Did you know you could build your own car for the open road? Weird huh? Isn’t that literally the job of the manufacturers, to create a vehicle that meets the required safety and personal requirements? But, open-source car development projects are basically opening up a whole new highway for car manufacturing.
Well, kind of… the police and DMV might be a little hesitant to call these automobiles “roadworthy” without some engineering assistance. But, regardless, open-source cars, vehicles that use open-source models to produce the design of a car.
These projects are open to anyone who’s in the market for a new car, all without the commercial fees or restrictions. When you purchase these development kits, you are the grease monkey in charge of the project. You make the plan and just go from there, changing them, adding to them and using your collective knowledge to basically create a whole new product.
But why design and build your own car, what could be the advantage to that? Well, here’s an interesting tidbit of information, did you know that the Toyota Camry, the number one sales ranked car, has an average yearly maintenance cost of over $2,000, sometimes reaching approximately $2,800. This signifies that the value depreciates over the years, meaning your car’s worth will decrease over the span of a decade; all part of the automobile owning experience.
However, open-source cars, or hardware, can be very easy to maintain. The parts are all off the shelf, making them easy to replace, especially with the knowledge of replacing said parts. On top of that, the hardware is designed to not become outdated, so the initial cost of purchase represents a better investment.Also, interestingly enough, the actual construction of the car might not be as off-putting as one might think. There are many different types of open-source car development kits, with one of the earliest models called the OSVehicle Tabby from over a decade ago. On the official website, there’s a video showing the complete assembly in approximately one hour.
Yeah, think about that, you can probably build this car in less time than it takes for you and your significant other to choose where to order dinner from, put in the order and have someone deliver it to you. And, while there might be some debate on how roadworthy the final project is, the OSVehicle Tabby is upgradable, has automotive grade and advanced modular and is available in two and four seat configurations. Not to mention, if you or any of your friends have an engineering background, you cut that time down significantly.
But Are They Safe?
That’s really the most important question. Sure, you can build a go-kart to drive around for fun in the backyard or an empty parking lot, but that doesn’t mean you can take it out for a joyride on the freeway. Cars of today are very different to the vehicles of yesteryear.
These cars are built on the core of open-source technology. This technology wants to focus on features that will differentiate automakers’ brand while spending less time on the core operating system and components connecting the pieces together.
When installing new technology into cars, there are certain security hurdles that need to be jumped. For example, researchers discovered they could hack a Jeep through the internet, hijacking the brakes and transmission. This posed a serious security risk, so serious that Chrysler was forced to recall 1.4 million vehicles to fix the bug.
Another example, the Tesla Model S’s infotainment system had a four-year-old vulnerability that was open to potential attackers conducting a fully remote hack to start the car or cut the motor. And these are just some security issues major automakers and corporations have problems overcoming.
It can be hard for manufacturers to catch these issues and aren’t always aware of all the open source that’s in use in the vehicle’s software. When they’re not aware, they can’t defend against vulnerabilities in the open-source components.
In an article posted by Forbes last year, they mention that, within the context of safety and cybersecurity, a number of important questions need to be addressed:
- What level of validation is sufficient from unknown contributors?
- Does the contributor have to be trusted, at least in terms of competence?
- What if the person contributing is an adversary?
- Does it really make sense to expose the code to the world? Even to adversaries with evil intent?
- Who pays for all of this validation anyway?
Open-source advocates often give a general response that, “the very opennessess of the system ensures its resistance to malice as well as quickly catching bugs.”
So, much like other aspects of the automotive industry, there are features on open-source vehicles that require more advancements to ensure that you’re not in any danger on the road. Only time will tell how far this innovation in the industry will evolve in the next decade or so.
Here are a few other notable models for open-source vehicles to check out.
Rally Fighter
Powered by a front-mid mounted 6.2 L GM LS3 V8, producing 430 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 424 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm, the Rally Fighter automobile was the first open-source vehicle created by Local Motors.
While this is an open-source car, giving you the freedom to build and design it, the Rally Fighter had a unique assembly process before production ended in 2016. In order to assemble the car, the buyer was required to go to one of Local Motors’ micro-factories for assistance in building with a team of employees.
The car is also equipped with a 4-speed GM 4L85-E automatic transmission where power goes to the rear wheels. It’s also decked out with a fiberglass body that saves weight with three-point harness seat belts and Recaro seats on the interior. Not to forget to mention that the suspension features double A-arms up front and a four-link Ford nine-inch axle in the rear, both using coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers.
Not only is this vehicle street legal in North America, but this model was also featured in an episode of Top Gear and Game Changers, showing the process of what buyers would go through after purchase.
OScar
Believe it or not, this was never meant to be a “sophisticated” vehicle. Even Markus Merz, the founder and design director, admitted that the project was just a hobby back in 2007, one year after the 0.2 (and final) version was released.
During development, Merz was determined to create a simple and functional automobile, just a basic vehicle to meet the buyer’s transportation needs. More long-term goals for the Oscar was to introduce standardization in parts manufacturing to use economies of scale. It was a radical change for the auto industry.
The OScar also faced a few challenges including passing safety and crash tests while also abiding by very strict security legislation and pollution norms within the industry. This eventually led to different versions of the OScar including hybrid, hydrogen vehicles, and electric.
Riversimple Urban Car
Designed by Cranfield and Oxford University teams in the United Kingdom, the Riversimple Urban Car is a two-passenger vehicle that is equal to the size and power of a Smart Car. Its body is constructed with Carbon fiber composite material and it can reach 50 mph (80 km/h) and travel for 240 miles (390 km) on 2.2 pounds (1.00 kg) of hydrogen before refueling.
Their latest model, The Riversimple Rasa, was unveiled back in 2016. It was designed by Chris Reitz, who is credited with styling the Fiat 500. The Rasa has an increased range of 300 miles with less hydrogen (1.5 kg), and achieves the equivalent of 250mpg with a top speed of 60 mph.
It’s also powered by an 8.5 kW hydrogen fuel cell, and a regenerative braking system, which recovers up to 50% of the braking energy. Hydrogen refuelling for the Rasa takes approximately three minutes.
The Riversimple Urban Car and Riversimple Rasa each had the common goal of wanting to reduce environmental damage that continues to be a major concern for the auto industry.