Hydrogen / Electric hybrids, wood to ethanol power, poop to biogas, plug-in power cords, compressed air; the Axon city car uses non of these, and that's what makes it so special. By figuring out that light weight and low drag equal high mileage Axon has found a way to forego all the State-of-the-Union-sexiness and just make a car that's not only actually capable of achieving 100mpg, but stands some chance of actually seeing production.
Built on an aluminum space frame, the carbon fiber body has been carefully shaped in a wind tunnel to make it as efficient as possible. It's also light; weighing just 400kg means that a 500cc twin-cylinder engine provides more than enough motivation.
It'll be at least two years before Axon is able to put this concept into limited production, but expect to see millions of vehicles like this if manufacturers and the public ever commit to the reality of reducing fuel consumption instead of just paying lip service to it.
[via Autocar]