Hungary is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about cutting edge green vehicles, yet. If the creators of the Antro Solo have their way, the country will be synonymous with green machines by 2012. The Antro Solo is a solar, human and gas-electric hybrid vehicle. It looks like nothing else out there, and has a fuel efficiency of more than 150 miles per gallon!
The Antro Solo is a three seat gas-electric hybrid prototype made entirely out of carbon fiber. This material choice allowed the graphic designers to lower the weight of the vehicle to a measly 270kg. This also allowed them to achieve phenomenal fuel efficiency and a pretty decent top speed of 87mph. All of this is impressive enough, but the Solo’s designers were not content to stop there.
In order to maximize the efficiency of the vehicle, the designers installed solar panels on the roof. These solar panels store energy in the car’s batteries which can be used for short 15-25km trips. If there hasn’t been enough sun to power the batteries, each passenger’s seat comes equipped with pedals that can power the vehicles generator. If you are by yourself, or everyone gets tired, the car can switch to its small combustion engine that is capable of running on petrol or ethanol.
The prototype was shown at the Budapest Museum of Transport. It is set to go into production in 2012, and expected to cost around $20,000 dollars.
+ Antro Solo
Via Autofiends.com
Wooh….looks like a stealthy stuff…!!!
I want one! For $20,000, that’s a steal.
Hopefully it’s got a strong enough “safety cage” framework that it will be allowed into Canada.
Good luck getting it past the automakers and oil comanies in the United States!! Would like to have one.
It does look cool both physically as well as the specs and price. My question is, if you\’re out on the road and you get a flat, how are you supposed to change a tire? I understand that for the sake of reducing air drag sealing the wheel wells is important, but if there is no removable panels to get to the wheels (I don\’t see any seams around the wheels), is one going to need a tow to a mechanic for flat? That\’s doesn\’t seem very efficient or user friendly. Hopefully they will work that out before final release.
I\’ll just use my AAA premium membership for that.
yrag: hopefully a ‘futuristic’ car like this would have those new tires that do not require air. They are out there and good, just not mainstream yet.
it’s simply beautiful…and a 3-seater is def 33.33% better than a selfish 2-seater!
The best I´ve ever saw, yes.
Le Mac Ender
Graphic designers designed it? As someone who has done theoretical design work in hybrid electric transportation, I can say that this is a very nice, but not terribly creative design. This thing will however probably never make it to the USA at $20k. The cost of those drive components, batteries, and a full CF structure that meets crash safety standards just isn’t feasible at that price point yet.
OOffff coolllllllll man……….Interesting with all its new features.
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Aditi
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Phrancis “this is a very nice, but not terribly creative design.”
uhhhm.. Not very creative? I’m dying to know what design you are comparing this to… it looks absolutely nothing like anything else I’ve ever seen.
closest thing is a honda insight or Aptera which look _nothing_ like this.
I suppose these things are all subjective but “not terribly creative” would be the last way I’d describe the look of this car!
Look nice, sounds great, but I like my car to have HEADLIGHTS!
Looks like it would be an ex.Antro Solo,after negotiating it’s first UK speed hump.
This is fantastic! Go Antro I-Solo!
I love this car soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much !!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is soooooooooooooooooooooooo cool!!!
You just can’t liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive without it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The car looks great. But with all that glass area, even tinted, it will either have to have super a/c or be unbearably hot, even in a cooler climate. In someplace like southern Italy, or Arizona, USA, deadly hot.