MIT's electric vehicles for urban environments are showcases, including the folding CityCar and the electric bike attachment known as the GreenWheel. By Justin Meisinger
That car idea, was all ready introduced by a Japanese car company. It's a gret idea, for city life style. Really big cars, aren't really convinent in the city for the driver or public. Cities continue to become more populated, and smaller cars are the best way to deal with this.
@Piano1515 I do ride a lot, but I still want a front-wheel version so I can ride the local beaches and hit the snow in winter! Besides, I don't know if its popular where you are but around here cheap electric mopeds are EVERYWHERE; they're just heavy "bicycles" that usually have their (nearly useless) pedals removed by the owner. At least with this you might pedal from time to time, and could get home fairly easily with a dead battery.
I think the only way the car will catch on is if most people drive them because people don't like the safety hazard they can be when driving with cars twice or three times their size next to them. The bike attachment sounds nice, but is way too expensive to become popular.
In full production I suspect that the cost of the greenwheel would come down. That is if it is a take off product with a good service reputation. Yes I am interested.
I saw a new microchip on mouser that was for automated gps shopping carts w range detection that would link back together. I imagine homeless people taking the carts around the city then riding inside them for free transportation back to the grocery stores from the bridges :)
The one thing that would have to be built into these vehicles and into the batteries on the bikes too is a GPS tracking system because people will try to steal them. I think the technology is here to do that and it shouldn't cost that much either. Perhaps people could rent the bikes too which would be an even better alternative and you could activate these things using a key and code or something.
@SantosRegal What? Do you think this MIT is out on the road? So I am comparing like with like. Yaris is a different segment it's too big and the brakes don't work.
When will we see these on the road? So many great ideas like these that have real life use dates set out in 2025 or 2050. Get these on the roads already
I like the idea of this car, being electric and able to fold, making full 360 degree turns in tight spaces, all while sitting two people. Its a shame that its not being produced. Can the car drive in both the regular and compact position? The only thing this car seems to be missing is cargo space.
Und wo tue ich meine Einkäufe vom Supermarkt rein?? Der Wagen ist wohl ein Hingucker und macht bestimmt Spaß, aber zwei Einkaufstüten voller Lebensmittel möchte ich schon leicht unterkriegen. Der Wagen kann ja auch ruhig Spaß bringen, aber sein nutzen als Altagswagen für die Stadt soll auch vollwertig vorhanden sein. In der BMW- Isetta passte auf der kleinen Rückbank kleine Einkäufe rein oder ein Kleinkind
@ak7wyf It parks perpendicular not parallel. After is parks perpendicular, it folds ups so the car is not sticking out in the road. This also allows the driver and passenger to exit the vehicle. So even if two assholes park bumper to bumper, they can drive off with ease.
this is all great stuff,but we have all the pieces right now to build a aerodynamic,high mileage and or long range electric vehicle.What's needed is to change the mindset of a lot of driver's,whom insist on driving to work in a 3-4 thousand pound inefficient vehicle,with just them in it.BMW built the Simple concept a few years back,perfect.A manufacture willing to cut their profit margin,to draw people in and get them behind the wheel,may start the ball rolling.The Simple is fun to drive.
Car seems pretty cool, but doesn't appear safe at all, not with all these huge 4x4's rolling around ready to just flatten that thing like a bug :( cool idea tho. It's probablies an idea that might catch on in the ''far'' future. As for the bike? not a fan. so, that pretty much makes pedals useless, doesnt it? haha
If they produce a 5-seat version of this car, that could meet the needs of a typical family and this car has a brilliant future in order to replace the obsolete petrol pollutant car.
I like the bike, but the folding car would be more amazing and much more economical if it did not fold. So much tech when you could just make them 2/3 the size and fit 3 of them in a spot. There has been a lot made of this project and I am into it, but I feel like people only care that it's from MIT and it has lots of wow factor. It could have already been on the road if they didn't make it fold, but who would care about a normal, small electric car?
@Piano1515 Then you don't know that for health reasons, only a minority of people > 45 can bicycle where they have to go, and < 45 not all can. Among the older poor with no cars, people with no access to close buses, or a ride from friends, often go without proper and needed food and even medicines until they can find transport. Any society without petroleum will need to either find an alternative source of power, or they will have to enslave their youth or animals to provide the power.
thats a cool car but it won't take on our true canadian winters and what about a family with children and pets where do you put the kids and pets and your food
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