A Hybrid City Car

Mobility in modern metropolitan cities is plagued by overcrowding, producing congestion, low transit speed, fuel consumption, air pollution, and parking problems. One of the causes of these phenomena is the growing market of vehicles of excessive size with respect to their more frequent use. The technological and commercial development of vehicles specifically conceived for urban use, and therefore limited in size, not exuberant in performance, and with low fuel consumption and emissions would certainly be more desirable. Hybrid drive trains are particularly suited to this purpose: properly designed, minimal thermal engines can fit the application, giving an electrical driving option when required. The prototype shown in this article has been specifically conceived to be a city car with a so-called series hybrid traction architecture-being a living example. By combining appropriate and available technologies, modern components, and careful planning, it is possible to achieve results useful for the user and for the community.