A 65-year-old family therapist and school psychologist from Massachusetts took the summer off to drive his new ELF bike from Canada to Key West.
Mark Stewart's bike isn't something you'd find at a normal bike shop however, as the green ELF is a cross between a bicycle and a car, with solar panels and a unique shape according to the Associated Press.
Stewart's journey began with a flight down to Durham, N.C. on July 15 and he estimates the 1,200 mile bike journey will take around a month to complete.
He's already traveled the first leg of the trip from Durham, N.C. to Reston, V.A. in five days, or 60 miles.
The futuristic vehicle has been turning heads everywhere Stewart goes with it so far.
"It reminds me of when I saw a Smart car the first time," said Joanne Bury according to the Associated Press. "This is incredible. What is it?"
The ELF can go 1,800 miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline. The bike does not require the repair, insurance or car maintenance costs of a normal vehicle according to Stewart.
Besides an occasional tire change, the ELF runs off what it costs to charge its battery.
Stewart purchased the ELF from Organic Transit, which sells the vehicle for a base price of $5,000. In order to avoid the $1,000 delivery charge, he decided to fly down and pick the bike up in person to learn how to operate it before heading back home.
"I spent three days in the shop hanging with the guys there and learning the vehicle," Stewart said. "This is just an unsupported solo trip up here in a vehicle that nobody else really knows."
The model Stewart purchased is just the 40th to be produced. Organic Transit CEO Rob Cotter said he took technology from boats, bicycles and aircrafts and "incorporated" them all into the green, 130-pound bicycle.
"About 30 years ago I was working in the performance car industry working on Porsches and BMWs," Cotter said according to the Associated Press. "At the time the world record for a streamline bicycle was 55 mph by ground and I realize that those efficiencies are capable with one horsepower. I realized from a social, ethical and environmental standpoint that we're doing something drastically wrong."
Demand has grown "significantly" for the green vehicle, and Organic Transit has opened a second factory to meet their increasing demand. The company is currently working on their 75th bike as of press time.
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