General Motors, along with
its Chinese partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC),
has decided to launch a new mobility concept in the World Expo
2010 in Shanghai, China. The Electric-Networked
Vehicle, or EN-V as it is called, is a two-seated,
small, compact, two-wheel vehicle meant for transporting people to and from busy
urban centers.
By 2030, more than 60- percent of the earth’s human population shall be crammed
in urban areas. The streets shall be busier than ever and the pressure of public
transportation shall be too much for the government to bear. GM has given some
thoughts to this problem and come up with a radical solution for personal urban
transportation.
The concept car’s body is made out of carbon fiber along with custom-tinted
Lexan and acrylic. The vehicle weighs around 1100 pounds overall- about a third
of the weight of a modern day vehicle. The vehicle is armed with GPS and vehicle
to vehicle communication system. It can also choose its won driving route. Two
passengers and a light cargo can be effectively carried. The motors inside the
vehicles will be powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can drive the EN-V a
total distance of 25 miles once fully charged.
GM plans to unveil 3 versions of the En-V at the World Expo in Shanghai. With
a population density greater than most cities in the world, GM couldn’t have
done a better job of selecting a proper location for unveiling the concept.
However, the EN-V will not be limited to Shanghai or China alone for that
matter. The concept will be on display beginning May 1.
