29 Sep 06 16:36
This new-age interpretation of the traditional London taxi, a wheelchair-friendly spacious people-mover with a hybrid powertrain, is the work of students at Helsinki Polytechnic and the Helsinki College of Art and Design.
Purpose-designed from scratch as a taxi, rather than an adaptation of an existing passenger vehicle, the CityCab seats five passengers. Its adjustable air suspension allows it to lower its floor for easy wheelchair access, and it has ultra-wide door openings and a completely flat floor. The seats swivel for easy communication between passengers in the leather-upholstered rear compartment.
Any new urban vehicle should be eco-friendly, and the CityCab keeps its fuel consumption down by using a Toyota-derived hybrid petrol-electric powertrain (sourced from the Prius) and carbonfibre-composite body panels to save weight - it's 75% lighter than an equivalent steel-bodied vehicle.
The driver hasn't been forgotten, either: the cabin layout is designed for optimum ease of operation, the turning circle is tight at 6.9 metres, and the CityCab is kitted out with the latest technology - hopefully including a sat-nav system which tells the driver that yes, he can go south of the river.
Helsinki Polytechnic, which has led the project, is to test this fully-functional prototype in Finland's capital city, and to thoroughly evaluate its potential. It's 'willing to negotiate the commercial application' of the work.
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