So you say that you are worried about your safety while driving the car? Then maybe you should consider a car similar to iSAVE YOU, a Japanese electric car that is covered with airbag-like panels.
iSAVE YOU is the creation of Humanix, a Hiroshima University-affiliated startup business. If you can get over the name that resembles both a product Apple would make and a religious message at the same time, then you’ll be delighted to find out that this three-wheeled vehicle features a type of cushion capable of springing back to the original position right after the impact.
I guess this stands to show that all car manufacturers that considered including airbags at all have been placing them on the wrong side of the vehicle. In an interview for Japanese magazine Sponichi Annex, Professor Tsutomu, the president of Humanix, admitted that “the car will be perfect for our rapidly aging society and that there are already many requests for it from the elderly and disabled.” The aspect mentioned by the president of the company, that Japan has nowadays an aging society, is true, unfortunately.
This electric vehicle might be good at absorbing shocks, but I wonder how it performs in bad weather conditions. As seen in the following video, the front panel looks more like a comforter than an airbag. An impact is also simulated, to show that people would not get hurt if they were hit by iSAVE YOU.
Anyone interested in buying this vehicle will have to get 790,000 yen ($9,740) out of his pocket. Since iSAVE YOU can be registered as a trike, the owners of this vehicle will have to pass only a simple inspection at the Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Center. It should be mentioned that the inspection and the registration are almost free, unlike the regular registration that can cost more than $1,000. The distance that can be covered on a single charge is of only 30 km, so this vehicle is recommended for short-distance commuters.
I am not sure about the potential of this vehicle in other parts of the world, but in Japan it will surely be a success. Not only because Japanese people have some of the craziest ideas in the world, but also because Humanix would not have started this project if they considered that there isn’t a market for it out there.
If you liked this post, please check the folding electric car and this kickass electric DeLorean.
