NEWS POST: Egyptian Students Build One-Person Vehicle To Battle Rising Energy Prices And Promote Clean Energy

The undergraduate students, who built the vehicle as part of their graduation project, are rolling out a prototype one-person vehicle that runs on compressed oxygen

A group of Egyptian students have built a one-person vehicle designed to battle rising energy prices and promote clean energy by running on nothing but air. The undergraduate students created the go-kart as part of their graduation project.

According to the creators, the vehicle can hit 25 mph (40km/h) and has a range of 19 miles (30km) before it needs to be refuelled with more compressed oxygen. However, the students are sure they will eventually get the vehicle to top 62 mph (100km/h) and run for 62 miles (100 kilometres) with future prototypes. 

The vehicle only costs some 18,000 Egyptian pounds (£780/ US$1,000) to build.

A group of Egyptian students has designed a vehicle they say will battle rising energy prices and promote clean energy by running on nothing but air. The undergraduates who built the machine are studying at Helwan University, found just outside Cairo.

The go-kart-like vehicle comes as Egypt pushes ahead with painful economic reforms that include deep cuts to energy subsidies

'The operational cost of the vehicle... will be almost nothing. You are basically using compressed air. You are not paying for fuel and also you do not need cooling,' said Mahmoud Yasser, a student who helped design it.

●Undergraduate students designed and built the prototype one-person vehicle ●The oxygen-powered go-kart vehicle costs just £780 to build ●Students who designed the car are from Helwan University, outside of Cairo ●It comes as Egypt pushes ahead with painful economic reforms ●These measures are tied to a three-year $12 billion (£9bn) IMF loan programme

The team is now looking to raise funding to expand the project and mass produce the vehicles.

They believe they can eventually get the vehicles to top 62mph (100km/h) an hour and run for 62 miles (100 kilometres) before needing to come up for more air. The undergraduate students, who built the vehicle as part of their graduation project, are rolling out a prototype one-person vehicle that runs on compressed oxygen. Students say their vehicle can hit 25 mph (40km/h) and last 19 miles (30km) before needing to be refuelled.

The vehicle only cost about 18,000 Egyptian pounds (£780/ US$1,000) to build. The team is now looking to raise funding to expand the project and mass produce the vehicles.

According to the creators, the vehicle can hit 25 mph (40km/h) and has a range of 19 miles (30km) before it needs to be refuelled with more compressed oxygen.

The go-kart-like vehicle comes as Egypt pushes ahead with painful economic reforms that include deep cuts to energy subsidies. These measures are tied to a three-year US$12 billion (£9bn) IMF loan programme it began in late 2016.

Originally published on REUTERS