"The Mahjouba Initiative remakes cheap Chinese mopeds popular in Van Hove’s home of Marrakech, Morocco by using local artisans and materials," writes The Dartmouth. "The moped runs on an electric engine, a far more ecologically sustainable model than the traditional explosive engine...Dartmouth students took on a more active role in the initiative starting around the third prototype. The Magnuson Family Center for Entrepreneurship (formerly the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network), the Tuck School of Business and Thayer School of Engineering all worked on various projects to bring Mahjouba on the market…

"Engineering students, like Nat Healy ’20, have also helped Van Hove with the technical side. As a member of Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering, Nat spearheaded the project and traveled to Morocco in the summer of 2017, where he saw the impact of the project in a more tangible way.

"'Working with the craftsmen and working with [Van Hove], seeing his drive for this project, really convinced me that it could be something that would last, that could make a difference,' Healy said.

"Healy and his team initially worked on the transmission, braking system and locking system. They have since transitioned to improving the longevity of the moped, even testing using 3D-printed plastics. Their efficiency testing model is on display in the Strauss Gallery as a part of the exhibition [curated by studio art professor & engineering lecturer Jack Wilson]."

V12 Laraki. Image courtesy of the Luke Hayes/Design Museum, London.