Finance, Forex and Investments

What other materials can I use to make a car ?

I have been working in Automotive design for 30yrs and have used the usual variety of materials to make concept vehicles, and a few unconvetional resources too, like hemp for a taxicab used in Bangladesh. I recently read of a car from India that will only cost $2500 not only because of the cheap labor but also because of the inovative materials used. Does anyone have any clever ideas for materials that could be used in making a cheap vehicle? I like the rubber ball idea. using a solar powered compressor to keep it inflated is good. I assume it is driven by a solar powered electric motor, but how is it propelled? I'd like to use carbon fiber but it is so expensive. What other fibers can we use? Bamboo? or a geneticly engineered straw?

Public Comments

1. woohoo, my idea is first. Use solar powered rubber. A large outer "balloon" made out of a solar absorbant rubber that would roll under its own power, with an interior balloon for the rider. Several smallers balloons could fit within a larger balloon, free floating in some sort of gas for bouyancy. The machine would be steered by ones own body weight, and would take little parking space as it could be deflated and stored easily.
2. Fiberglass. - and real metal, not this tin crap. Why dont more makers use this? That ABS plastic is garbage.