Designed by Abdolhadi Mirhejazi, Naturmobil is the ultimate environmentally friendly vehicle powered by a single horse on a treadmill.
Created for travel on paved roads, it cruises at about 20 km/h (12 mph), with a top speed of about 80 km/h (50 mph). The treadmill also charges batteries which will power the vehicle if the horse needs a break.
Also check out: Hummer Turned Into a Horse Cart
Alberto Fernandez
Ok… these guys should go to jail….
Feb 27th, 2010
Michael
……something about this doesn’t seem right
Feb 27th, 2010
Reilly
WTF? WHY? This is animal cruelty. If you were on a road-trip, you’d kill it! And it’s not efficient, nor does it have any storage capacity.
Feb 27th, 2010
Daniel Kurdoghlian
Agree to all comments above – this is just cruel/inefficient/stupid
Feb 27th, 2010
Bob Day
You guys are right. You will need at least two horses to make it work and the horse wont be so tired. Maybe a horse and five reindeers would be perfect. Love th idea! :D
Feb 27th, 2010
tin
ughh! thats horrible!
Feb 27th, 2010
jane
Totally agree!! The horse may be protected from the elements, but how the eff is the horse suppose to get oxygen in a closed off box like that? TERRIBLE IDEA!
Feb 27th, 2010
ajayjshah
Wow, I agree with much of what was said. What a bunch of dumb dumbs. Need I say more…
Feb 28th, 2010
Kiwi
Humans have used horses as means of transportation for thousands of years, why is it suddenly bad?
Feb 28th, 2010
Aviva
And why not just have the horse pull you again?
That idea worked for a while…
Feb 28th, 2010
OOO
POOR HORSES!!!!!
Feb 28th, 2010
Horsie
I agree this ain´t not the way to tread horses.
But i love the idea, a car with Real 1 HorsePower.
Feb 28th, 2010
Sarah
For real guys, you really don’t see how this isn’t cruelty to this horse? It is running like it normally does in big open fields just inside. If it needs to stop it can, just like it says up at the top, there are batteries. And as for “How does it breath?” Uh you are dumb, how does the human sitting right in front of it breath? Seriously, if you would just pay attention people, this is not harming the horse in any way. In fact it is probably healthier for the horse than riding it as that would put a strain on it’s back. Please use your common sense when posting comments, the rest of the Internet will appreciate it. Thanks
Feb 28th, 2010
Jenny
This looks funny bt these guys should be sent to jail for this cruelty.
Feb 28th, 2010
Rick
What happens if the horse has a day off,
the family has to run?…..or do they run away ;-)
Feb 28th, 2010
Lee
Poor Horse! It will effectively be exercising in a green house with no ventilation. Have you tried exercising in a green house? That’s why it’s cruel! Not only that but with the horse defecating it is going to be very unpleasant a vehicle to drive with the smell and having to clean the vehicle after every use.
This is basically an over engineered version of a tried and tested for hundreds of years Horse and Cart! It fails seriously as it now has built in limitations. If this was just a bit of fun then well done to you guys. If it was serious then a bit of advice, Keep it simple stupid! Stick The horse and cart died of when the internal combustion engine arrived
Feb 28th, 2010
Jared
so cruel :\
Feb 28th, 2010
Rik
this really isn’t cruelty… what the hell are you talking about?
Feb 28th, 2010
gunneos
this is like technology going backwards. now why on earth would anyone sane do that? and also, would you really want to be in an enclosed space with horse pee and poo? ridiculous. it’s not animal cruelty, but it’s ridiculous nonetheless.
Feb 28th, 2010
Bringa
this is not technology going backwards, this is just a new idea! This car is not for traveling people–its entertainment!!!, They wont make cars like this in factories and its not for driving in the city but i think its really interesting .
About the animal cruelty..Have you ever thought about hamsters or guinea pigs running around in the terrarium?
or those little aquariums for the fishes.And these are horses!! they run all the day !whats the problem with this? There are even batteries if it gets tired!!
Feb 28th, 2010
delere
@Sarah. I agree.
It’s not every efficient, and the guy probably just uses it around town occasionally. It’s more of a comical engineering exercise. I bet that horse is well taken care of.
Feb 28th, 2010
Mask
…why don’t you just ride the horse?
Feb 28th, 2010
laura
yeah seriously, this is like slave labor.
why not make weight-conscious people run on the treadmill? add like 3 more treadmills and pay people to run instead
Feb 28th, 2010
Sam
This is gonna sound really mean, but I thought those were like stick on horses. Not ALIVE, but life-size things that they just stuck onto the side of the carriage. But then I realized that they were real. I am a young horse rider (12 years old), and I completely object to this animal cruelty. Shame on you.
Feb 28th, 2010
Tom Walters
Okay interesting design, but imagine the smell! I think it’s safe to say that’s a design flaw ;)
Feb 28th, 2010
carl
it’s fake ;)
Feb 28th, 2010
unDave™
You guys are funny lol.
-by unDave™
Feb 28th, 2010
ArI
very good idea
can he make it with other animals?=))
Feb 28th, 2010
Fis
Dear americans,
You exploited the rest of the world, generated millions of deaths around the globe, and now, you are criticizing this “design novelty” as being “cruel”.
Please consider what you are doing / and have done somewhere else and to someone else before saying things like that.
Feb 28th, 2010
Big Al
Don’t use horeses for transpotation purposes. Eat them.
Feb 28th, 2010
dave e.
Hey, Fis…
You might want to back up a whole lot, there. If you think Americans have the market cornered on global exploitation and death, then you’re more sequestered and sheltered than we are. Ever hear of the Spanish Inquisition? The Crusades? Oh, and how about those cheeky Romans? Now, there’s a batch of party animals. Or more recently, the Bataan Death march. And let’s not forget the slave labor utilized in Africa for mining diamonds, or China for manufacturing crap that clogs up the world’s homes, offices, and waste dumps.
Our country is a teenager, in comparison to the rest of the civilized world. Most countries and ideologies have had a running start on us… in ALL respects.
In addition, just because the American government has some flawed foreign policy and a shallow field of view doesn’t mean that ALL Americans share that view; we are just as entitled to differ in opinion and outlook from our government and our fellow citizens as you are yours. So get off your ‘high horse’ and get to know some REAL Americans, and not the ones you see on shitty t.v. shows and read about in the newspapers.
As for the subject matter at hand: Funny, interesting, and pointless. Certainly no worse than many animals have been subjected to over the centuries, maybe even kinder (presuming airflow is taken care of), because the surface the horse walks on is consistent and tailored.
Still, nothing I would buy into, and I think it should be shelved.
Feb 28th, 2010
Youre"Doom"
The idea is stupid, but not even nearly as stupid as everybody saying this is animal cruelty. Idiots.
Feb 28th, 2010
umwelt
Stupid, and stupid…
Feb 28th, 2010
Karin L.
There are some aspects of this that seem good but in reality a horse can’t move all day long to create this “transportation” without stopping for food and water. Peta would have a ball with this one. LOL! I’ll say no more.
Feb 28th, 2010
Brilliant
This is simply brilliant. Instat of stupid and slow SUVs towing stupid and stinky Horseboxes around – and thereby blocking streets, slowing down traffic, etc. – you just use your horse to power your car.
Feb 28th, 2010
Jo
wtf. riding them is fine. and soon as they are inside, its cruelty. fuuucking tree huggers.
Feb 28th, 2010
Someone Else
I wonder iff it would work with dogs ..or an army of hamsters!! You would have a lot more storage space then.
Feb 28th, 2010
nik
hey ddnt man invent machines to do work so that no human or animals are employed for the same work???? and aint it cruelty to keep a horse in such a stupid place rather than its natural habitat….and to top it all,some highly intelligent ppl fighting about what americans do or what ppl frm other countries do…lol
Feb 28th, 2010
Julie
Wow… I love how much of a debate has sprung up because of a horse.
Feb 28th, 2010
horseman
holy god I need one
Feb 28th, 2010
Betty
Ummm…I think this is brilliant. See, the horse gets to have a trot–which horses like to do– and, it can keep it’s hooves clean–no hot asphalt or rough stones– gets to be in constant shade, can stop occasionally and let the vehicle go on batteries, gets to be the center of attention and have his/her needs attended to while trotting. I really like animals and despair to see them mistreated but I don’t get what’s so “cruel” about this arrangement. Looks like the best possible situation for man and beast.
Feb 28th, 2010
latincrow
that is so wrong in so many levels….
Mar 1st, 2010
jane
@Sarah —
Wow you don’t need to be a bitch with an attitude.
Mar 1st, 2010
Lance Fisher
This is cool. I wonder how much training it took.
Mar 1st, 2010
carlos
Horses run on treadmills all the time. They do it for physical therapy and for testing, just like humans. Most well-equipped equestrian facilities will have horse treadmills.
Poop falls on the treadmill and is dropped at the back. It doesn’t stay in the compartment. Urine looks like it would just go through or also drain off the back.
This would be more efficient than pulling the vehicle because you could utilize gear ratios to get more speed out of the same amount of work from the horse and thus it taxes the horse less because it doesn’t have to work as hard and isn’t pulling a load or carrying one on its back.
Others have already mentioned the surface would be healthier for the horse than a dirt trail with sharp rocks or a paved road with broken glass and other hazards.
That’s not to say that this is a good commuter vehicle, but I’m guessing it would work great at parks and/or horse centric events/attractions.
Mar 1st, 2010
Tony
Hmm,
Would need to be a well trained horse for parallel parking.
Mar 1st, 2010
Lupalz
Horse on a threadmill, this pushes the boundaries of comically useless engineering to new levels. The number of jokes that can be made about this are endless..
We need more of these off the wall inventors with too much time on their hands!!!
Mar 1st, 2010
Ambrish K
what happens when the horsie poops, which they often do while trotting around…oh man! can you imagine the stink bomb and methane cloud in that greenhouse? why not just ride the horse’s back? oh, that’s right..you need to prevent your toupee from flying off your shrinking head! :)
A
Mar 1st, 2010
cindy edmonds
This is discusting. Worst thing i have ever seen on this sight.
Mar 1st, 2010
Hsoj Spillihp
i would drive it strait to the glue factory.
Mar 1st, 2010
kreebilicus
completely pointless and unsurpassingly ugly
Mar 1st, 2010
Treadmills
Why not use carriage. It is meaningless for the combination of huge box and treadmill. I don’t get it.
Mar 1st, 2010
MochiPu
Just curious… but how can the driver know when the horse gets tired?
It sure can’t say,” please stop! i’m out of breath!” :P
Mar 2nd, 2010
marie
haha, “how does it breathe?” Seriously?
on the plus side, the horse won’t poop on the road… though it looks like there is no floor in the horsemobile.
Also, I trust the treadmill will be softer then asphalt so that it is better for the horse to run on.
Mar 2nd, 2010
Gerry Wieder
How do you parallel park it?
Mar 2nd, 2010
Inconito
I am still confused as to why this is animal cruelty.
How is it any different from riding a horse?
Mar 2nd, 2010
me
amazing how many stupid people commented on this.. ha ha!
Animal cruelty? Really? and putting a horse in front of a carriage is not animal cruelty?? stupid!
I like how this design concentrates the horse-stink inside the car .. perfect for horse lovers..
Mar 2nd, 2010
Felix
LOL – about the comments.
I’d love to take this contraption to Corsica – what a panorama view sports holiday for the engine!
I bet it would speed up to 80mph downhill. Oops… what about sharp turns and breaks?? Snot in your neck – phbbbbb!!! ;D
The future of Ben Hur!
But actually, I don’t think it ever moved an inch by its own power. Good fake ;)
Mar 3rd, 2010
CeeCee
I dont see the use of this in any way….
As you can see there is just place for 2 persons in this vehicle. Besides, it just goes 20 – 80 mph.
If you really want to use a horse to get from one place to the other, just ride it or let it pull you….
this doesn’t make any sense.
Mar 3rd, 2010
CeeCee
ps. if you ride a horse yourself, or have it in front of a carriage, at least you still interact with the horse. You know how he feels and what he does. Totally different then just putting the horse in a box behind you and let it run run run run.
ps 2. the vehicle is from glass. The horse can see everything surrounding him. You might think that this is a good thing and that the horse will like it. But how often do horses get scared from something they see on the road??? well quite often. If you ride him yourself you will be able to gain his trust and move on. But what if he gets scared in the vehicle? he might go crazy and injure himself!
Mar 3rd, 2010
Karen
it really all depends on how trained the horse is and how nice the people are… like if the horse is ok, then its not animal cruelty. it even mentioned that they have a battery to power the car when the horse gets tired! plus, back then, when horses pulled carts, it was essentially the same thing, just they were exposed to the elements, unlike here.
Mar 6th, 2010
Kirvi Inci
Forget parallel parking. How do you get it to stop?
Mar 9th, 2010
Reilly
Ok… so If you can’t afford a car and you need a horse… you definitely can’t afford a high-tech vehicle as such. The batteries… the treadmill… upwards of at least $100,000… and where are you supposed to take it to get it serviced? What is the horse’s motive to even move? There’s no sugar cube or carrot… and the driver… who wold usually be behind the horse with a whip… can’t get the horse to move. What if the horse decides it wants to stop moving and you hadn’t stored enough energy? In the middle of moving traffic, it just stops and a car plows into it, possibly injuring the horse… think about the damage costs to repair this… if you can even find a place to repair it. Besides, they wouldn’t even legalize this.
Mar 13th, 2010
teafreak
It’s just stupid. In the last image, the horse doesn’t even look real.
It may not be 100% cruelty, but the horse and driver must be dying of heat in that greenhouse.
He could have just as easily rigged up a device to a already made horse cart and got the power, and saved the horse some heat.
Not innovative; stupid.
Apr 1st, 2010
fish
Even if it was real–and I doubt it, it’s a stupid idea–it would be bad for the horse. Disregarding any complaints about how it could breathe/etc., horses are not built to be running on treadmills or hard ground without special shoes and even then, it would likely be bad for their joints…
Apr 3rd, 2010
Mike
It’s certainly an impractical idea, but not bad for a novelty item for some rich person with too much money and not enough sense.
And animal cruelty? I guess it would be if you were to use it with a horse for ten hours straight, but it’s no more cruel than having a horse hitched to a carriage in the traditional fashion; the horse is still being stressed, just in a different way. Having seen horses on treadmills in the past for medical and performance assessment, they tolerate treadmills quite fine. Certainly less physically demanding than having an extra 50-100 kilos of human upon their spine (yes, like that’s natural and not cruel at all…)
Apr 24th, 2010
Raads
haha! ok, people, you seriousy need to calm down
1) its probably Never gonna come out, cos as we figured, loads of people are gonna consider it animal cruelty
2)It is Not cruel to the animal, as many have pointed out, bout the carriages in olden days/now
3)Even if it does come out its not like any one is gonna use it anyways, price, inconvinience, not being able to reverse, park, stop- various reasons.
4)everything fish said. :)
seriously, i dunno what you ppl are getting heated about! lets just have a nice discussion bout it ok?
May 8th, 2010
Justin
I’m curious as to how many people that commented have ever been around horses. I’m also curious as to those people who have how this could be cruel. He doesn’t beat the horse or starve it. In fact I would bet this horse is perfectly happy walking/running on that treadmill. I don’t know about the rest of the people on here but I grew up in a rural area where there are communities that still use horse and buggy as a means of transportation and I can assure you this is way less work for the horse than pulling a buggy, carriage or plow is. Another thing brought up was animal excrement and it is probably just dropped onto the street. Thats how things were where I grew up. Great idea.
Jul 1st, 2010
melissa
someone died in the filming of ben hur. the footage is still in the movie per the family’s permission.
carlos- good info.
excrement could be warming in the winter.. ever been on a horse drawn sleigh riding up the side of a snowy mountain?
cruelty? who knows except the horse and his owner (hopefully)… i think fat people should have to do it. put a tv in front of them theyll do anything. fat people work out in the gym in front of the tv too.
the thing about what if the power source is sick or tired… welcome to deindustrailization. it’s like farming in the rain. work with your surroundings instead of against them.
Jul 7th, 2010
melissa
also… if you can’t afford a crappy old car you aren’t gonna take care of…
you certainly can’t afford a horse. and you have to take much better care of a horse
even if you can afford a nice car, you might not be able to afford a horse
Jul 7th, 2010
bagowheat
wtf is going on in that 5th pic? its like its floating? just mega awful photoshop?
Jul 25th, 2010
John
For those who think that’s cruelty :
Change the horse by the cow you will eat later :
Most cows you eat never see direct sun, never eat grass, and never walk : it’s real cruelty then, not like here.
One or two year before the butcher kill it, put a cow in that car : then the cow make exercice : it’s better for the cow… and for the meat.
p.s.
You want to made less cruelty to animals ?
-> Eat less meat, half than now.
And it’s better for your health.
Dec 31st, 2010
Dan Billheimer
Working on a two horse power car. Get my e-mail and lets compare notes please. Dan
Mar 20th, 2011
Dan
This looks actually safer for the horse then pulling a wagon no way of it running in there but would drive it at a horses walking pace and if you feel treadmill is bad for horse watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ob4DqMUMn4
Mar 24th, 2011
Elektric gypsy
Brilliant idea, but actually not a new one.Horses love speed! Probably prefer the breeze through their mane at the same time – easily rectified.
Probably need to use a torque converter that keeps the load steady as you put the brakes on, so that the horse does not stumble in a situation of fast de-acceleration and to charge batteries for the hills.
No more traction problems with steel shoes on tarmac – can collect the valuable manure easily – parrallel parking; Huh – you wanna watch the way those shiny cars (that mostly belong to the bank manager) move out the way when a cartwheel wiggles about or a horse stamps its foot next to the immaculate paint.
Can’t see how you communicate your commands to the horse in this configuration though.
Where can I get one?
Sad to see from the list of comments how much people lack knowledge or insight into the things that make different animals happy – they are not human.
Aug 11th, 2011
Erik
Sure, because using hamster-powered vehicles is too inhumane!
May 30th, 2013