Tesla may be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but they aren’t the only player in town, or the only innovator in the realm of electric vehicles.
Tesla may get all the press, but there are other electric cars out there — some reinventing the idea of ‘car’ more fantastically than Tesla.
Take the Uniti One electric urban vehicle. Even its origins are outlandish; it was initially developed by students at Lund University in Sweden. In 2016, a crowd-funding campaign was launched to make a prototype, and the project passed its funding goal in only two days.
Take one look and you’ll know the two-seater One isn’t a standard car. It’s scaled down for urban cities, can listen to voice commands, and, if approved, will let you drive with a joystick! Uniti is targeting for the One to get a range of up to 300km on a single charge. It’ll get a top speed of 130km/h and the ability to go from zero to 80km/h in less than four seconds.
Uniti is working with Siemens Nordic to build a fully automated factory by 2020. The first Uniti One cars are scheduled for delivery in 2019.
RE-IMAGINING THE URBAN VEHICLE
Uniti isn’t the only company rethinking what a modern, eco-friendly vehicle for the city should look like.
Toyota has the iRoad, an electric-powered, diminutive car that leans like a motorcycle when you turn. It’s like a motorbike, but with three wheels, two seats, and a roof.
Nissan has the New Mobility Concept (NMC), which is actually a version of the Renault Twizy. With tandem-style seats and scissor doors, the Twizy/NMC is another head-turner for the streets.
PICTURES UNITI, TOYOTA, NISSAN
