. But I'm just having a hard time wrapping my brain around what research can be gleaned from a student made $10,000 dollar golf cart with bicycle handle bar controls.
As soon as someone builds a better snack than the Cheetos, I'll be more than happy to try. I'm an equal opportunity snacker. It's pretty safe to say though, this isn't it.
@JS
...unless you are working on a way to power electric cars without huge batteries.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/10/korea-starts-testing-recharging-road-might-make-it-part-of-it/
Death TRAP!
@AdmAckbar
Oh yes.
@AdmAckbar
Thank you for actually staying in character
Whos that foxy lady driving?
She seems kinda familiar...
http://bit.ly/cMkHDg
@dustandechoes91
Don't you mean foxy Man?
So, how's the crash test result?
@pika2000. Worse than this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCIBOYxzqko
@pika2000 That's why it's "not seeing production."
@Lord Vader Luke Skywalker that's bad!!
@Lord Vader
but better than this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D827IxEJVS4
@JeremyBenthem but then again, worse than this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiKPq4mUreY
@Lord Vader
that must bring back some memories
@JeremyBenthem
Lmfao
Entire drivers cab = crumple zone
@Lord Vader Better than this though... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETFNSVNQqfE My Lord.
@Lord Vader
LOL @ his final words...
@d0mth0ma5. That Squid will pay for what he did to my Star Destroyer
This thing could get me around town for three days before needing a recharge...
The world will eventually realize that the most impressive department at Stanford is the public relations group. They manage to get press coverage for every hare-brained idea that comes out of the place, of which there are many.
@Chief2
Burn. Go bears!
Add a roof, seat backs, and some cup holders and they have a golf cart.
@kabloink
Seriously, that is exactly what I was thinking. What makes this thing different than a poorly designed golf cart?
@mbmanning
It's more expensive.
@mbmanning
This thing costs twice as much.
$10 000 for some scooterparts on a custom metal chassis? You could buy a small car for that price.
Cool project but price is way to high if it ever goes in production.
looks like the moon rover without the cool NASA parts...
@kabloink
or take off the extra seat, make it low-lying, add some 'shrooms and you got mario kart
It'd be perfect for Palo Alto and its adjoining peninsula cities. The area has great weather, wide streets, and it's easy to stay off the speedier highways. There are stores, shops, and restaurants of every type imaginable all within short and easy driving distance. Why be a polluter, why pay for gasoline? If I lived there I'd be sorely tempted to buy one. This means of transportation would be perfect for accessorizing, for instance, for different weather conditions. And, of course, the factory manufactured models would address all those little refinement issues.
@KenJr It would also be great for Florida retirement communities, which have similar infrastructure. People there would love to have something like this... oh, wait, they already do. Golf carts.
@Chief2 Golf carts aren't designed to drive at the speed of normal traffic. And I don't know of any city where they are street legal. They are though, like you say, good for driving around those little Florida closed community retirement villages, mobile home parks, and the like. Presumably, the Weng meets the requirements for being street legal, at least in Palo Alto.
@KenJr
Myrtle Beach, so long as you stay off the main road.
Sorry, all I see is a golf cart being driven by Carrot Top's little sister.
Who are these grad students banging to keep their jobs?
Oh dear..
You know... this is for going shopping, for going to the cinema, for going to the restaurant, for visiting your friend, for bringing your video game over to your friend's, for carrying your guitar amp to the party, and for carrying your laundry to your mom ;)
In a lot of places in the world it would make sense with a casual electric vehicle like this. I bet most of the cost currently is the chips. ;)