CLEVER
Clever (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport ) is a small and lightweight tricycle. It was developed by engineers of the Institute of Land and Sea Transport at the Technical University of Berlin.
The basic idea is that the wind resistance times is proportional to the cross -sectional area drag coefficient. Whereas in the past, preferably, the Cd value has been improved, the approach to the Clever project to build a cabin, sit in the two people behind the other, and thus more than 60 % of the normal cross-sectional area is save.
Since such a narrow car would tilt in curves, an adaptive tilting technology is employed. The forward, larger part of the vehicle has only one wheel and can thus be put as a motorcycle in a curve. The rear part of the vehicle, which accommodates the motor and other operating equipment has a conventional axis which is only half as wide as a normal car or trike. In between there is a hydraulic swivel joint. A computer calculated curve radius and speed of the required angle of inclination, in order to keep the vehicle in balance.
Passengers are surrounded by a safety cell with air bags that are already supposed to have existed for vehicles all EU crash tests for a n-tv report of 16 September 2006. Due to his low natural gas engine and good Cd value to the interaction with the small cross -sectional area only fuel costs of 8.00 € for the route Munich - Hamburg incurred.
At the 4 ½ million € expensive project, among other things, the EU and BMW are involved.
Clever is powered by a gas engine. It has a glass-fiber reinforced body on a chassis made from aluminum. This leads to a low weight of only 395 kg.
Clever has an engine power of 15 kW and a top speed of 100 km / h He should be able to accelerate in less than 7 seconds from 0 to 60 km / hr. The range is at a fuel consumption of 2.6 liters for 200 kilometers. Carbon dioxide emissions per kilometer is only 60 grams.
The sales could technically start around 2008. However, it is not yet clear whether a serial production will be done and who will produce the vehicle ultimately. Desired Candidate of scientists is BMW.