GM EN-V: Future Mobility

Just the Facts:

• GM's EN-V will debut at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
• The EN-V is a tiny two-passenger electric-vehicle concept developed in collaboration with Segway and Shanghai Auto.
• GM is showing three versions of the urban commuter.

SHANGHAI, China — The EN-V, a tiny two-passenger electric-vehicle concept developed in collaboration with Segway and Shanghai Auto, is being unveiled by General Motors at World Expo 2010 here.

GM is showing three versions of the urban commuter: the Xiao ("laugh"), designed in Australia by GM Holden; the Jiao ("pride"), designed at GM Europe, and the Miao ("magic"), created at GM Advanced Design in California.

The EN-V (for Electric Networked Vehicle) is ultracompact. It weighs 1,100 pounds and measures less than 60 inches long — about one-third the weight and length of a conventional automobile. The tiny dimensions provide the EN-V with extraordinary maneuverability, including the ability to park in extremely tight urban spaces.

A pair of electric motors drive the wheels, fed from a lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged from household current. Driving range is about 25 miles.

GM describes the EN-V as "a vision for future urban mobility" that was "designed to alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow's cities."

The platform is an evolution of the 2009 PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) prototype developed by Segway, which provided the drivetrain platform and dynamic stabilization technology to GM.

The EN-V can be operated manually or autonomously and incorporates GPS, WiFi, vehicle-to-vehicle communications and distance-sensing technologies. The vehicle's lightweight body and canopy are made of carbon fiber, custom-tinted Lexan and acrylic.

The EN-V will be on display from May 1 through October 31 at the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

Inside Line says: It's Futurama 2010. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent