A rollerskate-shaped hydrogen car is getting a little love in Leicester.
The British city has signed a memorandum of understanding to bring the Riversimple hydrogen city car to town. Automotively disadvantaged residents of the East Midland city can take heart: your Reliant Robin just got a lot better looking by comparison.
We brought you photos of the open-source hydrogen car with the Porsche pedigree almost a year ago. Though it lacks the good looks of, say, a Ferrari 250 GTO -- or a Fiat Multipla, for that matter -- it promises a top speed of 50 mph, a range of 200 miles and fuel economy equal to 300 mpg.
That was good enough for city leaders in Leicester. Residents and civic organizations alike will drive 30 of the rollerskate-shaped cars during a year-long pilot program slated for early 2012. The University of Leicester and De Montfort University will work on a filling station for the cars. Riversimple touted decentralized production when they unveiled the car last year, and if all goes well 5,000 cars a year could be built in Leicester, for Leicester.
"This is yet another step in making Leicester a better place to live, and proposals to build the cars locally if the scheme proves successful could also mean a major jobs boost for the city," said Leicester City Councillor Abdul Osman.
Photo: Riversimple
