By Stuart Jones
Driving through downtown Durham at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night I spotted a lone office with the lights still on. I slowed down and realized that it was a workshop and someone was still working. The journalist in me saw a story. So I parked and walked over to the shop with my D300s and 35mm 1.8 (I just had a feeling when I went out for the evening that I should take my camera with me!).
Owner of Organic Transit, Rob Cotter, looks up from his work in downtown Durham.
I went towards the door and was blanketed by heavy fumes of acrylic hardener and other chemicals used with fiberglass. Owner of Organic Transit Rob Cotter was leaning over a fiberglass mold, putting the finishing touches on a shell for one of his alternative transportation vehicles. The cars are a cross between pedal and solar power that gives energy to a battery that allows the vehicle to get up to highway speeds (learn more about it here).
After a few minutes of talking through the doorway, Cotter was kind enough to invite me into his shop and take photos of him working while I learned more about him and his business.
Cotter was preparing the shell of the ELF vehicle so that it would be ready for presentation at the “Maker Faire” in Raleigh on Saturday.
With currently 300 orders in, Cotter and his team are making one vehicle at a time to test it and see what they do and don’t like about that model. A constant developing process, but Cotter looks forward to the point when the team can produce the vehicles based off of one polished design.
Organic Transit’s next appearance will be at the Tour de Fat in Durham this Saturday.
Thanks for your time Rob!
Check out the first test run of the ELF below (video by Organic Transit).
STUART JONES PHOTO BLOG 