Electric Car That’s Ready For A Bumpy Ride

After a classic wooden rollercoaster, the best amusement park ride must be the bumper cars—or as they’re called in some parts of the country, the Dodge ’Em cars. What could be better than whizzing around in an electric car with free rein to smash, t-bone or sideswipe any other vehicle in your path?

Now—finally—a designer has brought the fun (and stress-relieving properties) of bumper cars to a modern, green city car concept. While we may not have jet packs yet, at least designer Ayelet Fishman’s CUB is a step in the right direction.

image via Ayelet Fishman

The cub, which stands for Compact Urban Bump Car, is a two-seat, all-electric mini-car designed for urban driving. Obviously, its most awesome feature is the five huge, energy-absorbing bumpers that cover all four quarter-panels and the rear of the car. The bumpers are replaceable and can be taken on and off the car, as needed.

Fishman says his goal was to create a vehicle “that copes with urban transportation problems such as driving in traffic jams, lack of space, parking problems and especially parking damages.”

Aside from its bumpers, the CUB boasts a number of other innovative design touches. The car has no dashboard. In it’s place is a large door that slides up and over the car allowing simple exit and entry. The car also has two side door that slide open toward the front of the car. The design takes up as little space around the car as possible and affords access to every space in the car—a plus for hauling groceries or any other cargo.

In place of the dash, the CUB features a joy-stick controlled drive-by-wire system and a heads-up display on the front windshield. Drive-by-wire systems replace the traditional mechanical control systems such as steering wheels with computer controlled electronics and human-machine interfaces. This opens up more space in the CUB.

The CUB has charging ports on both sides of the car for convenience. Fishman didn’t want anything that could get broken—like side-view mirrors—sticking out from the car’s profile. Instead, he’s installed around-view mirrors and kept the overall shape of the car clutter-free. And with the exception of those awesome bumper car bumpers, the car has sleek lines and, for a city car, a rather aggressive, sporty stance.

[source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Earthtechling/~3/n8fH7p42KM8/]