This is not just a prototype remote from reality “taxi of the future”. And not just a concept car designed exclusively for display at car dealerships. You see a car-research, on which the efforts of more than 40 companies and taking into account the wishes of the experts and the public creates a taxi the next generation.
Perhaps the most famous in the world taxi – London. Compete with the legendary kebami, at least recognition, especially no one tries. And Finns have decided: experts from the Helsinki Polytechnic (Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia), together with the staff of the University of Art and Design (UIAH) came to a consensus about the future of a taxi and said: “Regular passenger car or van, converted into a taxi, certainly not the best solution. So, what we need – a special vehicle like a London taxi, but redesigned and equipped with the latest technology.
This project started CityTaxiCab – “a starting point for international discussion of what they really want from taxi passengers and drivers.” And the discussion is already under way: the developers CityTaxiCab conducted a detailed survey of “cab” with their customers and claim that took into account all wishes. What happened?
Taxi of the future for some reason appears in non-traditional «cab» blue and without a lantern checkered. Why all this paraphernalia, if CityTaxiCab anything other than a taxi, can not be? (photo from CityTaxiCab.stadia.fi).
Since the main project – the client, with his description and begin. New taxi is designed for five passengers, who promised “perfect ergonomics. Interior named luxury – a hefty windows, the roof is almost all glass, all the seats trimmed with leather. Three seats is quite normal, two – folding, that allows to stay in the car wheelchair.
Entrance to the car generally easier to limit: sliding door goes to the left, in obedience to push fastened to it from outside and inside the red button, and the air suspension allows the driver to adjust ride height: at the time of stopping the floor (by the way, heated) is lowered almost to the ground.
Destination passenger said to hang from the ceiling, a touch screen, through which, like, you can go and on the Internet. Of course, the cabin has air conditioning.
The door for the passengers – only the starboard side, and for the driver – only the left.
A curious detail: the luggage is stored in a special unit, located next to the driver – instead of the front passenger seat. The door to the office during opening moves upward, with no windows (it remains in place).
Now – about the car. The creators call it a form of “Futurist and impeccable, although the word” shoes “when staring at the exterior of this pretty, in general, the machine does not go out of my head. On the other hand, and the classic London cab breakthrough in automotive design will not name.
Car body is made of carbon fiber, so that weighs 75% less than steel. Weight CityTaxiCab – 1810 kg, length – 4,5 m, height – 1,87 m, width – 1,86 m wheelbase – 3 pm and with such dimensions of the diameter of pivot cab is only a 6.9 meter – because that car turn both front and rear wheels.
“Taxi XXI century must be environmentally friendly and safe”, – underline the Finnish designers.
For more environmentally friendly front-drive car equipped with a hybrid propulsion benzoelektricheskoy Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive. It consists of economical engines (running on the Atkinson cycle) power and two 57 kilowatt electric motor (another 50 kilowatts). Supplement this economy traction batteries with a voltage of 202 volts. Due to the regeneration of energy during braking such an attitude is very economical.
Regarding security, the crash tests, with the exception of computer simulation has been conducted, but the authors of the project say that the tests in the virtual world were successful. Yes, all passengers laid the 3-point seat belts. And the brake of the car, by the way, are equipped with anti-lock system.
Even the approximate price of a taxi Finns are not known. They say that at present CityTaxiCab – non-commercial project in the research stage. However, developers are eager to commercialization, leading talks on it and will still show the car at the international auto shows. Therefore, CityTaxiCab we will see. And it is possible that in the city streets. Helsinki, for example.