Folding Car Can Be Stacked, Stored, and Recharged
The City Car, half the size of a normal compact car, is more than just a small, electric two-seater, though. Foldable to roughly half its size, the car is designed to be stacked, stored and recharged at central locations throughout a city. Franco Vairani, the car's designer, says, "you would just go and swipe your card and take the first one available and drive away." Researchers see the City Car as part of a shared transit system within urban areas -- it isn't a replacement for full-size cars or public transportation.
As reported by Engadget a couple months ago, MIT is working with GM to build a prototype, and researchers hope to begin manufacturing the City Car within three to four years. We're all for cutting emissions and traffic, but we're also anxious to see if the golf-cart sized City Car fares well in crash tests!
From Engadget and The Boston Globe
Related Links:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
sherry lilly @ Mar 11th 2008 6:46AM
Ok with your little car,very cute but,question where you going to put your family?Unless we are going to be ban from having them,we get banned from everything else and then get drugged in our water whether we want it or not.How many years has that been going on before the door was open to we the ppl and let us in on that?
Dan @ Mar 11th 2008 7:05AM
Interesting, but that "shared transit" thing perplexes me...when was the last time you got a loaner car from a dealership or got into some other heavily-used vehicle and found its interior to be clean or even somewhat acceptable? For this car, I can only imagine *everyone* leaving their litter, refuse, newspapers, cups, cigarette butts and such behind, while spilling their double mocha latte on the seats and not caring to clean any of it up - why should they? They won't get that car when they come back and swipe their card.
And to Sherry Lilly, hun, you need some anti-depressants and I'm not being catty by saying that. Any "city car" is made as a useful alternative to fuel-swilling over sized vehicles being used as morning commuter cars with only 1 or 2 people in them. It's not a family hauler, which you would have left in your driveway when you departed for work in your Smart ForTwo or other thrifty commuter city car. And your dissertation on being banned from "everything else" and contaminated water is entirely off-topic here [you didn't realize sewage water was filtered back into drinking water and piped into homes?].
An interesting car, but the "shared transit" aspect would ruin it for me.
Terry @ Mar 11th 2008 7:22AM
Hey.....WHERE do you and your passenger put your groceries after doing the weekly grocery run???!!
Patrick Nunan @ Mar 11th 2008 7:28AM
My concern is the safety of the vehicle. Like the Smart Car, if you get hit by a truck or another care while driving that thing, kiss your life good-bye or maybe worse be a vegetable.
gayle @ Mar 11th 2008 7:35AM
Not a very good thing this car. Its not for families you would still need 2 cars. This piece for work and another for family, food, etc. This looks like a toy car and a major accident waiting to happen. Get the gas prices down and the min wage up. Then you will be doing something PRODUCTIVE???
Al @ Mar 11th 2008 7:35AM
lol... Johny Cab
Paranormal Fox @ Mar 11th 2008 7:40AM
Where are the side pipes ?
Donna @ Mar 11th 2008 7:55AM
Some people need to re-read the article. It is not meant to replace family cars.
And I agree with Dan. I'd drive the car, but the shared transit part, no way.
Me @ Mar 11th 2008 8:23AM
RE: For this car, I can only imagine *everyone* leaving their litter, refuse, newspapers, cups, cigarette butts and such behind, while spilling their double mocha latte on the seats and not caring to clean any of it up - why should they? They won't get that car when they come back and swipe their card.
------------------------------------
Possibly, but bear in mind that you need to swipe a card to check out one of the cars. I have no doubt that if you returned a car with damage or that needed professional cleaning, that you would get a bill (or charge on your credit card) for whatever the company needed to do to fix it.
vickitot @ Mar 11th 2008 8:30AM
This CAR IS SO SMALL YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO IN AN ACCIDENT ! ! !
James @ Mar 11th 2008 8:30AM
The sharing part is crap. I'd buy and drive one but I get to keep it myself.
JNRJR @ Mar 11th 2008 8:42AM
>
But for that, you and Ahhnold need to be on Mars...
Keri @ Mar 11th 2008 8:45AM
I'm not sure where I'd put the three kids. Where do I put groceries, hockey bags, the dog for trips to the vet, etc. Also, if I found a way to fit the children, what is the effective safety in this vehicle? How does a car such as this handle the brutal northern Maine winters? Perhaps for singles and couples in a large metro area, but certainly not practical for a family in more suburban or rural areas.
JoJo @ Mar 11th 2008 9:12AM
sherry lilly says:
Ok with your little car,very cute but,question where you going to put your family?Unless we are going to be ban from having them,we get banned from everything else and then get drugged in our water whether we want it or not.How many years has that been going on before the door was open to we the ppl and let us in on that?
***
The drug thing has been going on for years, it's just built up over time...if you've ever flushed your expired or leftover drugs down the toilet, then just think of how many others are doing the same thing. This drugged water didn't come as a surprise to me. After my mom passed away, I called the pharmacy as to how to dispose of the leftover morphine and other pain killers. They told me to flush it down the toilet. I was shocked and called the local hospital. They said to flush it too...and add to that the health department and the gas/water department. I just tossed them in the regular trash still in the bottles. I figure if someone is stupid enough to dig in trash and take someone else pills, too bad for them. It's also not just drugs in the water, think of all the soaps and other assorted chemicals in whatever we put on our bodies/bathwater and shower/bathe off.
As for the topic about the car, it's cute, but only for one or two people, and if the cost of getting one is too expensive, not many people will bother with it and continue to drive their own.
iso400 @ Mar 11th 2008 9:16AM
People should reed what they right, because spellcheckers do not catch words used in error. "breaking" controls.
Patty @ Mar 11th 2008 9:23AM
I think that these cars are a wonderful idea. They should make them for the public to buy with the price of gas going out of site.
Patty @ Mar 11th 2008 9:25AM
Cute little buggers.
Patty @ Mar 11th 2008 9:31AM
iso400 - You should read what you write. That is what you are saying. Not reed or right. Get a life.
ed @ Mar 11th 2008 9:35AM
Dan: - I agree on the trashing of rentals etc. Maybe just a throwaway car like the old Ford Pinto would be better.
windgroup @ Mar 11th 2008 9:57AM
RE: Johhny Cab...
But for that, you and Ahhnold need to be on Mars...