Ford's two-wheel concept car gets a Chinese electric makeover
Two-wheeled cars first appeared more than a century ago but never really caught on
The two-wheeled vehicle whizzing around a Beijing test track is a mash-up of motorcycle, electric car and space capsule, wrapped around the brain of a smartphone. And engineer Zhu Lingyu believes it will be on public roads within two years.
Inspired by a Ford Motor Co. concept car from 1961 that used gyroscopes to stay upright, Zhu built a streamlined version that resembles an escape pod from a science-fiction movie. Beijing Lingyun Intelligent Technology Co. plans to build the gyrocar itself and may pick a domestic location for its factory this month, with a goal to start sales in 2020.
“I was told by a potential investor that I have zero chance to make the idea work,’’ Zhu, 40, said after a test drive of a prototype called the 1703. “But I firmly believe this is the future of urban transport because it is exquisite, energy-saving and easy to manage. I have to make it.’’
Zhu isn’t the only carmaker trying to capitalise on advances in batteries, electric motors and the gyroscope technology used in iPhones and Segways to track user movements or maintain balance. San Francisco-based start-up Lit Motors developed several prototypes of a two-wheeled EV, and The New York Times reported in 2016 the company was in talks about a potential acquisition by Apple Inc.
Lit Motors didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. No phone number is listed on its website, and part of its contact page redirects to an internet pharmacy.