Greenflight Electric Vehicle Project

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This Greenflight Electric Vehicle Project takes you through the construction of a few electric vehicles that were constructed by a clever 17 year old. He is trying to put together his vehicles on a small budget which makes it interesting. One of his posts indicates that Discovery Channel was coming down to do an interview with him!   

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20 Comments


  2. Ok so i read the webpage and found that all this work is for nothing. The range in all the cars including the smart car featured on his site is only 50Miles tops. the Volt and Tesla both have at least 210miles range per charge or the volt i think is 615range. …. what a waist of time and money. Nothing impressive about it.


  3. It sure looks very interesting, but what I find even more interesting…no,
    AMAZING is that a 17 year old not only has the time and the inclination to undertake such a project, but has the intelligence and the necessary capital to complete it as well. It looks as though he is just posing for the photograph and maybe what’s closer to the truth is that his father, uncle or older brother really did this project and he’s just there for the cameras. Just in case you were wondering as to my credentials and what makes me such an expert is that I am an electrical and mechanical engineer and have been for more years than this young lad has been on the face of the earth. I can clearly remember back when I was his age and rest assured, I wasn’t thinking of electrical motors and the like.


  4. Ken: do you not recall all of the motorheads and car shop guys in highschool? I remember some of the guys at my school were completely rebuilding engines, building hot-rods, doing chop-tops, name it.

    Just because it was out of your range of experience sure as heck doesn’t mean others won’t have the inclination or ability to do otherwise, especially with the information resources freely available these days. My credentials? I too have degrees in both mechanical and electrical engineering. Regardless, I’ve no doubt that the Discovery Channel would verify his authenticity prior to giving him valuable airtime, lest they experience a major embarrassment should someone later prove otherwise.

    Congrats to this kid, it is definitely inspiring and I hope more of a DIY electric conversion grassroots movement builds, enough of this waiting upon the car manufacturers dragging their feet…


  5. I sure do remember those ‘good ol’ days’ of high school, rebuilding engines and the like, and no … contrary to your popular belief, it certainly wasn’t “out of my range of experience” as you so aptly put it. In fact, quite the opposite, but I also remember getting a bit of help from somebody who was just a little more older, wiser, and with a little more experience – time never changes some things . Who knows, maybe this lad is an exception…maybe another Einstein, eh? I kinda doubt it though as most kids these days couldn’t be pulled off of the couch or their computers long enough and away from the Nintendo or Xbox to motivate themselves for such a lengthy project. Also, keep in mind that the Discovery Channel was only there for the ‘dog and pony’ show. Were the cameras there filming 24-7? Were they there while this lad was supposedly up ’til way past midnight going over and over his plans and rechecking his work? Please, let’s not be naive here. You’ll have to excuse the bit of sarcasm, but I just couldn’t resist especially after the “out of your range of experience” comment that you made. This lad wouldn’t happen to be your nephew or relation would he? But of course, a person would have to be naive if they made some comment like, “enough of this waiting upon the car manufacturers dragging their feet”. Only somebody who wasn’t ‘in the know’ would say something ludicrous like that. We not only have had this technology in the industry for many years now, but have long since surpassed that and it is considered to be ‘old’ technology. We are now well into the next phase of technology which will be revealed between 2010-2012 – an insider secret by the way. Just like the last phase (i.e. – electric powered vehicles, hybrids, hydrogen, etc.) which was perfected in the 1960s, this new stuff is already perfected, it’s only that the public is led to believe that we are ‘hard at work’ on trying to develop this ‘stuff’. You must understand that it’s not as much about pushing the technology as it is in the exploitation of the mineral resources. It’s about the oil ya’ know. Believe me, if this lad or anybody else for that matter would have come up with a new and innovative idea, we certainly would have known about it and exploited it if we hadn’t done so already. So, for me it’s back to Autocad, Solidworks and Mathematica (i.e. – the proverbial drawing board) and for you it’s back to Hacked Gadgets. Til the next round.


  6. I rather like his hair… I wish i had hair like that… 🙂


  7. It looks like the same set up in any electric golf cart from the mid 90’s, except way bigger. I’m not sure how he can afford all this. That speed controller probably costs $1500 or so if its a brand new unit. When I was 17 I was saving all my money for college, as this guy should be, because he seems really smart. Maybe he has a full ride somewhere :). Only question is about the carging system. It doesn’t seem like all those little chargers would be very practical.


  8. Experience, training, intelligence, degrees, money, support, help from Dad, whatever, none of it matters. What this kid has is passion, and it’s what makes the world go-round.


  9. Ken

    Not sure why you have become so cynical.

    I was one of those kids that did stuff like this back in the 60’s.
    Built a remote control car from scratch (9 yrs old), built a go cart from scratch welded, machined, made and fabricated.

    Grade school a friend and myself built some electronic equipment totally by our selves for a science fair, GUESS what we were told it could not be entered as supposedly we did none of the work ! The school even called our parents and reamed them out . . . (Was told about that 20 years later) How was that for a kick in the teeth after spending almost 6 months with endless evenings doing the project. Never seemed endless at the time though.

    Built other electronic equipment to sell while I was a junior in high school. Now I did have help with the money at first, then I had enough that I was able to do these kinda things myself. . .

    I am not tooting my horn just stating things.

    I have seen where kids have done some amazing projects for school and get shot down because the teacher is not capable of believing that a student is capable. Kids are very fast learners, all in different ways as are adults.

    Sorry to say that it is very possible, is this guy one of them; I have no idea.

    If he is then he needs to be carefully nurtured and prodded to keep him going. Otherwise he will say why , what for etc and fall back behind it all.

    “Everything is easy after someone has done it. AJ”

    Worthless and wasted. AJ


  10. What? Me cynical at my old age ??? … not hardly, quite to the contrary. I think that I have lived long enough and learned just enough in my near half century on the face of this planet to realize that anything and everything is possible. But I’ve also learned a thing or two in the process and that is:
    1. Do not to jump to conclusions
    2. Do not buy into something wholesale without first doing a little bit of research first.
    Let’s not forget that we were all told by supposedly reliable sources that there were WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) and as everybody now knows that there were in fact none of the kind or not even a reasonable facsimile to be found anywhere!

    Anyway, not to digress from the subject at hand. Let’s continue to investigate this story in a bit more detail before we start rushing in with our kudos and congratulations to this lad accompanied by a hardy slap on the back and an ‘atta-boy’ shall we?

    First off, let’s go to the link that the lad has so conveniently provided for us and go to his very own blog spot. There’s nothing unusal about that by the way, after all every 17 year old has their own blog spot these days and well maintained with links and photos too – just like a pro. In addition to his 1992 Toyota, Tercel (currently under construction), he has also successfully completed a 1982 Mazda B2200. Not too shabby for a 17 year old to say the least. Next, we can list his skills as follows (not a comprehensive list by any means, just a synopsis as I’m sure he’s capable of so much more):

    1. Custom metal bending & fabrication
    2. TIG/MIG or Stick welding – probably MIG
    3. Machine shop processes
    4. Professional design, simulation, and layout of the PCB Board
    5. Basic understanding of electrical/electronics fundmentals
    6. Overall workmanship/construction at or near professional quality
    7. Bodywork/Painting
    8. Auto Mechanic

    And that barely scratches the surface. Some interesting questions arise from all this like, which program did he use for the design, simulation, and layout of the PCB board(s)? Certainly it could not have been an open source/free program such as Eagle due to its strict limitations on design dimensions (100 x 80 mm) (4 x 3.2 inches) and number of allowable components. Just take a look at that controller board – hardly amateur hobbyist in design or layout. He would have had to utilize something like OrCAD, which costs about $5k last time I checked and far from any hobbyist’s budget let alone a high school student’s. How does he swing that on his allowance?

    This lad is truly multitalented and a wonder in the making, just take a gander at that custom flame paint job on top of the electric motor housing. This kid really pays attention to detail.

    Also note on the lad’s blog spot where he is located, Flint Michigan. In case you didn’t know the production of motor vehicles and automobile parts and accessories dominates the city’s economy. The automotive manufacturing giant, General Motors Corporation was founded in this city, and the company still provides the vast majority of the city’s manufacturing jobs. So it shouldn’t be any surprise where the lad gets his … er … ahem … assistance from.

    Okay, so now that we’ve assembled, compiled, and inventoried this young lad’s talents, so to speak, he surely has accumulated quite the impressive list and all of this at the very young and tender, early age of 17! In addition to becoming entirely proficient at not just one, but all of these trade specialties, he still manages to attend high school and study for his exams, and oh, let’s not forget about that part time job at the pizzeria or as a lifeguard or something, because after all dad can’t be expected to foot the bill for everything now can he? That is unless dad is doing most if not all of the work himself and financing the entire project besides that as I highly suspect the case to be. I also like his ‘penny jar’ donation scam too, very enterprising, but of course after all of his expenditures on not one, but two projects he must have thoroughly tapped his college fund by now and he must be in dire need of funds. Did you make sure that you donated to it while you were there? Anyway he’s so good that he can just forego college completely and go directly into the workforce with the rest of us. Heck, I want this lad on my team and after all, let’s face it, what self-respecting project manager wouldn’t want a versatile young guy like him on his team anyway.

    By the way you seemed to have inadvertently forgot to mention just what your science project was, you know the one that landed you in so much trouble with the principal and the school faculty and all. You didn’t try to palm off one of those ‘Heathkits’ that was so prevalent back in the 60s as your own creation did you? There’s nothing wrong with ‘tooting your own horn’ if you have indeed accomplished something extraordinary to ‘toot’ it over. You seem to leave us a clue at the very end of your blog though, ‘Worthless and wasted. AJ’. Being in the electronics field way back in the 60s as you claimed to have been was certainly a far cry from what it has evolved and developed into presently. You also say that you and a friend spent ‘endless nights working on your project for 6 months’ and that was just a Science Fair project. Imagine how you would have fared on a project like an electric automobile? I think much longer than 6 months and yet your skill level seems to have surpassed this lad’s level. By your own admission, you were building, fabricating, machining, and welding go-karts at the age of 9. Remarkable to say the least. Any chance you and the lad are neighbors or something? Or maybe it’s in the water.

    For those who are truly interested in seeing the inventors of electric cars first hand and maybe even learn a bit of history on them along the way, they can maneuver to the following website

    http://www.videospider.tv/Videos/Detail/617490224.aspx.

    ‘Who Killed the Electric Cars?’

    Although it is broadcast in 6 parts and subtitled in French, it is still worth viewing nonetheless. One interesting note about this documentary, you will NOT find one 17 year old inventor throughout the whole program. In fact, all these guys are middle aged and one is well into his upper years. Keep in mind that even Einstein didn’t publish his postulates until he reached the youthful age of 26, almost unheard of at that time.

    Another point that I find quite perplexing is that through all of this, not once has there been a response from his camp in regards to their defense. I wonder why? Probably because of what I’m saying is true I suspect.

    Notwithstanding, I will give credit to where credit is due. I’ve seen some young guys who were good at welding, or maybe machine shop, or electronics/electrical etc., but not everything! It’s rare to see somebody who is proficient at everything and in most instances they have several years of experience under their belt. While a person might excel at one field of expertise he will usually display mediocrity in the others, especially in this day and age of highly specialized fields.

    To summarize, I find articles like this and others like it to be not only an insult to my intelligence, but also an assault on my chosen field of engineering – a field of which I have devoted my entire lifetime to perfecting. The question is simply this, is everybody out there really that gullible? I suppose there are some who still believe that the WTC buildings collapsed under the proposed ‘pancake’ theory as well. If your answer is yes to that question then you really are credulous indeed. As the saying goes, “the proof is in the puddin'”, so I say, show us the puddin’! End of round two.


  11. Seems interesting doesn’t it ? I was wondering how to replace the electronic regulators with something mechanical, such as a biiiig pedal potentiometer but yet light and cheap.


  12. its quite depressing to see all you so called mature adults arguing over something so little. your having a f&#$king cry over your intelligence and over the fact you don’t believe he could afford all of this. Now I’m not saying he has done all this on his own but who bloody cares the boys doing something that your not. And as for the money maybe the kid inherited it. Jesus Christ!!! When you were younger i can almost guarantee that you had your parents help doing things, If this teenager really has done this then good on him maybe the future wont be so bleak because of people who cant believe a kid can do something your not. Grow up and accept that some of the kids of this generation actually care about what the future may bring. And another thing who gives a S@#t about what your skills are, this is the kid trying to show people what hes done and all you talk about is yourself. PATHETIC!!! And if he has had help doing this then good on the people who helped him!!


  13. 50 mile range is more than adiquate for 80% of the population who commutes less then 15 miles to work each way. save the gas car for longer drives.


  14. hey virgil, shove it. there’s nothing wrong with a fifty mile range. That will meet the daily commuting needs of 88% of all Americans. the other 12% are on their own, but still electric cars are not WASTE of time and money. You could at least spell it right.


  15. The 200+ mile range was done with super expensive lithium ion batteries, not a viable option for a 17 year old on a budget. Christ, this kid is smart enough to know how to hook up all that crap in the right way and not get himself electrocuted in the process, that alone is pretty impressive.


  16. Oh and ken, steve wozniak is a college drop out. He also is the co-founder of apple. He created a complex OS ON PAPER. He didn’t need a CAD or any other digital tools. I’m 17 and I have basic knowledge of electrical and mechanical engineering, some of my friends know how to weld, and when you work in a machine shop from a young age, you get good at the processes. Just because your annoying ass didn’t do things when you were 17 does not mean that others have the aptitude.


  17. At what age ARE you proficient at anything ie: mechanical, electrical, fabrication etc. etc. ? Is there a standard age that you achieve to get the ” Know you know how to do whatever ” award ? I just saw a 4 year old play a guitar ( toy of course ) and sing a Johnny Cash song word for word AND he had rhythm. And no I am not a Johnny Cash fan. But I am a fan of anyone who can do no matter what their age is. BTW I am pushin 50 and I think this kid did great. Even if he did have help.


  18. edit ” Now you know everything ” award.

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