This seems like a very smart and almost feasable concept for a true city car:
Quote, originally posted by http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19651/ »
The Smart Cities group at the MIT Media Lab is working on two low-cost electric vehicles that it hopes will revolutionize mass transit and help alleviate pollution. Next week, the group will unveil a prototype of its foldable electric scooter at the EICMA Motorcycle Show, in Milan. A prototype for the team's foldable electric car, called the City Car, is slated to follow next year.
The MIT group sees the vehicles as the linchpin in a strategy that aims to mitigate pollution with electric power, expand limited public space by folding and stacking vehicles like shopping carts, and alleviate congestion by letting people rent and return the vehicles to racks located near transportation hubs, such as train stations, airports, and bus depots.
None of them is "yours", they are there to rent. So you just take the first one available.
Think of it this way. What if you destination is one mile from the nearest subway stop? Grab a city car, go to your destination and return it when you are done. Makes a ton of sense to me! Its a compliment to public transport.
So if driving a Miata makes someone "gay", does driving an Escalade make someone "black"? Think about it. Twitter Feed Locost Build Diary
it's just like the carts at the airport for your luggage. you put in money and you get the next one in line. pretty neat idea.
Quote, originally posted by ashsimmonds »
– it was like walking into a nut-allergy-support-group and licking peanut paste out of the jar and rubbing my nipples
Quote, originally posted by -Khaos- »
Seriously, cows "emit" alot of gases compared to cars, yet I don't think any of these smog-test supporters have switched to a vegan diet or made any attempt to place a catalytic converter up a cows rectum.
For that to work in the US, there would need to be some serious changes to our current vehicle laws in those areas. Say limit vehicles to a certain size (say 3200lbs) in the most congested areas, and that would make these vehicles much more attractive as people could park their huge vehicles at a safe location and use these in town. But I can't imagine anybody wanting to drive these in normal US urban traffic as it is today.
"straight roads are for fast cars, curvy roads are for fast drivers"
What happens when someone yaks in the thing? Who's going to clean them up? I could see this working for people who take the train into town and only need to get from their stop to the office, or if their house is a little too far to walk to, but I can also see them being NASTY inside.
Signature removed to prevent offending poor people.
Those would be absolutely fantastic!.. in a fantasy land where everyone is honest and responsible, drives flawlessly, and isn't a complete slob with B.O. and disregard for public and/or other people's property.
█♣█ + ███ | FireVortex | Sunlight on chrome, the blur of the landscape... every nerve aware | T'aime, Cocotte
What happens when someone yaks in the thing? Who's going to clean them up? I could see this working for people who take the train into town and only need to get from their stop to the office, or if their house is a little too far to walk to, but I can also see them being NASTY inside.
I'm sure it would have to work something like FlexCar- where you join and have a card. You use the card to access and use the vehicles- and you are billed based on use. The membership would include insurance. The card would also allow a record of use, so they would know who left vomit inside...
"straight roads are for fast cars, curvy roads are for fast drivers"
I don't think the crash standards are a huge issue in the normal slow going city traffic...
I can't even imagine driving one of those things in NYC or DC, it would be suicide. With the rate people run lights, one good t-bone and your a gonner. Speaking of which, does the passenger compartment pop out and double as a coffin?
Those would be absolutely fantastic!.. in a fantasy land where everyone is honest and responsible, drives flawlessly, and isn't a complete slob with B.O. and disregard for public and/or other people's property.
I had a revelation one time while toking in college. It went like this; everything will evolve at its most absurd level, until the future ends up like Futurama. Of course, everything will make perfect sense when we impliment it.
This is like those "people tubes" they have in the intro to Futurama! Bachelor Chow and Slurm will probably be best sellers by 2019 and suicide booths will be commonplace by 2187.
For that to work in the US, there would need to be some serious changes to our current vehicle laws in those areas. Say limit vehicles to a certain size (say 3200lbs) in the most congested areas, and that would make these vehicles much more attractive as people could park their huge vehicles at a safe location and use these in town. But I can't imagine anybody wanting to drive these in normal US urban traffic as it is today.
What happens when someone yaks in the thing? Who's going to clean them up? I could see this working for people who take the train into town and only need to get from their stop to the office, or if their house is a little too far to walk to, but I can also see them being NASTY inside.
The same thing that happens when someone yaks in a bus. Someone associated with public transportation will clean it up.
These don't have any better/worse visibility than other cars, as far as I can tell
My concern was trying to see in traffic if the traffic had a large percentage of SUVs, minivans and trucks. One of the big reason why people like trucks, minivans and SUVs in traffic is the raised seating visibility. But yeah- I am probably over thinking the situation.
"straight roads are for fast cars, curvy roads are for fast drivers"
Blame my lack of faith in humanity, but I can imagine getting in one of those that has been completely trashed.
You have a coded card so they know who uses them, you trash it you pay for it. When I use Igo here in chicago its the same thing, I go to the car and its trashed I let the service know. They look at the key card records for the car and the offender is charged. I have yet to use one of the cars that isn't prestine.
For that to work in the US, there would need to be some serious changes to our current vehicle laws in those areas. Say limit vehicles to a certain size (say 3200lbs) in the most congested areas, and that would make these vehicles much more attractive as people could park their huge vehicles at a safe location and use these in town. But I can't imagine anybody wanting to drive these in normal US urban traffic as it is today.
The car lounge disappoints me... why hasn't someone commented on the goon hanging out the wide open door in stopped traffic? do people just do this where you live??
http://www.BmFTechnik.com Online store is here... BmF 24/7/365 http://store.bmftechnik.com/ Phone- 443.254.0501 8am-6pm EST M-F 11am-5pm Saturdays E-mail: Sales@bmftechnik.com 24 hours 7 Days ******MOBILE FLASH TUNING!********
For advertising information Click Here
) / '95 GTI VR6 
