Look closely. It’s easy to miss at first glance.
The mystery is solved after the jump . . .
A little research reveals that this Progressive Automotive X Prize contender appears to be driven by the creator himself, Rick Woodbury. He has a website all about his revolutionary vehicular innovation, but don’t go there because google says it “may harm your computer.” Instead, watch him extol the Tango T600 in this mildly hyperbolic youtube video where he claims its top speed is 200 mph and that a Ferrari wouldn’t be able to keep up (except on the price tag, where it goes for around $150K). Of course, it was eliminated from X-prize contention for failing to meet the necessary 90 mpg fuel threshold.
I’m all about revolutionizing transportation, and a one person-wide vehicle that could double the capacity of lanes on all our freeways does sound like a palatable idea, but as an outspoken proponent of bicycles and stuff, I feel like there’s a better way to go about this. With that said, feel free to zip this thing up and down the 5 all you want!
Mission Mission 
It doesn’t seem like it would be very stable? High center-of-gravity/narrow wheelbase.
It’s very ingenious. It’s ballasted by its power supply so it has excellent stability. Check out this video: http://commutercars.com/stability.html
I wonder what the chance of survival would be if you got into an accident.
I’m no chemist, but I’d wager that battery acid + gasoline makes a deadly combination.
It’s very safe. http://commutercars.com/safety.html
There is a better way to go about it. It’s called a motorcycle.
A better way of what? Dying in a crash or getting rained on?
Not that those two things are mutually exclusive, of course.
I was referring to the “better way to go about this” in the last paragraph of the article – “revolutionizing transportation, and a one person-wide vehicle that could double the capacity of lanes on all our freeways”.
Not all who ride a motorcycle will die in a crash. In fact most people who choose to ride a motorcycle, if they make the correct decisions, will die some other way than in a motorcycle crash.
Everyone, however, will eventually die. Some of us will just have more fun until then than others.
Yeah, if you’re trying to argue that riding a motorcycle does not drastically increase your odds of dying or being very, very injured in a motor-vehicle accident… Good luck with that.
I want a Tango because I live in Chicago and commute 30 miles each way.
Not sure how an electric car doesn’t meet 90mpg. I guess they have some conversion formula. In any case, its stable due to all the heavy batteries being at the very bottom for a low center of gravity. It also has a full roll cage, earning it a 5-star crash rating. Of course if I had that kinda cash, I would just get a used Ferrari and a couple motorcycles ;)
It met 100 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) on many of the tests. Here’s Rick’s report of the results of the contest. http://tangocars.blogspot.com/2010/08/tango-progressive-automotive-x-prize.html
The first thing I noticed was that it’s going to bottom out at the first speed bump.
I rode in the back of one on suburban streets and it was quiet and smooth. Also, because it’s narrow it’s much easier to avoid bad patches of streets and pot holes. But, of course, the reason that there are speed bumps is to slow down the cars, and, at a slow speed, the car will drive over the speed bumps with no issues.
I doesn’t seem entirely safe for high speeds so if it’s better for around town, yeah why not ride a bike? It’s awfully cute though? Like you could fit it in your flat. Does it come in pink?
It is entirely safe at high speeds. Check out Jay Leno driving one on a California highway.
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the-garage/electric/tango-electric/
Seconding on the stability, high center of gravity observation.
Did the engineers not consider that a moderate gust of wind would have this thing toppled or hydroplaning faster than you can say Progressive Automotive.
Maybe it’s just me but the word “progressive” has me thinking the product would be a step forward rather than a head up the engineers ass.
Like a sailboat, the car gets its stability since it’s ballasted by its power source, the batteries. When I rode in one it wasn’t windy, but Rick assures me that wind doesn’t blow the car around in even in the windiest of environments.
A Google search no longer says the website will harm your computer. Check it out: http://www.commutercars.com.
The engineers who designed and built side by side seating for cars blew it. This is the way cars should have been designed from the start.