Now thats C.L.E.V.E.R.

[Wizzo]

Owning a three-wheeler either meant your surname was Trotter or you were very uncool, but now it’s very, very Clever. This is the new Clever car, the product of a £1.5million EU-funded project involving the University of Bath, is a funky-looking eco-friendly runabout that’ll have you weaving between the city’s rush-hour traffic like a dodgem dream.



Clever stands for Compact Low Emission Vehicle for urban transport - is ready to roll. (Where did the E and R disappear to?).

The aluminium-bodied, plastic-panelled Clever is a bit nippier than the last economic three wheeler, Clive Sinclair’s C5: it’ll romp along at up 60mph and accelerates from 0 to 40mph in seven seconds, (wow puts in the same league as the Renault Clio  ). The electronically controlled motorcycle-style chassis even tilts at corners, which is cool for those us who aspire to be a Motocross racer but are scared of scratching our knees.

Fuel consumption is a third of most cars’ appetite - 108 miles per gallon (or 2.6 litres per 100 kms) – and so are its CO2 emissions. And, because it runs on compressed natural gas, you’ll be exempt from paying the London congestion charge. 

Size-wise, it’s three feet thinner than a medium sized conventional car, but the roof is as high as ordinary cars and there’s enough space to Rodney, er I mean a friend  a lift in a seat behind the driver.

Clever's developers reckon that, with a big manufacturer, the car could be on sale for five grand within five years. In the meantime, they’re bidding for more EU funding to build 100 prototypes to road-test in European cities. keep your eyes peeled…