If you’ve ever struggled with flat pack furniture, the idea of building a car may seem a little daunting.
However, the Italian firm behind the Urban Tabby claim anyone can build it in under an hour – creating their own custom vehicle.
The two seater car comes with with either an electric, hybrid or traditional petrol engine, and can reach speeds of up 85KM/H
However, there is also the option of a fully finished version for the less adventurous.
‘It is a universal chassis that can be assembled in less than 60 minutes, can accommodate 2 to 4 passengers, and is compatible with all types of engines, including electric and hybrid ones,’ say Francisco Liu and Ampelio Macchi, who are developing the OSVehicle project.
‘One of the main features of Tabby is that it can be assembled in less than one hour,’ the firm says.
‘It comes flat packed in easily transportable crates and doesn’t need special tools for assembly.’
The OSVehicle, which comes in both two seat and four seat versions, can be built as a fully electric car, a hybrid or with a traditional engine, and fully finished models are expected to cost between €4000 to €6000 (N871,304 to N1,306,479).
They even plan to make the instructions for the car available online so anyone can create their own.
The team say the project will create the first ‘open source’ car which would be legal to drive on roads.
‘Anyone will be able to create his or her own personalized vehicle: manufacturers, automotive companies, but also designers, makers, and enthusiasts,’ they say.
OSV is based on a universal platform that anyone can modify or improve at will, to build the vehicle that best suits them.
It is hoped the first kits will be sold in the spring – although the plans are available now for anyone brave enough to manufacture their own parts and built in themselves.
So far designs have included vehicles with 2 or 3 wheels, city cars, golf carts, street food vehicles, and off-road explorers.
The Tabby can be made longer and shorter to create vehicles with 2 or 4 seats or increase its cargo capacity.
