Hungary may not be renowned for any kind of automotive breakthroughs, but that might change if the guys who invented the Antro Solo commercialize this vehicle worldwide. The Antro Solo receives power through various methods: it can be powered by solar energy, by human motion and, in case none of the first two are at hand, a little bit of gas. With these three sources, the hybrid car can achieve a fuel efficiency factor of more than 150 miles per gallon!
For the moment, Antro Solo is still a three seat prototype vehicle made entirely out of carbon fiber. This type of material lowers the total weight of the vehicle to an outstanding 270kg . The design of the vehicle also allowed for a pretty decent top speed of 87mph.
Ihabitat reports that the team that designed the vehicle wanted to make the Antro Solo as efficient as it can get. Thus, the vehicle comes equipped with solar panels on the roof, which store energy in the car’s batteries that can be used for short 15-25km trips. However, if there happens to be a cloudy day, each passenger’s seat comes equipped with pedals that can power the vehicle’s generator. If these two methods prove inefficient, the car can automatically switch to its small combustion engine that is capable of running on petrol or ethanol.
The design team foresees that Antro Solo will enter mass production by 2012, and it is expected t cost around $20,000 dollars.
