The solution to traffic-clogged cities has long been thought to be more mass transit. For the past few years, however, engineers at General Motors have been looking at the problem of urban sprawl through a different lens, one that takes advantage of advances in electric-vehicle technology and wireless connectivity to enable a more personal mode of transportation that is faster and safer than a bicycle yet smaller and more environmentally friendly than an automobile.

GM unveiled the Electric Networked Vehicle (EN-V), the company's vision of sustainable urban mobility, last year at the World Expo in Shanghai. Last week at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), GM was ready to provide a glimpse what these two-wheel, two-person personal transports can do [see video below].

In a parking lot outside the Las Vegas Convention Center EN-V designers and engineers demonstrated the vehicles' capacity to communicate wirelessly with one another and drive autonomously or under the control of a driver as well as essentially eliminate one of the most dreaded maneuvers in the urban driver's skill set—parallel parking.

The EN-V prototypes come in three different designs. The red and black Jiao, Chinese for "pride," was inspired by a Beijing Opera mask, whereas as the gray and green-neon Miao, Chinese for "magic," would look at home in the urban cityscape portrayed in the recent TRON sequel. Meanwhile, the Xiao, Chinese for "laugh," looks a bit like a traditional diving helmet.

8 Comments

1. 1. clrbear430 03:49 PM 1/14/11

   This is absolutely fascinating!! Will we see an EN-V coming down the street any time soon?

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2. 2. Daniel35 07:15 PM 1/15/11

   Yes, wired wheels, that is, bikes, are the answer to a lot of problems.

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3. 3. bucketofsquid 11:47 AM 1/17/11

   Two thoughts:
   1) Sci Am needs to start billing the scum that spam the forums with site advertising. After all Sci Am needs to get paid for advertising. Three posts out of five are from the same dirtbag advertising.
   
   2) Just under 25 mph as top speed is a bit slow for American cities.

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4. 4. electric38 05:34 PM 1/18/11

   Mass produced using solar power factory using mainly robotics, what would the cost be? It would be good to see these at under $3,000, including the solar canopy for swappable battery charging.
   
   Or will GM follow the same pricing logic as they did the Volt and up the price an extra $10-15 grand for the "exclusivity" feature.
   
   It would be good to see a company mass produce an electric car that matches average consumer needs in our present economy. But, to answer the previous comment about seeing this vehicle soon... No. Trillions of dollars in vehicles are "on the shelves (car lots and showrooms)", not to mention the entire auto parts industry. There will be an attempt to severely cripple this emerging new market to protect the existing one. It will come in the form of disinformation. It would be good to read the article "Who killed the Electric Car?".
   

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5. 5. rolflindy 07:24 PM 1/20/11

   They should work in Sun City.

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6. 6. biosensei 02:10 PM 1/21/11

   My present vehicle of choice is reasonably environmentally-friendly (bamboo-framed alternatives are emerging on the market), is driven by a self-maintaining, sustainably-fuelled, low-emissions power source, allows wireless networking with other drivers by sound, light and hand signals (and defensive anticipation), is able to use integral echo-location and reliable low-light level sensitive optics, controlled by a highly complex and flexible central processor with native navigation and multiple route memory. It has the possibility of being adapted to be fully enclosed to protect from rain or excessive sunlight and, with suitable frame modification, to be fully stable at rest. The fuel source involves a well-established and proven solar-energy capture mechanism.
   Benefits include, low noise, no pollution, very durable and multi-terrain, improvements in cardio-vascular fitness, general mental alertness and reduced stress levels after work.
   Approximate cost, UKP 800 new, considerably less used, very low maintenance and storage costs.
   Available NOW from your local cycle store!
   :-)

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7. 7. SigmaEyes in reply to clrbear430 02:20 AM 4/11/11

   The video says we will not see these until 2030. Given the history of "concept cars" by Detroit auto makers, concept means you will never see them, they are just a demonstration of what the car maker could do, but has a myriad of reasons to not produce.
   
   Anyway, I don't think most Americans will feel safe in one of these while next to a semi truck barreling through town at 40 to 45 mph. And if you don't take up the full lane width, some city drivers will try to pass a 25 mph limited vehicle like a scooter or bicycle.
   
   But I could see this selling in some European and Asian cities with narrow lanes and streets. Big manufacturers will cater to these markets more than the American market with increasing priority. The American market is 300 million people, EU is 450 million, and China and India alone are billions. So as the American market sees a shrinking middle class, Asian and Mid Eastern nations will see an evolving and expanding middle class. The US will not be the driving force as it was in the past, if we keep transferring our nation's wealth to 1 percent of the population via tax policy.

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