A group of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has been working on a foldable, compact electric vehicle that can be utilized either as a personal car or part of the public transit system to connect major transportation routes within a city since 2011. After years of work, his research team introduced a prototype micro electric car called “Armadillo-T,” with a design that is based on the armadillol.
In its unfolded form, the 450-kg (992-lb) vehicle measures 2.8 meters (110 inches) long. However, by tucking in the rear section of its body (sort of rolling itself up, like an armadillo) it reduces that length to 1.65 meters (65 inches). This would let three of the cars fit within one standard Korean 5-meter (16.4-foot) parking spot. The user can then us a smartphone app to turn the electric vehicle 360 degrees to get it in really tight spots!
When it comes to performance, the 4-wheel drive Armadillo-T sports a 13.6-kWh battery pack in the nose of the car and can hit a top speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) with a range of 100 km (62 miles) on one 10-minute fast charge. There’s no word at this point on pricing or if there are plans to commercialize the somewhat odd little car. Who knows, maybe the Armadillo-T will become the next Ford Model-T!
Once folded, the small and light (weighs 450 kg) electric vehicle takes up only one-third of a 5-meter parking space, the standard parking size in Korea, allowing three of its kind to be parked. With a smartphone-interfaced remote control on the wheels, the vehicle can turn 360 degrees, enhancing drivers' convenience to park the car, even in an odd space in a parking lot, the corner of a building, for example.
Professor In-Soo Suh said, "I expect that people living in cities will eventually shift their preferences from bulky, petro-engine cars to smaller and lighter electric cars. Armadillo-T can be one of the alternatives city drivers can opt for. Particularly, this car is ideal for urban travels, including car-sharing and transit transfer, to offer major transportation links in a city. In addition to the urban application, local near-distance travels such as tourist zones or large buildings can be another example of application."
The concept car has loads of smart features on board, too: the cameras installed inside the car eliminate the need for side mirrors and increase the driver's ability to see the car's right and left side, thereby reducing blind spots. With a smartphone, the driver can control Armadillo-T and enable remote folding control. The car has a maximum speed of 60 km/h, and with a ten-minute fast charge, it can run up to 100 km.
Professor Suh explained that the concept of Armadillo-T was originally initiated in 2011 as he focused his research interest on the sub-A segment of personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), which are smaller and lighter than the current compact cars, as a new personalized transport mode.
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