While car manufacturers have made some headway in building vehicles with anti-zombie features, these are only useful in small breakouts. What if a full-blown zombie apocalypse* should occur? Enter the solar powered, all-terrain vehicle – ApocalypseEV.
In the grip of a zombie apocalypse; heavy vehicles such as the Hummer will be useful – until the petrol runs out. A Hummer with an empty tank is just a very large (and expensive) coffin under such circumstances.
Even electric vehicles that can potentially be recharged with solar power from a rooftop solar array, such as Mitsubishi’s iMiEV, have their limits in a lawless world where the undead roam freely, infrastructure is in ruins and survival is based on a nomadic existence.
Two brothers, Michael and Kenny Ham, are pursuing a noble goal of building affordable street-legal electric vehicles that are apocalypse ready; such as the solar powered ApocalypsEV.
According to their web site:
“ApocalypsEV-1 is the affordable solar/battery powered transportation that allows savvy survivors to traverse the sun-baked badlands the fun way.”
In the current pre-apocalyptic world, the vehicle has applications as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, or just for a bit of fun off road – but as the vehicle slogan reads: “ApocalypsEV-1 : Civlization Optional”.
At this point, plans show the vehicle will be a 2WD/20HP affair, with a 4WD/40HP option. Power will be provided through wheel mounted electric motors, assumed to be sufficiently shielded against clogging caused by dust and zombie fragments.
The ApocalypsEV will include 40 watt solar panels and a built in wall charger to charge its bank of deep cycle batteries. 40 watts worth of solar panels seems a little under-powered in this reporter’s view as it will provide very limited charging capacity, however this is an opinion expressed without any sort of background or expertise in apocalypse vehicle technology.
With safety in mind, the ApocalypsEV includes a 5 point harness and roll cage. A deluxe model will have a lockable trunk, perfect for storing survival items looted/commandeered from abandoned stores.
There is no mention of optional bolt-on weaponry such as flamethrowers or additional armour; but should the ApocalypsEV go to market, no doubt a healthy after-market accessory industry will be built up around it. It’s this bare-bones approach to the base model that will help the brothers achieve another goal for the vehicle – a pricing point of just $5,000 – $8,000.
A prototype vehicle will be built when the brothers can raise the necessary funding. It’s not clear if they have approached the U.S. Department of Energy for one of the many grants it is offering for solar energy related projects, but it seems unlikely as they are putting up another very valuable intellectual property item up for sale in order to raise money – plans for a solar charged, cordless zombie annihilator (chainsaw).
If they are able to realise their dream, the two brothers promise not sell any of their vehicles to the undead.
Thanks to their efforts and ethics, humanity’s future appears to be in very safe hands. Roll on 2012.
* or any apocalyptic scenario where zombies may or may not be present.
