Image by Yahoo Auto via Entrapreneur
A 3-D Printed Hybrid Electric/Gas Car that can drive across the U.S on 10 gallons of gas? Talk about impossible.
Yet this is exactly what entrepreneurs Cody and Tyler Kor have created: A three-wheeled, aerodynamic car that needs just 10 gallons for a 44 hour, 2,900-mile journey from New York to San Francisco and back. If this wasn’t enough, the local 3-D printing process ensures that the vehicle is relatively affordable ($16,000-$50,000 depending on output), safe (meets or exceeds road-worthy safety standards) and minimally impactful on the environment.1
As one of the chief engineers for the project, Kor affirmed that “designing for sustainability can arguably be humanity’s biggest and most important challenge of the coming century”, adding, “it’s something we absolutely need to get right.”1
In an age of stiff commercial competition, the notion of social entrepreneurship and responsibility remains an important topic that is rarely addressed. Social entrepreneurs such as the Kor brothers act as catalysts for change; they develop innovative solutions to social and environmental problems, resulting in wide-scale change. Similarly, companies such as Kor Ecologic continue to prove that corporate success can be achieved while pursuing suitable solutions to social and environmental problems. Nevertheless, in the end, it is imperative that business schools and companies alike continue to address this issue to build a stronger and more responsible generation of entrepreneurs and businessmen.
Sources:
1 http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229882
2 replies on “Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Action”
No doubt, ten gallons is a feeble amount of gas for a 2900 mile journey. But can it compare to electric cars that use absolutely zero gas, offering even more shared value? I think Cody and Tyler are on the right track in developing sustainable transportation options, but the future is in electrically powered vehicles.
I feel like fully electric cars are in the far off future. As evidenced by vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, electric cars are heavy (because of the huge battery), needs frequent recharging and the lack of EV charging stations is troubling. These hybrid vehicles offer the many advantages of an electric vehicles, as well as the positives of a modern, fuel efficient, gas-powered vehicle. But I do agree, the long term future is in electrically powered vehicles.