Edie Lush

Crazy car, crazy company: but maybe it’s the future

Edie Lush encounters Riversimple, a car project with a corporate philosophy that’s as unconventional as its technology and an urge to give away its secrets on the internet

issue 11 July 2009

Edie Lush encounters Riversimple, a car project with a corporate philosophy that’s as unconventional as its technology and an urge to give away its secrets on the internet

Riversimple is either completely revolutionary or totally nuts. At a time when electric cars are the big green fashion, Riversimple’s founders have invented a hydrogen-powered car, and they’re giving away the design for free on the internet to anyone who’s interested. They plan to sell no cars (they’ll lease them instead) and to have a corporate structure in which a variety of ‘stakeholders’ have as much say as shareholders. They freely admit they’re not interested in building a money-spinner — but they’re looking for investors to join them nevertheless.

Crazy? Possibly. The Riversimple crew believe that if people are to continue to drive cars, given their environmental impact, not only will the cars have to be different, so will the companies behind them.

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