Charley and Chuck Greenwood, a father-son combo, think they know the secret to the future of cars: rowing.
And they founded their company HumanCar to prove that human energy, not biofuels, is the gasoline of the future. Their Imagine_PS car seats up to four in a low-slung chassis; the passengers get to help row the lightweight car.
Think of it as an ergonomic, efficient and sneaker-saving Flintstone’s car for an oil-free future. The front two ‘drivers’ get to steer, which is done with a talented and coordinated lean.
“Body steering comes from the hips,” CEO Chuck said. “It’s just like a properly performed ski turn.”
But revolutionizing steering is not the point of these Oregon entrepreneurs. “It’s about thinking about days per life versus miles per gallon,” CEO Chuck Greenwood said.
When powered by four people rowing, the car will go about as fast as the ‘drivers’ would on bicycles, on average.