An electric car designed and hand crafted by 60-year-old Shanghai welder Zhang Haiting has become such an internet sensation that he is now building and selling them at a modest profit.
Photos of the car — which looks like a miniature Volkswagen Beetle — have gone viral online since they were first posted by pedestrians who happened to glimpse it in May of 2010. The car has been dubbed the “Mini-Beetle” for its diminutive dimensions — just 107 cm (40 inches) long, 118 cm (43 inches) wide and 137 cm (50 inches) tall with a total weight of just 130 kg (288 pounds) thanks to the blue fiberglass shell.
The car can actually seat a passenger alongside the driver. Its 36-volt batteries powers it at a top speed of 28 kph (18 mph) for a distance of up to 60 kilometers (38 miles).
The Mini-Beetle is controlled by a steering wheel and gas and brake pedals. It has front and back turn indicators, headlights, rear-view mirrors and doors made from “soft glass” connected by magnets. The front and rear windshields are made of 2 mm bulletproof glass.
The electronic panel on the dashboard — reportedly built at a cost of 10 yuan ($1.60) — displays the car’s power, voltage and remaining battery life.
Zhang began trying to fulfill his lifelong dream of building an electric car by beginning research and development in 2007. The effort was boosted greatly by the technical skills he acquired while working for 20 years at a factory in Jilin province in northeastern China. He invented and patented a configurable swivel chair and a bicycle with wheels that can be raised. In his 20s Zhang even invented a wooden car that can be converted into a bed.
The car in which Zhang was first spotted in Shanghai is actually his third electric car. He has already sold his first two cars and is nearly finished with building his fourth. Zhang hopes one day to develop his car into a prototype that can be mass-produced for sale as a leisure utility vehicle for middle-aged people.
Zhang can make one of his cars in about two months for about 4,000 yuan ($635). He has sold his cars for just 6,000 yuan ($950) for a modest profit though his main motivation is for the fun of building them.
Zhang’s main obstacle toward becoming a serious car builder is securing financing and finding the workers to help build them.
One other hassle Zhang is facing are the tickets he keeps getting for driving an unlicensed motor vehicle. His mini Beetle doesn’t meet government regulations prohibiting electric cars from traveling faster than 20 kph (13 mph) or weighing more than 40 kg (89 pounds).
