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Beaver XR7, a doomsday car?

If the world's oil supply were to abruptly end, where would you look for an alternative fuel source to still allow you to move from point A to point B, or would you have to rely on your legs to get you around?

Chip Beam had a very simple answer, the Beaver XR7. The name says it all, this car runs on wood and other organic material, including grass and, oddly enough, rabbit pellets. You could even give cow dung a go or, its creator says, soak rubbish in water and press it in to form bricks that can then be used to run the car.

Modified from a Mercury Cougar XR7, the Beaver has maintained some of its original accessories, such as the 4.6-litre V8 supercharged engine, although it adds a stratified downdraft gasifier.

WORKS LIKE A "NORMAL CAR"

About 10kg of wood would power the car for 36km, using this process: wood is pressed into longer-burning pellets that are fried in an on-board furnace. The charcoal-type material produced releases hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane gases that are sent through high temperature chambers. Thereafter, the gases are cooled and released into the Beaver's engine.

It cost Beam the equivalent of R14 000 to convert the Beaver, while a stainless steel, rust-proof version would cost around R42 000. According to Beam, the Beaver can also run a motor capable of generating electricity for a household.

And the good news for those who appreciate their creature comforts is that that Beaver's aircon and electric windows are unaffected by its wooden modifications.

However, the perched gasifier makes for poor rearward visibility and the vehicle just looks unwieldy, but while it might lack the power of a petrol engine, those who no longer have much need for trees could see it working perfectly.







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