The Foldable Electric Car

If you happen to reside in one of our larger metropolitan jungles, where finding a parking space (even in front of your own home) is as likely as spotting a leprechaun, then you’ll love the electric vehicle design the folks at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have come up with. The Armadillo-T is a small, low-powered car that can fold itself in half to fit into even the smallest of parking spaces.

The vehicle is built specifically for urban environments—it seats two, has a top speed of just 40 mph, and its 13.6 kWh battery will take you just 62 miles on a charge.

“I expect that people living in cities will eventually shift their preferences from bulky, petro-engine cars to smaller and lighter electric cars. Armadillo-T can be one of the alternatives city drivers can opt for. Particularly, this car is ideal for urban travels, including car-sharing and transit transfer, to offer major transportation links in a city. In addition to the urban application, local near-distance travels such as tourist zones or large buildings can be another example of application,” said In-Soo Suh, associate professor, Graduate School for Green Transportation, KAIST.

Drivers can use a smartphone app to remotely fold the car (which shrinks from 110 inches down to 65 inches) and park it. It has four independently controlled wheels that can turn the car 360°. Cameras installed on the vehicle reduce the need for side mirrors and provide a greater field of view for drivers, and the battery can be charged in just 10 minutes.

Source: KAIST