microcars

Smart For-us pickup concept juices your bikes

DETROIT--Throw the ebikes in the back and head for the hills.

That's what Smart wants drivers to do with its zero-emission For-us pickup concept, a larger and more functional ride than the gas-powered ForTwo microcar.

Smart unveiled the Tron-styled two-seater at the 2012 North American International Auto Show along with the Smart e-bike, an electric bicycle with a battery-powered motor that can recharge off the car's power supply.

It's an interesting idea if you want to hit some bike paths outside the city but wouldn't mind a little help with the pedaling.

And in this age of high gas prices and parking spots that seem to dwindle every day, the tiny, all-electric Smart seems perfect for active urban lifestyles. … Read more

Own the world's smallest car, the Peel

There's every likelihood I won't be able to fold myself into what could be the world's most Lilliputian motorcar. The toy-car-like Peel P-50 could easily give Japan's 7-foot-tall microcar, the Daihatsu Copen, and the Smart car a run for their money.

Just know that this selfish little three-wheeler can seat only "one adult and a shopping bag," and you'll have to get in on the left side where the door is. To keep the car compact, there's just a single windshield wiper and one headlight.

Stats-wise, this road-legal model measures a tiny … Read more

BMW confirms development of electric microcar

Autocar.co.uk reports that BMW has confirmed--in a statement by CEO Norbert Reithofer--that it is developing a tiny city car in response to increasing demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Reithofer states that the vehicle will be drastically different from any of BMW's current offerings and that it will be motivated by either of two powerplants: a small, efficient internal-combustion engine or an all-electric drivetrain with a range of 200 miles. The electric drivetrain will be created to meet California's requirement that all major automakers offer a zero-emissions vehicle by 2012.

Finer details are still up in the … Read more