Latest city runabout is a car and scooter hybrid

Car and scooter manufacturer Peugeot has taken inspiration from both forms of transport to produce a 2.5m long electric vehicle that can seat four people.

The Peugeot BB1 has electric motors in its rear wheels and replaces a regular car’s steering wheel and pedals with handlebars and side-by-side motorcycle seats.

The result is a highly efficient and maneuverable city car reminiscent of the bubble cars of the 1960s.

Micro cars will get bigger…inside

If it goes into production, the BB1 will hope to build on the success of the Toyota iQ city car , a diminutive four-seater measuring less than 3m long.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Electric cars of the future will have no need to follow design conventions dictated by the internal combustion engine.”

Small cars have grown in size over the last two decades as an increasing number of safety features have been added, but a new generation of micro cars looks likely to exploit electric vehicle technology to their advantage.

Wheel-mounted motors free up a significant amount of cabin space, an improvement that is noticeable in the BB1 concept car.