Four farmers in the Mekong Delta have successfully produced a solar-powered boat that can reach speeds of 20kph.
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The invention, which creates no noise and no emissions, stemmed from a need to cut fuel costs, reports Tuoi Tre.
Farmers Huynh Thien Liem, Nguyen Van Dung, Huynh Van Trang, and Thai Van Hoang have been dubbed “four crazy men” for their boat that runs off of solar panels installed on its roof. Two batteries store the solar power and direct it to the vessel’s multi-gear engine.
Their creation is even more impressive given that the group had no advanced design or technical experience.
Liem was the first to propose the idea, sharing it with Dung, a local mechanic.
“I feared he would turn down the idea. But he slapped his thigh and said that he had thought about it long before,” said Liem. “We agreed to ask Trang to join since he has hands-on knowledge of machines.”
The road to success was not without its bumps as the project suffered from broken propellers and other technical difficulties.
Word of the boat made its way around the area, prompting a visit from state officials who, after a demonstration, said that they plan to order similar boats for tourism at Tram Chim National Park.
“I will order some soon,” Nguyen Quang Tuyen, vice director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Dong Thap told the paper.
Many Reddit users, however, were less impressed.
