Jalopnik
These days it seems like everyone in the automotive world is obsessed with either big horsepower or alternative energy. But what would happen if you combined the two? This is the Naturmobile, a "hybrid" that utilizes electric power and— yep you guessed it, horse power. Ok, so actual horses may not churn out very impressive numbers if you strapped them on a dyno, but think about how many liters a horse displaces! There's no replacement for displacement! Alright, so the Naturmobile isn't exactly built for speed, but that doesn't mean it's not completely absurdly awesome.
Apparently the Naturmobile's on-board horse walks on a treadmill which is connected to a generator, creating juice for the batteries and the electric motor. Cruising speed is probably around 10-15 MPH, but the top speed is claimed to be a wind-blistering 50 MPH! That's actually not bad, compared to most traditional electric cars. And while something like an It-amino has to be recharged every few yards, the Naturmobile can go for as long as your horse is alive healthy! Still not impressed? Check out all the potential variants: taxi, van, bus, the possibilities are endless! Why, you could even sway out the horses for more exotic powerplants like unicorns, ligers, or velociraptors. Though the transparent body will probably prevent the use of enslaved humans, which is a good thing. No word on the Naturmobile's planned trip around the world, but we'd love to take a test drive if they come passin' through our way.
[fleethorse.net via autoblog.nl, Gizmodo]
Comments
MMMM, I wonder.....how would you attach a turbocharger to that 1bhp powerplant?
Awesome and all, but, maybe you could just ride the horse?
I'm no Birkenstock-wearing, granola-munching, Phish-listening, hybrid-driving, touchy-feely, bleeding heart liberal type, but this appalls me.
I am, on the other hand, a hyphen abuser.
@markov:
I've seen this thing floating around the Internet for ages. I had, however, assumed it was some sort of conceptual art piece.
If anyone has seen an early automobile, perhaps the first thing noticed would doubtlessly be the massive amounts of blue-gray smoke emitted from the tailpipe. Consider, then, that these were thought to be a much cleaner and less smelly alternative to the horse.
Gabriel Saez thinks this is entirely inappropriate.
@unemployedjournalist: Beat me to it.
Now for the bus, with 3x the power of the solo, does that mean that it could reach a theroetical top speed of 150mph?
Now all we need is a Natur-camino variant and at that point it will get the Jalopnik Stamp of approval(not really, but we could all dream). But to get that it will also need ALOT more power, maybe 4 horses perhaps...
"Though the transparent body will probably prevent the use of enslaved humans"... tell that to the gorilla on the train in Trading Places.
Amusement factor aside (and for that, I'm sincerely glad for these kinds of posts), this has stupid written all over it.
@Spasticteapot: It's just a different kind of emissions, that's all.
They're both pretty nasty in their own way.
Just another special edition mustang.
@smoke~:
Nah. It's too aerodynamic to be a Mustang, and it hasn't got any Caroll Shelby stickers.
@smoke~: COTD.
wouldn't this be a bit easier...
@Spasticteapot:
that can be fixed... Anyone here a decent photochopper?
I was going to purchase an Eight Belles edition, but I heard the engine was shot.
But I can imagine what it sounds like to here those engines equine. Do they come with a sunhoof?
/for your cotd submission approval
//or am I beating a dead horse
*Hear
@M_Richardson: Turbos aren't an option. These are strictly naturally asspirated.
Straightline performance is one thing, but these designs would all perform terribly on the lateral-g's on the cornering skidpad... horse-tipping instead of cow-tipping...
"So Wert, what happened to that Naturmobile thing you were testing?"
"I was riding it a little to hard and I glue the motor."
So, should I start investing in Beef-a-rino futures?
New Breakthrough: Horse Carriage replaces Horseless Carriage!
Man bites dog!
Please, somebody euthanize that thing already...
We could add a bull on a treadmill up for the luxury of power "steer-ing".
*Bumper (what bumper?) Sticker*
Keep back 150 feet, backfires splatter!
"And now it's time to see how fast it goes 'round our track, and that, of course, means turning it over to our tame racing driver..."
But where do you stick the probe for the emissions test? Do you kiss the horse before or after the test. Do you recycle the solid and liquid emissions or do you compost them?
@Pope Dearthair the Awesometh: Some say his legs look exactly like a Clydesdale's and that he is the real horse whisperer, all we know is...
@JUST POLAЯ: I was going to go with, "Some say... that he too has to be brushed and watered before being put away in his stall. And that at least one of the parts he was constructed with appears to have come from a horse. All we know is..."
@Pope Dearthair the Awesometh: Which makes me wonder...
What if another Naturmobile pulls up behind your Naturmobile and tries to mount it?
...and what happens to the poor sod driving the other one?
What a crock of happy horseshit.
@JUST POLAЯ: I'm not worried about the fellow driving it... I'm worried about the passenger sitting in the rear seat on the top deck.
Wouldn't the result... naturally... be a Dodge Colt?
Anything from PETA on this one?
@ifonlyihadthemoney: Yeah, they think it's horseshit.
Also, is there a version that accepts hyperactive 5 year olds?
I dunno if this kind of thing could pass the PRC's (People's Republic of California) emition standards. Think of all the gasses.
*emission
I can just imagine the reaction of the local cowboys here if they saw this thing. Hell, even the horses would crack up. But, look at it this way. If the contraption broke down, you could at least ride the horse home. Or tow the stupid thing to the dump.
So if the "engine" goes bad, do you shoot it?
That's almost putting the cart before the horse.
@Spasticteapot: "... and it hasn't got any Caroll Shelby stickers."
But you've got a prancing stallion on the sides... almost.
According to Wikipedia:
"R. D. Stevenson and R. J. Wasserzug published an article in Nature 364, 195-195 (15 July 1993) calculating the upper limit to an animal's power output. The peak power over a few seconds has been measured to be as high as 14.9 hp. However, for longer periods an average horse produces less than one horsepower"
Isn't the internet great? How did we live without trivia like this?
@tonyola: WTF? A horse cant sustain one horsepower? The second Malaise era must surely be apon us.
I'm really digging the enslaved humans idea. Not the horrific-and-soul-crushing kind of slavery, the sexy-with-leather-and-body-oil kind of slavery. Rrrow.
Yes the Amish already perfected this method of transport, and it's probably a lot more fun for the horse to pull a wagon than be stuck in there.
I notice they have shown the sports model,they do a slower version powered by an arthritic donkey.
Has this been over looked by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety?
But more important is my concern for it's performance on the 'Ring
hmmm
Talk about the "thinking inside the box"!
What's next? A square wheel?
Is there maybe a DARPA Grand Challenge version being developed?
A new opportunity for the crash test dummy industry.
Is there a kei version, powered by a Shetland pony?
So I said to the horse, "Why the long face?"
A white horse goes into a bar. The barman says "I sell whisky named after you."
The horse says "What? Colin?"
Let's give it up for Stoatmaster! Thank you! He'll be here all week! Don't forget to tip your servers!
Good night!
@tenbeers: Ramming speed!
@Novaload: Try the veal!
Emissions, while being somewhat less toxic, are just gross. On the upside, four or five clowns with shovels can clean it up.
@OG_: If you could train the horse to read a map, you'd be all set. Even a moderately dim horse is way smarter than the best DARPA challenger. They just have it built-in to them to not go foolishly wandering over the sides of cliffs.