2010 Geneva Preview: Honda 3R-C Concept shows electric urban mobility future

Giving personal mobility another shot at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Honda will unveil its new 3R-C Concept, “a revolutionary one-person battery electric vehicle concept.”

Put together by European designers working at Honda”s Research and Design facility in Milan, the 3R-C shows what a future minimal urban transport vehicle for one individual may look like if we all decide to give up walking. To keep the center of gravity low and improving stability, the battery electric drivetrain is mounted low in the three-wheeled chassis. The Honda 3R-C also has a clear canopy that covers the driver’s seat while it is parked and not in use. When in motion, the canopy becomes an enveloping windshield that provides the driver, who sits low in the vehicle, with protection from the bodywork and doors.

Honda also pointed other safety features like the high sides, which protect the occupant from side impacts; the lockable boot area, which secures storage for luggage and other items; and a flexible cover that surrounds the upper torso to reduce exposure to bad weather.

No technical details were given about the 3R-C. Either way, it’s one of the coolest urban mobility concepts Honda has come up with, in our opinion.

Honda 3R-C:

– By: Kap Shah