Collapsible Electric Cars May Ease Public Transit Woes

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology wants to reinvent the way people get around downtown: the City Car. Rather than slogging through a brutal summer day to a train stop or waiting in sub-zero temperatures to catch a bus, MIT’s Media Lab envisions this electric-powered, compact two-seater as a city-dweller’s best friend.

Using the Zip Car rental system as a model, the City Car could be rented at a kiosk and returned to multiple locations at the driver’s convenience. Oh, and the vehicles stack like shopping carts, allowing as many as eight to fit into a single parking space. While the City Car isn’t on the market yet, cities with overburdened public transportation systems have begun to show interest, enticed by the prospect of an emissions-free vehicle powered by an electric motor in each wheel. This independent wheel system also allows the City Car to pivot on a dime, making tight urban parking less of a hassle.

As for highway driving, the City Car can top 55 mph, but designers want to improve on both speed and the car’s limited range if the vehicle is ever to be used in a long-distance-driving city, like Los Angeles. For now, the car remains an interesting prospect in the movement to reduce urban congestion and make life easier for city drivers.

MIT offers City Car for the masses (CNET News)