It has been far too long since we last featured something innovative from the automotive world, but too be honest there really hasn’t been a whole hell of a lot to get excited about. The wait is over, and surprisingly this new design comes from Hungary, a country not known for their automotive artistry. If the creators of the Antro Solo have their way, the country will be synonymous with the term “green machine” by 2012. The Antro Solo is a solar, human and gas-electric hybrid vehicle. It looks like nothing else on the road, and has a fuel efficiency of more than 150 miles per gallon. Before we unveil anything more about the car, keep in mind that the price tag is a cool $20,000 (USD). Not bad in comparison to other hybrids on the road, but then again, this isn’t your average run of the mill hybrid. It’s the green machine.
The Antro Solo is a three seat gas-electric hybrid prototype made entirely out of carbon fibre. This material choice allowed the graphic designers to lower the weight of the vehicle to a measly 270kg. This also allowed them to achieve phenomenal fuel efficiency and a pretty decent top speed of 87mph. All of this is impressive enough, but the Solo’s designers were not content to stop there. In order to maximize the efficiency of the vehicle, the designers installed solar panels on the roof. These solar panels store energy in the car’s batteries which can be used for short 15-25km trips. If there hasn’t been enough sun to power the batteries, each passenger’s seat comes equipped with pedals that can power the vehicles generator. If you are by yourself, or everyone gets tired, the car can switch to its small combustion engine that is capable of running on petrol or ethanol.
