2008 Michelin Challenge Design™ NAIAS Showcase

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Biography

Peter Drazdiak-Hansen is an automotive designer and mechanical engineer who specialize in thoughtful, straight-forward design. Pete's passion for design began at an early age with sketching cars and spaceships. Born and raised in Norway, his education leaned toward mechanical engineering but his love of design nagged him to follow his aspirations.

"Mechanical engineering is just math," Pete says. "The tools are numbers and formulas, straight edge and ruler, while a designer has more liberties and tools he could use. Design is beautiful, it's creative, and it's always different. It's pleasing to the eye, and to me that's very important."

In 2001, Pete came to the U.S. to pursue his passion. He received a bachelor's degree in Transportation Design from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. He is working part-time at Shook Design in Mountain View, Calif., where he resides with his wife.

Description

The Mars is a small safe car in a fun package with lots of performance. It is a plug-in electric vehicle with an optional generator, perfect for your daily commute and having a fun drive. Advanced safety features include special rims and tires that change their foot print depending on driving needs and external airbags that are set off before an accident in order to mitigate the lack of crumble zones in smaller vehicles. Its small size also makes it a perfect city car where space is limited.