Photo: Current Motor
You gotta love the shipping containers, these big boxes of metal that can be used for a large number of things, ranging from housing solutions to... you know, moving things around the globe.
They can stack up, take a beating, go on boats, trains, trucks and even cargo airplanes, and when their life as an integral part of what makes the world’s economy tick is over, there’s usually another one waiting for them. It’s like they work for the first part of their existence, and then it’s time for a peaceful retirement.
We’ve seen some great houses - or even entire buildings - made out of these things, and if money is a bit tight, they make for a very convenient solution. It’s true, you will be reduced to right angles and flat surfaces, but with enough imagination that’s not going to be a problem.
But regardless of this ability to find new uses, shipping containers aren’t regarded as very ecological objects. They’re big boxes of metal that are mostly associated with the heavily polluting shipping business, so convincing people they’re not always bad for the environment might prove to be an uphill battle.
Well, Current Motor is sure doing its part in changing all this. They have come up with a solution that seems so clever and simple, it’s a mystery how nobody had thought about it before. You take one standard shipping container, you give it the shipping container equivalent of falcon doors, you wrap them in solar panels, and you hook them up to a 22 kWh battery.
With the doors closed, it acts as a standard container - albeit you might want to be more careful as not to hit this one’s sides, even though the panels are on the inside - which means it can be moved on any of the vehicles listed above with minimum effort. OK, but what’s inside?
Something electric, obviously. In fact, it’s a quartet of the Current Motor’s Nb Electric Cargo Motorcycles, which, as the name suggests, are hauling-capable electric two-wheeled vehicles. They come with a range of 50 miles (80 km) and a payload of 450 lb (204 kg), which means they can take care of all sorts of deliveries in a busy city center.
The idea is simple: the solar panels charge the battery during the day - and it does need the whole day to get it filled to the brim - while the four motorcycles are zipping around town, and then when it’s time for everybody to go home, they are parked inside the container where they get charged overnight in complete safety.
Have this system in a sunny area, and you’re not going to spend one dime on electricity - at least in theory. It is a very well-thought-out sustainable system that shows just how powerful renewable sources of energy can be.
TreeHugger points out that the container has a communication center for keeping in touch with your gang of eco-delivery-bikers, while the head of the operation can take advantage of the mobile office fittings also found inside.
So, if you ever wanted to start fresh on the Carribean Islands, here’s your best option: get one of these containers, hire four local boys and start a delivery business there, no other costs involved.
We’ve seen some great houses - or even entire buildings - made out of these things, and if money is a bit tight, they make for a very convenient solution. It’s true, you will be reduced to right angles and flat surfaces, but with enough imagination that’s not going to be a problem.
But regardless of this ability to find new uses, shipping containers aren’t regarded as very ecological objects. They’re big boxes of metal that are mostly associated with the heavily polluting shipping business, so convincing people they’re not always bad for the environment might prove to be an uphill battle.
Well, Current Motor is sure doing its part in changing all this. They have come up with a solution that seems so clever and simple, it’s a mystery how nobody had thought about it before. You take one standard shipping container, you give it the shipping container equivalent of falcon doors, you wrap them in solar panels, and you hook them up to a 22 kWh battery.
With the doors closed, it acts as a standard container - albeit you might want to be more careful as not to hit this one’s sides, even though the panels are on the inside - which means it can be moved on any of the vehicles listed above with minimum effort. OK, but what’s inside?
Something electric, obviously. In fact, it’s a quartet of the Current Motor’s Nb Electric Cargo Motorcycles, which, as the name suggests, are hauling-capable electric two-wheeled vehicles. They come with a range of 50 miles (80 km) and a payload of 450 lb (204 kg), which means they can take care of all sorts of deliveries in a busy city center.
The idea is simple: the solar panels charge the battery during the day - and it does need the whole day to get it filled to the brim - while the four motorcycles are zipping around town, and then when it’s time for everybody to go home, they are parked inside the container where they get charged overnight in complete safety.
Have this system in a sunny area, and you’re not going to spend one dime on electricity - at least in theory. It is a very well-thought-out sustainable system that shows just how powerful renewable sources of energy can be.
TreeHugger points out that the container has a communication center for keeping in touch with your gang of eco-delivery-bikers, while the head of the operation can take advantage of the mobile office fittings also found inside.
So, if you ever wanted to start fresh on the Carribean Islands, here’s your best option: get one of these containers, hire four local boys and start a delivery business there, no other costs involved.
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