GM EN-V concept

According to General Motors, "by 2030, urban areas will be home to more than 60 percent of the world's eight billion people," which in turn will put massive pressure on infrastructure, such as roads, rail and so forth.

The answer to this impending crisis? The EN-V, a compact two-seater, two wheel device with a futuristic design.

General Motors has teamed up with strategic partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, or SAIC, and though you couldn't really call these contraptions motorcycles, they do have two wheels and don't really belong in the car world.

Unveiled at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, the EN-V is yet another urban mobility solution. As we've outlined in other articles, legs also work as a pretty good urban mobility solution, but as they can't be sold for money (yet) they are of little interesting to global automakers.

Can you imagine a flock of these bad boys racing down city streets to get coffees for office workers too lazy to walk? The future is bright...

Still, the EN-V does show promise, particularly for densely populated cities. And if the price is right.

Powered by a pair of high-torque electric motors, located in each of the EN-V's wheels, the concept vehicle has a tiny turning circle ideal for navigating tight spaces and with a full charge of its lithium-ion batteries it has a range of "at least" 40km.

The concept "has been designed for the speed and range of today's urban drivers" but no top speed has been given, which means it's probably not suited to road travel. It weighs less than 500 kilograms and is roughly 1.5 meters in length.

The EN-V concept is designed to communicate with infrastructure, GPS systems and other vehicles, and can even be set to "autonomous mode" where it would drive itself, potentially using the data available to reduce traffic congestion. Peppered with sensors and cameras, these can also help reduce accidents, according to its designers.

Best of all, there are three different designs to suit drivers: the dark grey sinister model 'Magic', the blue and bubbly shaped 'Laugh' and sleek red Pride design.
Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group, said the EN-V delivers "an ideal solution for urban mobility that enables future driving to be free from petroleum and emissions, free from congestion and accidents, and more fun and fashionable than ever before."

Another GM bigwig, Alan Taub, the Global Vice President of GM Research and Development, also hammered home the message: "The future of how we move around in urban areas like Shanghai can combine the best of personal mobility and public transit. There is a better solution and it is called EN-V.

"It demonstrates that we have both the knowledge and the ability right now to create a way to move people that not only ensures a better city but also offers people a better life," added Taub.