Topia shows off 330-pound HUVO electric car
By Darren Murph 
posted June 28th 2008 1:11PM
posted June 28th 2008 1:11PM
posted June 28th 2008 1:11PM
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Nope.
Looks somewhat similar to the BMW Isetta (Steve Urkel car) from over 50 years ago - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Isetta . That car didn't fare too well in crashes either...
Actually, Ive found it looks more like a Smart Fortwo (Which I am a very big fan of!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_fortwo
Four twos are way to overpriced and you don't get much for your money. You can get a Nissan Versa or Mazda 3 for the same or less money, more room, better safety, gas mileage is nearly the same and just overall they're better vehicles.
I personally can't stand the four two.
The ForTwo isnt a smart choice based on specs. you would get more bang for your buck with a honda fit or nissan versa or toyota yaris.... Hell you can probably buy a used 2006 civic for like 3K more and the little extra gas mileage isnt worth the compromise.
I have to agree. If the Smart ForTwo cost half what it does then it might be a good deal because it's gas mileage is only really significantly better if you are commuting a long distance. It gets better highway miles but not much better for city driving or stop&go traffic. Also the shifting on the ForTwo is rough. Either Manual or Automatic mode, It takes some getting used to. I drove one around in Germany for a day, took it out on the Autobahn and it's fun to drive but you have to put up with its more go-cart-like mobility. I also drove one of the ForTwo Passion here in the US. Nothing has improved in the shifting but they do offer a package that adds power steering. I really like them and I think that their small size is their novelty. If you like small cars then you will like the smart cars.
That said, I do believe that companies that produce these electric car prototypes could do a lot to improve the aesthetics of the cars to make them look more like normal cars.
These small cars aren't made for their practical American application - they are made for small European streets. In these situations, SUVs are practically non-existent, speeds are roughly 30mph, and the ability to park small is a survival feature.
American was lucky in that it started building road ways in a major way after the advent of the horse carriage and buggy. It also benefited from the Eisenhower highway system, a large ecosystem, and a healthy dose of manifest destiny and finances. Thus allowing streets to thrive to their current size.
Europe began permanent construction much earlier, and benefited from the Romantic highways build for four soldiers abreast. Obviously this lead to much smaller road ways, especially in countries that were colonized for longer periods of time by the Romans. Notice that Germany (controlled the least by Romans) have a generally larger road system - except during the winter when you have one lane each way. (You know that happens).
I also look forward to someone bench pressing two of these.
@germs, rather than 'benefiting' from extensive roadways, they are a fundamental weaknesses for the USA: witness the current high costs of commuting and the lack of public transport. Rail was the pioneering replacement for the horse and buggy, not the road. Yet why is rail freight not more competitive? The automakers have a lot to answer for.
Yes, Europe did develop roadways earlier (it is older than the USA), but what defines streets in most locations is population density. With more people in towns, older, narrower streets and fewer carparks, smaller cars are a popular choice in inner cities. This also allows for fantastic networks of public transport.
But it was the understanding that roads would be needed for more than four-men abreast that also contributed to housing being made farther apart. Population density is mostly due to poverty, poor construction foresight (compare: Rome, London, Ancient Greece, and New York), and reliance on canals for trade.
I could go on but this topic is dead.
Wow a modern day Peel P50!
Not sure I fancy sitting in the crumple zones though... :)
How often do you need to change out the water for the fish?
Holy blind spot Batman! Those are some honking' A-pillars for such a narrow windshield.
I think it looks kind of cool but does "look" like it would be unstable in a tight turn or strong wind...
I noticed the same thing about the A-pillars. I drive a toyota Matrix and I think it also has some poorly-positioned A-pillars.
Hey Topia! My nephew wants his toy car back!
I would drive this around....nyc
yeah seriously..finding parking out here is a bitch. Then again it wont be a good idea since the friendly neighborhood vandals and gang bangers might tip your car over.
not for fat people :D
Looks like something WALL-E and EVE could scoot around in.
You can have good fuel economy OR you pass crash testing. But never both. Its just plain physics. Light weight is the key to good economy and we've got to get past this idea that we all need to be driving tanks. Eventually, the tanks we drive today will be too expensive to drive and we'll all be in much lighter vehicles.
It looks like a hovearound with a shell
pope on a rope mobile
What's the distance for the thing?
I'd be worried about driving in high winds.
Tough in a cross-wind landing...
Just can't stop reading' "HUVO" as "huevo."
My only requirements for an EV are:
- Seating for 4
- At least 75 mile range (totally doable with today's battery tech)
- Just fast enough to be highway legal (50 mph i believe?)
- 4 hours or less for 50% charge
- $20,000 or less
- Safe
I don't believe any of those requests are unreasonable for modern technology. So far the only car that looks like a candidate is the Mitsubishi iMiEV
*Crosses Fingers*
Change that to $10,000 or less and you've got a winner.
new urban cow tipping craze
Reminds me of an egg... The incredible edible egg.
Probably should have been named the Topia Ego.
So what is going to keep a couple guys from picking it up and placing it in the back of their truck and driving away? =P
Two syllables: Car-toon
Oh, thank christ. Finally, I can whizz around in a giant egg on rollerblade wheels. I applaud the eco-friendly design, and I can't wait until it's less...y'know...silly.
Aw, man. Should've read R. Moose's comment, first.
wait till black people get ahold of these cars. spinnas!!!!
A good, stiff crosswind of about 60mph will blow this thing off the road. That's to say nothing of what will happen in even a minor fender bender, let alone a collision with an SUV. As for looks, it resembles a Pivo that got sandwiched between a couple of SUVs.
I think that would get stuck in a pothole in snow country...
not to mention that it wouldn't be able to go through even a freshly plowed road...
Why does that thing have to look so ugly?...and it looks completely useless.
These things would be HUGE here in Key West. We've got lots of electric cars and scooters here...this thing would sell like hotcakes.
Hey, I live in key west too! To bad all those electric cars they rent here don't go faster than like 25mph
with the little woman in the car, it would weigh 630 pounds; at least in America..
:P
Come on kids! Lets go to the beach! Grab the cooler! Oh wait....
Joking aside, it looks sorta like Gold Members Austin Powers 3 vehicle haha. I am completely for electric and hybrids as the future but if they CONTINUE to make them look like this....I will not buy one. If you get hit by a car in an accident in one of these ....Id bet very strongly you will be dead or injured pretty badly...fail
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
I'm going back in my coma RIGHT NOW!
I want to get one, put pop-out machine guns on the side, a laser in the front, and if someone knocks it over, I want it to say "I don't hate you". Maybe with the GLaDOS voice GPS in the dashboard.
I'm just stunned skimming over the posts so far to not see a Portal reference.
What an innovative design. The cabin and crumple zone share the same space. Brilliant!!!
strongman competition
tomo
Don't drive this thing if you ever want to get girls again, where are you gonna put them? Make them ride on the roof?