Looking for more Hawaii car news? Recently, it was announced that a Bremen, Germany company, DFKI Robotics Innovation Center, has designed an electric vehicle that can shrink, turn on a dime, and drive sideways. The EO Smart Connecting Car 2, first announced in 2012, has morphed into a vehicle that can reach top speeds of 40 mph and travel approximately 30 to 40 miles on a four-hour full charge of the battery, according to an article at CNN.
The “flexible” vehicle includes wheels that are each powered by their own motors, so it can drive sideways making it possible to slide into tight spaces in areas where parking is limited. According to project manager Timo Birnschein, the entire process between driving normally and the wheels switching to sideways mode takes about four seconds.
Another amazing fact about the EO Smart Connecting Car 2 is that it can “shrink” in length by about 80 cm, which is equal to approximately 31 1/2 inches. At this size, the car is about as long as a bicycle, giving it the ability to park in even the tiniest of spaces.
The company envisions the vehicle not as a personal car, but one for communal purposes. People who need a car to get to work, for errands, appointments, or for other purposes could simply go to the nearest docking station, choose the vehicle that has sufficient charge to drive the necessary distance, and be on their way. The team, who refers to the car as a “micro car for a mega city,” compare the idea with existing car-sharing schemes in urban cities.
At CarMark Hawaii, we never cease to be amazed at the speed of technology. Who would have thought a decade ago that we would see a vehicle that could “shrink” itself and drive sideways during our lifetime?
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