The CLEVER: Compact Low Emission Vehicle...

for Urban Transport.

Sexy little thing:

http://www.kfz.tu-berlin.de/Clever/index.htm

Green Car Congress article about it:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/12/clever_a_threew.html

Imagine how different Manhattan could be with something like this!




Cher

That thing doesn't look durable enough for me. It would definately have some application, but for most purposes that I currently use a car for it would not be a good option. Even casual driving in the suburbs would be cause for alarm. I simply cannot see it standing up to any impact with say, a Ford Explorer traveling 30 MPH.

For me, this vehicles limited uses are right now better served by a bicycle.

----------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

Do you REALLY think it's as safe as say, a Honda Civic? I don't.

Seems a similar version for 2 might be very useful also.

With separate parking places from conventional for such vehicles, and incentives.

Check out the design drawings. Two of them show the seating design quite clearly.

It would be a little cramped for the morbidly obese, but otherwise, it's a workable design.

--p!

The conversions from Metric to "American", along with the errors, are mine.

Data sheet:
3-wheel tilting cornering vehicle
Length: 3 m (9'11")
Width: 1 m (3'4")
Height: 1.35 m (4'5")
Tandem seat constellation
Single-cylinder 230 cc natural gas engine - Kerb weight approx. 395 kg (871 lbs.)
vmax= 100 kph (62.2 miles)
0-60 kph < 7 sec.
Range approx. 200 km (124.4 miles)
Aluminium space frame with plastic body

This looks like a pretty good proposal, and a number of very reputable European automotive engineering firms are behind this.

I would suggest two things, if they have not already been considered:

First, more attention be paid to alternative power plants -- standard gasoline, petrodiesel, biodiesel, electrical, and hybrid(s).

Second, attention to safety features. There is no reason why a small vehicle could not be engineered and built, at modest cost, that could sustain the kinds of impacts that cause fatalities in today's standard, regular-sized motorcars.

--p!

The Swiss http://tinyurl.com/d4x8s">Ecomobile offers an enclosed cabin motorcycle experience and is already in production. Like the 'Clever', it also uses a BMW motor, though a much larger gasoline powered one. It wouldn't take a great deal of engineeering for Peraves to create a smaller more fuel efficient model, but they appear to be targeting the high performance market only at this point.

Microsoft isn't in the transportation business. Yet.

Try again -> http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0501/30/autos-73731.htm