The following literature review of minicars is part of a larger project to examine the prospects for an urban vehicle from serveral perspectives. In addition to this literature review, other parts of the project cover minicar safety, behavior in traffic, and marketing strategies for minicars. The term "minicar" has been used to refer to a wide variety of vehicles, but the type of car sought in this project is a small, light-weight (preferably less than 300 kg) vehicle with a maximum speed of approximately 50 km/h and seating for 2 passengers and a small load. Minicar variations have been produced ever since the automobile was invented but for various reasons they have never become a part of the world wide auto market on a large scale, permanent basis. Now that air pollution and energy use are reaching disastrously high levels, the search for less destructive means of mobility has begun.
Abstract