Korean Group Develops Folding Electric City Car

We may have cars like the MINI Cooper and Smart ForTwo, but we don’t have REAL compact cars in America. There is a market called the Sub-A segment Personal Mobility Vehicles, and they represent the cutting edge of small cars. A Korean company has now created a vehicle that can fold up into a compact space, and even connect to other vehicles as a form of mass transit.

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed a potential solution for increasingly crowded urban centers. Dubbed the “Armadillo-T” it is an electric sub-sub-compact car, with both special efficiency and fuel efficiency in mind.

The Armadillo-T features four electric motors- one at each wheel. Each motor receives power from a front-mounted lithium-ion battery pack that be charged in ten minutes for a 62- mile range. It weighs only 992 pounds and can reach a blistering top speed of 37 mph.

The Armadillo name comes from its unique shell construction, which allows it to fold in on itself. Operated via smartphone control, this folding function reduces the length from 110 inches down the 65 inches.

The Armadillo name comes from its unique shell construction, which allows it to fold in on itself. Operated via smartphone control, this folding function reduces the length from 110 inches down the 65 inches.

The Armadillo-T features interesting tech on the inside as well, such as cameras rather than exterior side-view mirrors and a large center-mounted digital screen in place of a traditional instrument panel.

(Source: Yahoo Auto)