Electric vehicle made from...timber

American company Translogic 196 has developed an all-electric vehicle made entirely from wood. The vehicle called Cedar Rocket looks exactly like a log and can reach speeds of 50 miles per hour.

4/9/16 5:00 am chumakdenis 1

Have you even driven a 'log'?

I bet you didn't – unless you are Fred Flinstone.

*Yabba Dabba Doo!*

Anyway, enough jokes.

Today we'll be talking about the vehicle that was awarded a Guinness World Record for "fastest motorized log."

I know..it sounds kind of stupid and it is, but that's how it has been called.

Plus, the title justifies itself – the vehicle looks nothing more than a giant piece of wood – the only difference is that Cedar Rocket– that's the name of the vehicle – is driveable.

Like ordinary vehicles, Cedar Rocket has a steering wheel, seat, hood and, as you might have guessed, all of these things are made from cedar.

The only thing that isn't made from wood is turbines from Mazda RX-8 and other stuff that is vital for driving and can't be made from wood – brakes, suspension etc.

But that's kind of obvious.

Reid did a lot of research before they selected the RX-8  – it had disc brakes and the right suspension setup. Back when the team was considering an air-cooled Kohler engine, made in Wisconsin, the Mazda's gear ratio would have worked well, too. But then where do you put the fuel tank, he said, and they would have to drain the fuel tank each time they wanted to display the car. "Then we starting thinking, man, this is 2016, and that's why we went totally electric," he said. "We're glad we did. It worked out great."

Who has created it?

The idea came to Bryan Reid, Sr., Canadian star of the reality show Timber Kings – why am I not impressed that this reality show is popular in Canada?

After the booze talking with three friends of him, he thought that it might not be such a bad idea to build a car entirely from cedar and on the next day the work has begun.

Gerald Overton, the mechanic, turned the Mazda into a welcoming recipient, working on the disc brakes, axles, frame, differential, and suspension.

While the presence of a television producer kept things moving, Reid said that it still took almost two years.

"It started out, not as a joke, but as something very light," he said.

"You put a log on a couple of axles and 'ha ha.' It ended up taking many thousands of hours. We don't do anything halfway."

In the end, Reid and the team took the Cedar Rocket to the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona and managed two runs of 55 miles per hour within an hour (that's what Guinness required to hand out the official record).

A few more words about the car

The Rocket is incredibly stable – heavy batteries help there – and Reid pointed out that because the electric vehicle uses electric turbines, it's not a quarter-mile car.

"It's more like a salt-flat car because the turbines that take a while to spin up. Given the right conditions, the Cedar Rocket could go 120-130 mph", said Bryan Raid.

With good intentions in mind

Bryan Reid and his friends are extremely kind-hearted people.

They've built the car not to beat the Guinness World Record and not to earn a lot of money - even though the builders will bring the car to Barrett-Jackson and auction it off next year, they won't earn a penny from it.

 All of the earned money will be donated for veterans.

As the Bryan says, the point is to get attention and raise money and awareness for veterans groups.

"I believe it's for the best cause in North America."

"The attention is easy because the car appeals to just about everyone. At Barrett-Jackson, everyone from young girls and boys to people who fought in World War II stopped by to take pictures."

"There's nobody who didn't like this car," he said.

"It broke all those demographic barriers. It's crazy because it's different. Mother Nature created this wonderful shape."

Well, it seems that everyone likes 100% eco-friendly vehicle and it is no wonder: indigenous look, sharp lines, powerful engine...how on Earth could you not fall in love with this beauty?

It's gorgeous and it's 'axiom'.

Anyway, we are getting a little bit off-topic.

Let's simply wish Translogic 196 good luck and wait more cool things from Bryan and his friends.