If you want to build or prototype a physical electric vehicle from an open-source hardware design, Open Motors’ TABBY EVO is the clearest match: its maker describes it as a modular EV platform and says detailed 2D and 3D CAD files are available. It lists hardware from the chassis and suspension to the battery, motor, and controller. Other open vehicle projects focus on donor-car controls, scaled autonomy research, or automotive software—not a full-size chassis kit.
Choose based on what you are actually developing: a vehicle, its embedded controls, an autonomous-driving system, or its software architecture. Those are different projects with different hardware, licensing, and road-use considerations.
Which kind of EV development do you want to do?
“Open-source EV platform” can mean a physical chassis design, a converted-car control system, a research vehicle, or a software stack. The distinction matters: open software does not supply a chassis, and downloadable vehicle designs do not by themselves establish roadworthiness or legal approval.
| Project | Scale and offering | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| TABBY EVO | Modular physical EV platform; Open Motors says detailed 2D and 3D CAD files are available and describes the platform as available to buy online. | Prototyping a physical electric vehicle around an open hardware design. |
| OVCS | Embedded vehicle-systems project built around a converted car and a small radio-control vehicle; not a chassis kit. | Vehicle controls, integration, and related software experimentation. |
| AV4EV | One-third-scale autonomous electric go-kart described in a 2024 peer-reviewed paper. | Autonomy, sensing, teleoperation, and research at reduced scale. |
| AGL SoDeV and Eclipse SDV | Automotive software reference platform and open-source software ecosystem, respectively; neither is a physical EV platform. | In-vehicle software and software-defined-vehicle development. |
Among these projects, only TABBY EVO is described as a modular physical EV platform offered for online purchase. Its current price, stock, and delivery geography are not established by the maker’s cited page. [Open Motors TABBY EVO]
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What TABBY EVO includes
Open Motors’ published inclusion list spans the main vehicle structure, running gear, electrical systems, and powertrain. The maker lists:
- Frame or chassis, front and rear suspension, steering, and braking systems
- Basic controls and CAN-bus cabling
- Two seats, wheels, rims, and tires
- Batteries, battery management system (BMS), motor, and motor controller
- DC-DC converter and battery charger
This is the maker’s published list, not independent confirmation of what a particular order currently contains. Before committing to a build, request the exact configuration, parts list, documentation, and delivery details for the package being offered. The page identifies the TABBY EVO brochure as version 1.5; it does not establish a current price. [Open Motors TABBY EVO] [Open Motors platform details]
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License and availability: what to verify
Open Motors says TABBY is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) and describes it as free for personal, academic, and commercial use. The statement applies to “TABBY”; check the license attached to the specific CAD files or other materials you intend to reuse. Also review any applicable trademark or commercial terms before selling a derivative. [Open Motors license information]
The maker says the platform is shipping, can be bought online, and invites startup projects and partners to apply to develop and test it. Those are the maker’s own claims; they do not independently establish inventory, delivery coverage, the package supplied, or acceptance into a partnership. Confirm these details directly before making plans around a purchase or collaboration. No verified price is stated in the cited material. [Open Motors TABBY EVO]
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How to choose a platform for your project
- Define the thing you need to develop. For a physical modular vehicle, evaluate TABBY EVO. For controls and integration work on a converted car, examine OVCS. For scaled autonomy research, consider AV4EV. For automotive software architecture, look at AGL SoDeV or Eclipse SDV.
- Check what is actually provided. Distinguish CAD files from a supplied hardware package, and both from software repositories or reference stacks. Ask for the current bill of materials and documentation before assuming a design file corresponds to included parts.
- Read the relevant license and project terms. Confirm the license on the exact files you will modify or distribute, as well as any separate trademark or commercial conditions.
- Plan for engineering and regulatory work. An open design is not a road certification. Assess safety, testing, and the rules in the jurisdiction where the vehicle would be used; do not infer legal road use from the existence of plans or a running prototype.
Other open projects—and what they are not
OVCS: controls and integration, not a chassis kit
OVCS is an open-source embedded vehicle-systems framework using Elixir, Nerves, Phoenix, and Flutter. Its repository describes OVCS1 as a 2007 Volkswagen Polo converted to electric, using a Nissan Leaf AZE0 drivetrain, Bosch iBooster Gen2, Orion BMS2, and custom controllers. OVCS Mini is a Traxxas 4WD radio-control car used for radio-control and ROS 2 work. The project is described as hobby research, provided as-is without warranty, and not road-certified; it should not be presented as safe or legal for public-road use. [OVCS repository]
AV4EV: a one-third-scale autonomous research kart
A University of Pennsylvania-led research team’s 2024 peer-reviewed paper describes AV4EV as an open-source, one-third-scale autonomous electric go-kart with manual, autonomous, and teleoperation modes, plus sensing and software resources. It is a research platform, not a full-size passenger-car chassis. The authors estimated construction at approximately USD 12,500 per kart, including mechatronic systems, and separately estimated around USD 11,000 for the flexible sensing suite and demonstrative software. These are the authors’ 2024 estimates for AV4EV; the sensing estimate varies with requirements and customization, and the paper says scaled production could reduce construction cost. Neither figure is a TABBY EVO price or a general full-size EV budget. [AV4EV paper]
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AGL SoDeV and Eclipse SDV: software development
Linux Foundation’s 2025-12-05 announcement described AGL SoDeV as an automotive software-defined-vehicle reference platform led by Panasonic Automotive Systems, Honda, and the AGL SDV Expert Group, with Toyota, Mazda, AISIN, and Renesas listed as contributors. It integrates AGL Unified Code Base with projects including Linux Containers, VirtIO, Xen, Yocto Project, Zephyr, and ELISA. The announcement planned availability for early 2026; current release status and supported targets are not established here. [Automotive Grade Linux announcement]
Eclipse SDV is an Eclipse Foundation working group supporting open-source vehicle software, specifications, and collaboration. Its listed projects include Eclipse Safe Open Vehicle Core and Eclipse Open Vehicle API. It is a software ecosystem, not a physical electric-vehicle hardware platform. [Eclipse SDV]
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OpenEVSE: charging equipment, not vehicle hardware
OpenEVSE is an open-source EV supply-equipment and charger platform. The cited repository describes a charging controller, ESP32 Wi-Fi gateway, and web interface. It is relevant if your project concerns charging infrastructure, but it does not provide an EV chassis or powertrain platform. [OpenEVSE repository]
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Safety and road use
Open-source plans, hardware, or software do not establish that a vehicle is road-legal. OVCS explicitly says its project is not road-certified. For any vehicle intended for public roads, the design, build, testing, and approval requirements depend on the relevant jurisdiction. Treat road-use compliance and safety validation as separate engineering and regulatory work, not as a feature implied by an open license or a working prototype. [OVCS repository]
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