City Car is being developed by the Smart Cities group at the MIT Media Lab; a prototype of is scheduled to be released next year. An electric vehicle with four independent, fully integrated in-wheel electric motors and suspension systems called “wheel robots,” the car is designed to stack (video embedded below) when parked and charging; six City Cars can be squeezed into a single traditional parking spot. Stacks of cars would be left throughout the city at strategic destinations, notably ones that converge with public transportation.
“The City car is NOT a replacement for personal vehicles, taxis, buses, or trucks; it is a NEW vehicle type that promotes a socially responsible and more effective means of urban mobility,” the project’s web site says.