Honda introduces the MC-beta, a micro-sized electric car that's smaller than most

by Nicole Lee of www.endgadget.com

Following the footsteps of other tiny electric vehicles such as the SmartCar ForTwo and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Honda has unveiled its very own miniature car called the MC-β (That's MC-beta to you and me).

It looks to be a refinement of the company's line of "micro commuters" and is designed to comply with the "micro-sized mobility products" category that's currently the trend in Japan and Europe (Indeed, it would fit in the latter's L7 motorcycle category).

 Meant for eco-friendly short trips around the city, the MC-beta is built on top of a lightweight yet rigid frame and only measures 2,495 x 1,280 x 1,545 mm all around, which is about 90cm shorter than the typical mini car. The release states it has a 3.3 meter minimum turning radius, a maximum range of 80km or so when fully charged, and speeds of more than 70 km/h.

As for charging time, the teensy quadricycle takes less than seven hours to get fully juiced with a 100V outlet and less than three with a 200V one.

Field tests will begin in Japan this month, so we wouldn't expect this in showrooms any time soon. Sure, you won't have room for too much luggage, but at least the MC-beta won't have to resort to funky folding techniques to park in a tight spot.

Source;
http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/20/honda-mc-beta-electric-car/

2011 Honda Micro Commuter Concept Ready for Tokyo

The formula for the EV market is starting to become clearer by the day. You’ve got the larger sedans and hatchbacks that some manufacturers produces with range extenders, the odd sportscar here and there, some relatively small hatches that are the mainstay of the offering and the really small cars like Audi’s Urban concept and Renault’s Twizy.

Honda has announced it will be bringing three electric vehicles to the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, which will debut November 30th, and the Micro Commuter is obviously their vision of urban travel in the future.

Speaking of the future, the the design has to be one of the most futuristic we’ve seen in a while. There is only one seat that wraps the driver in a world of white and teal tones. Instead of the traditional wheel, you’ve got something that looks like it came out of an airplane.

Looking at the outside, Honda’s designers must have really wanted to design a car that works in sci-fi anime, because it has some very strange fairing for the wheels.

Source;
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/2011-honda-micro-commuter-concept-ready-for-tokyo-40268.html