Ever wondered what it’ll be like to ride inside a poké ball? Well, here’s the closest thing, and it’s the brainchild of McLaren F1 designer, Gordon Murray.
Partly funded by the UK government, the MOTIV as this poké ball on wheels is officially called, is developed to be a cost-effective, ultra-lightweight vehicle platform with zero tailpipe emissions and full autonomy (self-driving) capability.
The ultra-compact MOTIV (2,537-mm in length and 1,310-mm in width) is a single-seater that’s the personal transportation device of the future.
Its powertrain is developed by Delta Motorsport and for that, it’s powered by a 27-horsepower electric motor and has a 17.3 kWh liquid-cooled battery pack giving it a range of up to 100 kilometers. Charging can take as little as 40 minutes.
It’s designed to meet all existing passenger car safety standards and can travel at speeds up to 65 km/h, yet thanks to Gordon Murray’s iStream Superlight technology, its weight is just 450 kilograms (excluding batteries). This was done using ultra-lightweight high-strength extruded aluminum chassis and an aluminum suspension system.
Aside from its poké ball-like looks, the MOTIV also has a gull-wing door for improved accessibility and weather protection for passengers during ingress and egress.
Built with autonomy from the get-go, testing of its driverless capabilities can begin almost immediately. No target date was given, but MOTIV is targeted to be the first fully autonomous single seater pod in the market.
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