Written on November 25, 2008 – 12:20 pm | by Maria Mihale |

There are many concept eco-friendly vechicles out there that look weird, making you wonder how in the name of God someone could dare to use them on a regular basis, some lack the basic safety features, while others are just too futuristic. But take a look at this hot insect-style transport, called the Scarab, which is developed using current technology.

Created by designer David Miguel Moreira Gonçalves, the Scarab is a four-wheeled, single-passenger road bullet that leans and twists like a motorcycle, but provides the safety of an enclosed cabin. In addition, the Scarab is powered by a permanent battery plus three options for the main energy pack – battery, fuel cell or biofuel. The vehicle is equipped with multiple driving modes, such as fast to slow, perfect park mode, embedded sensors, Lidar, radar, transponders, GPS, Drive by Wire, tactile HUD embedded in the Lexan canopy and regenerative braking through EW brakes.



The designer presents its concept vehicle as it follows: “The aim of this project was to develop guidelines and a holistic solution for a new system of urban transport, composed of vehicle and infrastructure, in a sustainable way and adaptable to various urban environments”.

Therefore, as far as the specs are concerned, they include: the vehicle is composed of interchangeable modules that can be customized, powerpack module composed of a permanent battery plus 3 options for the main energy pack (battery, biofuel ICE or a fuel cell), 4 wheel drive through electric brushless in-wheel motors with directdrive, wheels with regenerative braking through EW brakes, Drive by Wire and tactile HUD embedded in the Lexan canopy, structural elements in Carbon-Aramid composite, embedded sensors, Lidar, radar, transponders, GPS which serve to exchange information with the system, with other drivers and to have precise location data. More than that, it’s possible the renting of the vehicle or modules that allows for a private/public/mixed utilization and transport access for people with less financial resources. Not to mention the fact that the Scarab doesn’t need new infrastructures.



Still, there’s a dark side about the Scarab: the high use of electronics in the car would utilize a major part of the car’s battery capacity, which could show its effect on the car’s performance, speed and range.

Even if the concept has a futuristic silhouette, this doesn’t seem too far away from reality. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get to see the Scarab on the streets sooner than we imagine.

(Source: YankoDesign.com)