We’ve already posted an article on electric cars and electric bikes, but this is the first time we’ve seen a vehicle that combines elements of the two. It has been designed by Lit Motors based in California. Surprisingly, a group of scientists have announced that by the end of 2014 it might make into production. Beside this, Lit Motors is also developing cargo scooter and foldable scooter for transportation of goods.
This vehicle is named ‘Lit C-1’. The Lit C-1 is technically a motorcycle, as it runs on two wheels, but has a chassis that looks a lot like a smart car. Hence described as a ‘motorbike-car’. The C-1 stands for Codename and the company has also given nick name of C-1 as ‘Rolling Smart Phone’, not only because of its innovative navigation systems, but also because it has a built-in gyroscopic stabilizing system designed to prevent the C-1 from tipping over, even in some collisions. This is a similar technology used by Segway scooters and the recent Honda UNI-CUB.
The technology allows drivers to sit and use a steering wheel, as in a car, but allows the C-1 to stay perfectly balanced, even at slow speeds or a standstill. The secret to the balance are the gyroscopes under the floor, which spin rapidly in response to electronic sensors to keep the vehicle balanced at all times – even, says Lit, if the vehicle is involved in a collision.
Gyroscopes, which harness the unique propensity of a spinning flywheel to stay upright, have been used for some time for stabilization, including on aircraft and on cruise ships to reduce roll caused by waves. However, this will be one of the most unique applications to date, potentially enabling drivers to switch to smaller vehicles which offer the benefits of a bike with the comparative safety of a car.
The C-1 uses electric drive and offers a battery pack capable of 200 miles (321 km/h) from a single charge, as well as reaching a top speed of over 120 mph (193 km/h) – far faster than most electric cars available on the market today. It offers various connectivity options such as H2C, H2V, V2V, and V2I because of which the vehicle and rider both can stay alert about the traffic & adverse weather conditions and design their route accordingly.
While the C-1 is still in the test phase, Lit Motors hope that they will have the vehicle on the road by end-2014 and it’s already offering pre-orders on the website from $250, although the final price of the vehicle is unclear it is expected to cost $16,000 (Rs. 9 lakhs approximately).
For more information and book your Lit C-1 click here
Also see – Snaefell Laverda Sidecar Project
See the official video of Lit C-1 street test drive –
