From a trio of designers comes the Fluidi electric cab concept, a new way to get people moving and hopefully keep them that way, even through traffic jams.
The world is urbanizing, no matter our preferences in the matter, and that means finding a viable way to move people around in large numbers. Sure, trains and buses are great but travelers will always want the individual freedom to go where they want and do what they want. Enter the Fluidi cab design from Arthur Kenzo, Francois Hurtaud and Anne-Sophie Blanchet, designed to scoot onto the roads and help electrically relieve some of the problem.
That’s right – the Fluidi is electric, which is no surprise given the direction of the automotive industry at this point in time. The cab is also built around a scooter model, with two close wheels on the front and only a single one in the back, along with the capacity to carry one driver and one passenger, as well as some luggage in the rear storage compartment.
You can see from the initial picture that both the driver and passenger seats are open to the road and do not include armrests, though the Fluidi does come with a windshield and sliding doors on the passenger compartment. In several concept sketches, the Fluidi is being used as a small courier vehicle, with the back dedicated to package storage space.
The idea here, as you can see below, is that the Fluidi will be able to navigate small places and park in small spaces, reducing both its environmental and overall footprint in a city.
Fluidi parking: seems to fit right…here.
It’s great, in theory.
In practice, well…think it through.
The idea here seems to be that the Fluidi would be able to slip in and out of traffic at will, dancing around the traffic jams that snarl up other cars, but its clear it is not that small. Not only that but a fleet of these would cause their own brand of traffic jams.
Next is safety – few cab riders would be willing to put their life at risk in an unenclosed back seat, especially based on the way many cab drivers actually drive in urban areas. If the Fluidi is highway-speed rated it would mean that crashes could easily result in the loss of life and limb, even just coming home from the airport or going out to the pub. The Fluidi also looks top-heavy, really top-heavy, and we’d be worried about sharp turns or sudden stops.
Simply put, the concept is a great idea but we’re not sure about the execution; the Fluidi doens’t look like the kind of thing that could reliably pass a road test at this stage of the electric car game.
Source: Tuvie
