CLEVER Stuff for Urban Travel

An EU-funded project, involving nine European partners and the University of Bath, has resulted in a prototype urban vehicle called CLEVER (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport). The idea behind the 2.16 million euros (1.5 million Pounds) project was to produce a new type of vehicle for city motoring, less than one metre wide.

The new vehicle has the versatility of a motorbike, but is a three-wheeled microcar, with the single passenger sitting behind the driver. The CLEVER vehicle tilts automatically to keep its balance and has a top speed of 60 mph. It runs on compressed natural gas, so emissions are minimal and goes from 0-40 mph in seven seconds. Cooper-Avon Tyres was one of the companies closely involved in getting the vehicle from the drawing board to the prototype stage.