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Render to Cesar what is Cesar's. Let them keep their copyrighted stuff. Eventually the opensource products will gain traction, and will become as premium as commercial. Look at Wikipedia versus Encarta. Here are a few opensource automobiles that are out there right now: The Oscar project: http://www.theoscarproject.org/; The RiverSimple: http://www.riversimple.com/ . It will never be "free." Material and labor still cost resources. But it will cheaper without the non-value-added, golden-parachute, corporate mentality. -- Lead, Follow, or Get Out Of The Way.

Copying other people's stuff and giving it away isn't "sharing." If you want to share, create your own work and give it away for free.

Let's say you have a car. You lend it to your friend.
Is that sharing? Yes.
Now let's say you have the ability to magically duplicate your car, and you give your friend a duplicate so when he needs it, you're not without a car.
Is that sharing? Yes, but in a different way.

So, you are still sharing something you have. Remember those "you wouldn't steal a car" ads? They were right, I wouldn't. But if I could get an exact copy such that the owner was not deprived of his car, I sure as hell would! Who wouldn't want a nice car for free?!

And before someone says that you'd kill the auto industry by not giving them their money for cars... open-source hasn't killed closed (yet). And then there's these guys.

Some part is open sourced already. http://www.theoscarproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=18.The OSCar. An OSCar has already debuted in Geneva road show.http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10193838-16.html/

Same discussion and same misguided focus as in the OScar project: http://www.theoscarproject.org/

The OpenLuna project will produce the same results. None.

The same question about "fully featured and easy to use" CAD programs were asked when the OScar project started: http://www.theoscarproject.org/

I answered as you did above. People did not want to hear it. I suspect, they never figured out the difference between CAD, CAM, CFD, FEM versus 3D animation modelling packages (Blender, Maya), 2D vector drawing programs (Inkscape) and MS Paint (to be a bit drastic).

The type of high-visibility OS hardware projects seem to attract only day-dreaming non-engineers, which is what repells real engineers even further (because you have to deal with such people at work already, why having them around during your spare time, too?)...

Exactly!

Otherwise, the OpenLuna project will attract the same kind of day-dreaming non-engineers as the OSCar-project did: http://www.theoscarproject.org/

And it will produce the same results: none.


PS: Actually, I read more or less EXACTLY the same question in the OSCar forum, and the answers were scaring. People were recommending Blender, Inkscape, and the like. They uttered phrases like "using CAD instead of CFD". Jeezus...

I read through the article and a lot of blogs covering Riversimple. Here's what it looks like under the hood. It seems too early and preliminary for adoption. "Open Source" seems to have been employed purely as a buzzword to generate interest. Most of the detail is actually at the 40 Fires foundation website which will probably release design schematics. Their FAQ answers questions I had in mind and is a good place for a starting read. The codename for this car is Hybran. The EU welcomes Hydrogen cars as a strong "Green" alternative.

If you do compare it to other initiatives like OSCar, you would find this option from Riversimple probably at a better stage of adoption. But until they unveil their prototypes (16-Jun-2009 is not far) and manufacturing goals (however they intend to go about it,) consumers will be skeptical about adoption. They first have to hit a note on consumers _wanting_ it or _needing_ it before proposing an attractive business model. Most of the prior comments reflect that we are not yet ready. Design momentum on OSCar seems to have stalled in the year 2006.

In contrast another vehicle release earlier this year happened in India with a lot of buzz about a $2,500 car, the Nano from India. This car _can_ do more than 56 mpg on Gasoline. It isn't green, but you can grab one, drive one and feel much safer than the electric counterparts that roam about the cities. This car went through at least 2 yrs of testing because the average consumer was scared about safety. The adoption was further slowed down by slow manufacturing response from Tata Motors.

India has allowed an Electric car (REVA) to be used within City limits (for road safety and range concerns) manufactured by Reva. The vehicle (a modest 4 wheeler) which comes in multiple flavors has low adoption rates in cities which allow it. This car through evolution has been heavier than India's top selling gasoline small-car the Maruti Suzuki 800cc 4 seater, and offers lesser range within a city. It has a very short range of 80-100km and requires battery packs to be replaced every two years (or depending on usage.) From June, 2001 the adoption has been very slow. During July, 2008 at least 260 Reva's (multiple models) were sold which is a record high. The Reva is priced at a one time price tag of close to $6,500 with an installed set of batteries. These have to be replaced at about $1000 every year. There's some comprehensive information and links on the Wikipedia Article (Reva). The cost has been a factor in slowing down adoption added to the fact that electric charges are required almost on a nightly basis. India has welcomed the car with reduced parking charges and several cuts. The G-Whiz model sold outside India is far too pricey ($12000 in Chile) and does not enjoy these environment friendly regulatory benefits.

For crowded cities in India where pollution is a heavy problem, Electrical cars with limited range for office commuters who'd prefer some shade (where public transport is a little inconvenient with timings) has received early adoption. i would presume that countries facing rapid development and growth rates will have to take this more seriously. Scaling public transport infrastructure has always been a challenge in many developing countries owing to a myriad of reasons. The basis for creating indices to track air pollution is outlined quite well in this paper (PDF) from

There actually was a project in this direction and I just noted that it's still around: OScar. I guess there are significant technical and legal challenges though: Manufacturing, distributed CAD, vehicle dynamics, patents, ... All these problems need to be solved in a different way.

http://www.megasquirt.info/

that will get you started on the software end.

hardware (engine design, etc)

you'll have to dig around or check this out:

http://www.theoscarproject.org/

an opensource car project.

If they were open source you'd first have to put the soda together yourself and the documentation would be incomplete. Come to think of it I'm sure the cars do exist and we all know about he open source beer, right?

Next time you want to go out for drinks just tell your friends it will be a few weeks until their ready (or pay someone to do it for you...or just get tired of it and pick up a six-pack of propriety beer from the supermarket..). (:

Are there any Open projects going strong for adapting a street car to have some added electrical drive + regen braking, I figure my 12 mile commute could be made considerably cheaper. I have always wondered why we [geeks] can't come up with a modification to add embedded motors on the free wheels of a two wheel drive - add some firmware and we're looking at bolt on 4 wheel drive + greatly improved torque at the wheels, something the performance modders can get excited about.

induction charging, or plug in at the garage at home, a small solar panel to top off at work before the schlep home...

Not from scratch like these guys...
http://www.theoscarproject.org/

yeah, I know I could google it...

"on the horizon" = BS

Just take a look at the forums on their site.

http://www.theoscarproject.org/index.php?option=co m_joomlaboard&Itemid=21/

http://www.theoscarproject.org/images/home_ani.gif

Good Lord. I'm guessing that a blue wall forms behind it that other cars would crash into. And you can turn in perfect 90 degree angles as well.

More like an ugly round box. It's not that bad but it's too round & futuristic for me. Like the new beetle on steroids.
The article doesn't give me much confidence, it sounds like a guy who expects to design a car without much knowledge about the subject. Plus, open source CAD is a pain in the ass (I've tried it).

Why found another free car project? Instead join http://www.theoscarproject.org/.