Prototypes of cardboard, wood fiber and leading the final ( Photo: Marcus Büneker )
The 68 year-old brazilian inventor and his brand new electric car.
The new electric car is named JAD - the initials of its inventor: João Alfredo Dresch.
With no bachelor's degree, but with a broad curriculum obtained in a yeast factory on the Taquari Valley Region, the inventor João Alfredo Dresch says he's moved by curiosity.
"I've only used my brain.
I guess that's lacking on the automobile field.
In 2009, I went to Italy and saw a lot of these cars on the street.
I've returned to Brazil and decided to create something similar."
In the past , he ventured on an invention on which prefers not to go into details .
He just says it failed.
"I'm curious. This time , I got a R$ 10,000 (U$ 5.000) loan and started with a first car prototype made of cardboard,
then a second one, made of wood,
then fiber, until we reached the last model, made of steel".
In order to succeed with his project, he says he had to face some setbacks, first.
Between 2011 and 2014, the vehicle was seized twice in Lageado, a municipality of less than 75,000 inhabitants, where the JAD was born.
"I had to wait a long time to finally get out the documentation. It just came out last January. I couldn't wait to put my car on the street." he says.
Inventor reported he got a fine for trying to show the efficiency of the vehicle on the street. ( Photo: William Giannoulakis)
Inventor took a fine when trying to show the advantages of the tiny car.
( Photo: William Giannoulakis)
This week, he was again targeted by traffic inspectors. Trying to park in reverse to show the efficiency of the dimensions of the car, he was fined in R$ 85,13 (U$42).
The traffic agent didn't like the joke, but I've just tried to show that being small is one of the advantages of this car is. You could park three cars like mine on a regular parking space.
Commenting on the automotive market, Dresch believes in the viability of the technology.
"Gasoline is living on borrowed time, it will not last long.
I want to show the world that there is a chance to mitigate global warming and to adjust the traffic jams." he bets.
Conceived in 2010, the project took less than a year to get ready.
"When I look at it, I think:
'Did I made this myself?' " .
A system of 14 batteries maintains a continuous current that drives the engine of 5 hp of the minicar, with seating for two people and space for luggage.
The car can be recharged with conventional electricity with a plug in under one hour."
It is designed to drive into town and compete with the motorbikes." he emphasizes.
To the inventor , there is viability for large-scale production and retail.
He ensures that the consumer could purchase a JAD for less than R$ 20.000 (U$10.000).
"Right now, I'm talking with four companies about it. This week, I'm keeping in touch with a company of Caxias do Sul."
According to the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles, the efficiency of electric battery vehicles is approximately 70 %,
a percentage equal to almost five times the efficiency of conventional hydrocarbon vehicles (14 % to 18 %).
The Authority notes that, last month, to foster the development of electric models in Brazil, it was signed a partnership between Itaipu and
the Center for Excellence and Innovation in the Automobile Industry (CEIIA) of Portugal.
We hope that this new prototype of electric car could boost a green world revolution on the environment's conservation and help stop the plage of global warming.
The vehicle measures 196 cm x 105 cm and has capacity for two people.
Watch him drive the car at youtube:
