It might not be the sleekest of vehicles, but the new prototype of the first only-green-powered car puts aesthetics and aerodynamics aside to be as planet-friendly as possible.

The SFGate recently reported that students and professors at San Jose State zem-carUniversity have created the ZEM (meaning Zero Emissions), a human, solar and electrical powered vehicle.

Led by Tai-Ran Hsu, a team of 72 students took three years to develop a green vehicle that wouldn’t also overly consume electricity.

“If today we converted all gasoline-powered to electric cars, it would consume more electricity than the utilities can produce,” Hsu told the SFGate. “The whole idea of this vehicle is trying to mitigate the use of electricity by supplementing the electricity with a renewable source like solar power or human power,” he added.

The ZEM isn’t just electric; it also has four solar panels, as well as a motor that can be powered on silicone batteries, chargeable by standard household outlets. These silicone batteries take less energy to change than run-of-the-mill alkaline varieties.

But that’s not all. The ZEM can also be powered by humans, with a set of bicycle pedals for the driver and the passenger – perfect for a little afternoon exercise or if your battery runs out of juice.

The ZEM was awarded first prize in the 2007 national idea-to-product competition, winning $15,000. The vehicle cost about $80,000 to make.

Read the full article here.

Image: ZEM, courtesy of SFGate

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