The folding process of the Armadillo-T prototype is particularly clever due to its four in-wheel electric motors and 13.6-kWh battery tucked into the front half of the car, which allow it to pull the rear shell with the rear wheels over the passenger compartment at the press of a button. Casters drop down from the center of the vehicle to facilitate the folding action, which shrinks its 110-inch length down to 65 inches. There's almost no parking space in which this car can't fit.
According to Phys.org, the Armadillo-T is very lightweight at 990 pounds, but it also packs in some important features. The driver can activate the folding action with a smartphone, which also can be used to move and rotate the folded car into a parking spot. A ten-minute quick charge gives the EV 62 miles of range, and it has a top speed of 60 km per hour – not enough for freeway driving, but adequate for urban settings. It also has side-view cameras instead of mirrors to help the driver see around the car.
Check out the Armadillo-T folding itself in the video below.
Related News
