The team’s Edison 2 relies on a single cylinder 40hp engine and a lightweight aerodynamic construction to achieve its goals. The result is a vehicle with a range of over 600 miles per tank (6.5 gallons), top speed of over 100mph, 22 cubic ft. of storage capacity, and four seats.
A major concern in a car this light is safety, but the team points to a few aspects of the design (many of them adopted from racing) that make the car safe. The first is the diamond shaped steel cage enclosing the passenger compartment, which deflects the force of most impacts. The second is collapsible space, an effective method of protection incorporated into the design of many contemporary cars. The exterior wheels of the Edison 2 also provide collapsible space that most cars lack. The third aspect is maneuverability and short stopping distances.
One of the major criticisms of super-efficient lightweight vehicles is the lack of safety. If the safety features in the Edison 2 become widely utilized it could have an incredible impact on the American market, as near 100mpg vehicles might become available in the U.S.
Check out the Team’s Home Page