BMW 'CLEVER' concept
For the last few years, BMW and University of Bath have been hard at work on the CLEVER — a compact fuel-efficient vehicle for city driving. Somewhat overshadowed this week by the launch of the 2007 3-Series Coupe, BMW on Friday released the first images of the completed CLEVER. As the name — Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport — suggests, the aim of the project was to create a vehicle that was practical, safe, and environmentally-friendly. Unlike the Volkswagen GX3 Concept — with one rear wheel and two front wheels — the CLEVER has two rear wheels and one front. If it ever makes it to production, the vehicle is expected to cost around $10,000 and would have a top speed of 50 mph. One fascinating aspect of the vehicle is its unique tilting design for stable, motorcycle-like cornering. See a full photo gallery, more details, and some crash test videos after the jump… Updated: New video added of another similar concept…
A problem with three-wheel vehicles with a symmetrical wheel layout is the tipping moment when cornering, which cannot be controlled at high speeds if the vehicle has a short wheelbase.
To solve this problem the vehicle’s center of gravity can be moved towards the center of the corner, for example by angling the complete vehicle—just as a motorcycle does when it corners.
The hydraulic active tilt system is electronically controlled and keeps the vehicle upright at low speeds.
At just over three feet wide, it is 20 inches less than a micro-car, and several feet less wide than a medium sized conventional car.
Running on compressed natural gas, the vehicle would not only help preserve stocks of oil but would emit less polluting carbon dioxide than conventional cars. Its fuel consumption is predicted to be equivalent to 188 miles per gallon.
The vehicle is different from previous attempts to create a small urban vehicle in that it is fully enclosed in a metal framework. Its roof is as high as conventional cars, and it carries one passenger, who sits behind the driver.
Below are three videos of recent crash tests conducted on the car. The results from the USNCAP first crash at 56 kph against a rigid barrier met expectations and would again result in a 3-star grading. The head and chest stresses on the driver were very good, and the head stresses on the passenger were also acceptable as a result of the energy-absorbing foam on the driver’s backrest.
The intrusion in the driver’s footwell was very low and posed no threat to the driver’s extremities. The vehicle cell suffered deformation in the forecast area, the driver’s door could be opened without any problems after the crash. The front wheel swinging arm collapsed and came loose because, to save time and money, a welded aluminium construction was used rather than a cast construction. This problem will not occur on the standard solution.
The "Carver"
Several readers have let us know that a Dutch automaker came up with a very similar concept a few years ago. Not as efficient as BMW's, but it seems to be the first of its kind. Have a look at this TopGear report:
(Thanks alexxey.)