Solar, Wind, and Human Powered Trike Goes Around the World

Imagine a post-apocalyptic future, but not the kind of BS “everyone wears eyeliner and leather” post-apocalyptic future of so many (so many) Hollywood movies. Just imagine that the oil dried up, some big war was fought, and all the people who worry about stock algorithms were taken out as collateral damage. Imagine, in other words, that the s*** went down, and only the nice guys were left. Real “the meek shall inherit the Earth” stuff.

That rig up there? That’s what those nice guys will be driving across the deserts.

It’s called “Project Icare” (pronounced something like “ee-kahr”), and it combines some of the best electric bicycle, solar power, and wind turbine tech around into a single, long-distance future car.

The brainchild of Marc Muller, Project Icae is far more than a pie-in-the-sky “what if” build or vaporware computer rendering, however: Icare works! The Icare shown above just completed a 10,000 mile journey using only human power, solar power and wind power, combining all three into a single, capable, globe-trotting adventure!mobile.

To build the Icare, Marc started off with a commercially-available Twike 3-wheeler (itself a human-powered/electric hybrid that’s similar, in concept, to Smart’s new pedal-assist bike). Marc then built the solar-panel trailer out of aluminum and lightweight composites, integrating a collapsible wind turbine into the design for extra power generation during long rests or overnight stops. 

With the 15kWh li-ion “LiFeP04” battery fully charged, the Icare can hit over 45 mph with a maximum range of over 150 miles (250 km) … and keep in mind: if that 150-mile range is just a bit shy of your destination, you can always pedal!

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