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If you thought the VW Beetle available at Peoria VW was a small car, you have not seen anything yet! The Ultra Lightweight Vehicle, also known as ULV, was debuted in Tokyo at the Automotive NEXT Industry Fair. The fair takes place annually in Tokyo, Japan and features cutting-edge automotive technology. The fair took place June 16th and had exhibits related to environmental engines, fuel economy, innovative automobiles, green engine production, lightweight materials, futuristic batteries, and technological computer systems for vehicles.
While prices have yet to be released for this teeny-tiny vehicle, one would guess that it is less than any Nissan Altima Prices. And you certainly won’t be able to find this vehicle stateside at Lancaster Ford. American consumers are doing their best to embrace the green auto revolution, but this single-passenger mini electric car is likely to make American laugh rather than actually drive one. With limited numbers of Smart ForTwo vehicles driving around our “bigger is better” country, the ULV will have a more positive reception in crowded high-population cities.
Powered by a 400 watt motor, yes not even on the kilowatt scale, the ULV can travel at speeds less than 25 mph. Again, further proof this egg-shaped vehicle is best suited for city driving. The vehicle is incredibly economical and inexpensive to operate. A full charge can be attained in about 4 hours, allowing the vehicle to travel for 50 miles before needing to be charged again. Also, a full charge only costs about $0.40. This means it is about ten times cheaper to operate than our praised Toyota Prius. Because there is no fuel consumption, let us try to put this low cost into perspective. You can travel 50 miles for only $0.40, and the average cost of gas is around $2.80. $2.80 is seven times the amount of $0.40, or seven times 50 miles. That equates to roughly 350 miles per gallon in cost! 350 miles is typically what Americans average per tank, not per gallon! The vehicle is intended to carry only the driver and small amounts of cargo, like daily groceries, and only weighs 160 pounds. Talk about good things in small packages!
