The Folding Stackable City Car

With traffic congestion and carbon emissions becoming increasingly politicised the developing market for green urban vehicles is one that car manufactures simply cannot afford to ignore.

And if evidence were needed then the fact that none other than General Motors are backing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) development of this stackable car should suffice.

This ingenious concept known as the City Car is not your run of the mill electric car, however, as it boasts a number of ingenious innovations which includes the ability for it to be stacked when parked – very much in the same way as shopping trolleys – courtesy of a unique folding, lightweight modular chassis.

The innovation doesn’t stop there either as the City Car has also dispensed with the need for a driveline and transmission – which facilitates the car’s ability to be stacked – by cleverly powering each wheel with independent electric motors.

From a parking perspective this will allow the City Car to be parked (and recharged) whilst taking up the minimum of space. And manoeuvring into tight spaces should prove less taxing that with traditional vehicles thanks to the omni-directional steering which literally allows the City Car to turn on the spot (using not a steering wheel, but handlebars).

Use of the City Car is envisaged as being on a pay to rent basis, with vehicles being hired with the swipe of a credit card for short journeys through cities and towns before being restacked for charging from solar power units.

You can read more concerning the City Car Concept by clicking here or you can link directly to the interactive presentation concerning the City Car’s innovative features, as featured on Boston.com, via this link.