Two Wheels of Fortune?

Congested roads have always been an important source of inspiration for the innovative-minded people of this world. They want to find a solution for the many traffic jams that frustrate commuters every day of the week. Danny Kim, founder and CEO of the American company Lit Motors, is one of these innovative-minded people and his company has created the C1, a two-wheeled vehicle that can’t fall over.

5-3=2

“Cars that we have now, they’re heavy, they’re not very efficient, they’re hard to park in the city”, Kim observes. The main problem is their size: five seats, but how often do we see a car with just one or two people in it? The answer: very often. Too often. That's why the main idea of the C1 is to provide only two seats. Besides, the vehicle only has two wheels. This should double the available space on the roads for cars, Kim believes.

An exercise in balance

But if it’s a motorised vehicle with two wheels, isn’t it just a motorcycle then? Well, this is where Lit Motors makes the difference. Thanks to two gyroscopes spinning underneath the seat, the C1 is kept in balance, even when standing still. It can even handle an impact and still keep its two wheels safely on the road. This technology allows the C1 to eliminate the instability problem of motorcycles that can cause great danger for motorcycle riders. In order to provide extra stability when parking for example, the C1 does dispose of a landing gear. 

A green C1

Inventing a new way of transportation and using traditional fossil fuels, it’s a combination that won’t sell in a world that keeps looking for green alternatives to power its vehicles. That’s why the C1 isn’t powered by traditional fossil fuels, but by high torque electric motors. However, this comes with a drawback every electric car faces: the charge time. The C1 would need six hours to get fully charged by a traditional wall outlet, but its creators are looking for options to reduce this charge time, for example by using higher voltages.

So, what do you think? Is the C1 “a winner on all fronts”, as Danny Kim calls it or doesn’t it have a leg to stand on? Is it a good way to create more space on the roads or will claiming that you could fit twice as many cars on the road if they are half the size of a normal car get the roads even more congested? Please comment!

Find out more about the C1 on the website of Lit Motors: http://litmotors.com/, or take a look at a short demonstration of its main features on http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141110-a-revolution-on-two-wheels.

Wouter

Sources: http://litmotors.com/

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141110-a-revolution-on-two-wheels