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Half bike, half car, all clever
A new vehicle has been unveiled at the University of Bath which claims it could solve the congestion and environmental problems troubling Britain's long-term transport future.
Known as the Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport, or CLEVER, its one metre width and low carbon emissions have prompted its creators to hail it as the solution to city travel.
Boasting a three-wheel structure and tilting chassis to help it negotiate tight corners, the CLEVER vehicle boasts a top speed of 100mph.
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"The idea is to try to marry the small size and efficiency of a motorcycle with the comfort and safety of a standard car… the only solutions at the moment are motorbikes or cars," Ben Drew, a research officer at the University of Bath told the BBC.
"It's the first vehicle that has used hydraulics to enable it to move like a motorcycle but to drive like a car," explained Dr Geraint Owen, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Bath to the Manchester Evening News.
Costing £1.5 million to produce from funding donated by the EU, the car's development has been a truly international venture, with expertise being drawn from Austria, Germany and France.
At the opposite end of the automobile spectrum from the infamous Chelsea tractors, the CLEVER car will retail in the micro-car price bracket of between £5,000 and £10,000.
With three wheels and a covered cockpit it is as yet unclear whether drivers will need cheap car insurance or cheap motorbike insurance before they take to the roads.
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