By Laura Kiniry Photograph by Lissie Ham Brothers Michael and
Kenny Ham have a goal: to create cheap electric vehicles that
get people interested in renewable energy. In 2009, they built
Three-Wheeled Electric Alternative by KinAestheticWind (TWEAK),
a solar-powered three-wheeler. “We wanted a vehicle that could
recharge itself,” says Kenny. For help with their project, they
offered an extended learning course at the University of New
Mexico’s Los Alamos campus. “Our students (eight men and two
women) turned out to be the perfect blend of age and
experience,” says Michael, 30, a Ph.D. physicist in computer
vision research at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. “They
were solving problems in ways we’d never dreamed.” The group
took a heap of parts — including an old classroom seat, the
steering and suspension components from a VW Beetle, a sealed
lead-acid battery, a solar battery charger, and three motorcycle
tires — and turned them into a dune buggy-like ride, all for
about $1,000. Two cordless drills suppli