Self-sufficient

Just for grins, let's say there's a Zombie apocalypse (it is October after all and Halloween is just around the corner). You may need to run for the hills (and be out there for a while). What type of vehicle could you use? One that allows you to be self-sufficient would sure be handy. I doubt this was the train of thought the folks at ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratories) used, however they came up with a doozie.

Enter the vehicle depicted in the schematic above. It has a 3D-printed (additive manufacturing) frame & body and is equipped with natural gas tanks. The vehicle is electric and it features a generator which charges the battery, as well as a bi-directional wireless power conversion unit and coil. What does this mean? This vehicle can not only power itself, it can also power a (small) structure - think cabin in the woods. All you would need to do is park it over the building's wireless charger and power would flow to the building. If you have excess power in the building, e.g. from the roof-mounted solar cells, then you can use the wireless charger to charge the vehicle's battery (it is bi-directional). Oh, and the structure/building can be 3D-printed as well ...

Cool, or what? It might also be a great option for folks who want to live off the grid. :)

This is not science fiction by the way; I had a chance to see/touch/sit in the vehicle when I toured ORNL's facilities last week. The vehicle + building concept is called AMIE and you can read all about it at the link below:

https://www.fastcompany.com/3051720/this-3-d-printed-house-gets-all-the-power-it-needs-from-a-car