GM’s EN-V concept (Electric Networked Vehicl) is designed to fill the niche of urban, short-range transport, where space is limited but travel distances are typically short.
There are three designs of the car (shaped like a deep-sea diver’s helmet, MF Doom’s mask, and Urkel’s clown car, respectively), all of which are about half the size of a Smart car and fitted on a two-wheel base co-designed by Segway.
The EN-V’s communication aspect is pretty interesting as well–it uses sonar (you can hear the telltale clicking sound) to detect other cars as well as pedestrians and cyclists, though in the demo it nearly ran down a GM rep before stopping. That communication also allows it to perform something GM’s calling “platooning,” basically forming an autonomous convoy with other EN-Vs. The automation doesn’t stop there, as it’s also able to park and retrieve itself without the help of a driver. You can control its parking with a smartphone or a laptop.
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