A tiny ecological car that can nip through traffic jams was launched in Britain on Tuesday after three years of research financed by the European Union. The three-wheeled, one-metre wide vehicle runs on natural gas and consumes 2.5 litres of fuel per 100 km.
The BMW CLEVER (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport), combines the safety of a microcar, and the manoeuvrability of a motorcycle, while being less polluting than other vehicles as it runs on compressed natural gas.
Researchers from Bath University in western England, have been testing a prototype of the car, which is the product of a jointly-run project by engineers from Britain, France, Germany and Austria in collaboration with BMW.
The Bath team developed a unique tilting suspension on the vehicle.
The car's chassis tilts automatically, like a motorbike, as it turns corners, helping to stabilise it.
Dr Geraint Owen, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at Bath University said, "It's the first vehicle that has used hydraulics to enable it to move like a motorcycle, but to drive like a car."
The project was financed with R150m from the European Union.
Five of the cars have been produced so far, but Owen said Brussels was considering trials in other cities.
With a maximum speed of 100 Km/h, the car goes from 0-to-60 km in seven seconds.
The BMW CLEVER (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport), combines the safety of a microcar, and the manoeuvrability of a motorcycle, while being less polluting than other vehicles as it runs on compressed natural gas.
Researchers from Bath University in western England, have been testing a prototype of the car, which is the product of a jointly-run project by engineers from Britain, France, Germany and Austria in collaboration with BMW.
The Bath team developed a unique tilting suspension on the vehicle.
The car's chassis tilts automatically, like a motorbike, as it turns corners, helping to stabilise it.
Dr Geraint Owen, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at Bath University said, "It's the first vehicle that has used hydraulics to enable it to move like a motorcycle, but to drive like a car."
The project was financed with R150m from the European Union.
Five of the cars have been produced so far, but Owen said Brussels was considering trials in other cities.
With a maximum speed of 100 Km/h, the car goes from 0-to-60 km in seven seconds.
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