Personal commuting vehicle

A personal commuting vehicle (PCV) is a generic term for a type of vehicle that is smaller and lighter than most cars, yet safer than motorcycles. PCVs are used for personal commuting in urban and suburban areas.
Characteristics
PCV main characteristics are Personal Mobility (2 seats), Safety , Environmental Friendliness, Driving Excitement, and Style.
Personal mobility
It is generally accepted that public transportation will never substitute private transportation more than to certain extent. Average 1,5 hours spent daily in traffic in European cities. In Italy, the costs in terms of time and money met by Italian car drivers due to congestion and poor traffic management are estimated at 40 billion Euros per year.
Vehicle seating for at least two to four, despite an average vehicle occupancy of below 1.6 in US cities, less in typical commuting times of the day at around 1.4. In European cities, the average commute occupancy rate is even less: 1.1-1.2 persons per vehicle.
With a seating capacity of 2 and a small footprint, a Personal Commuting Vehicle perfectly and fully reflects the requirements in personal mobility of most commuters - because most trips are taken alone.
Safety
Safety is necessary for any vehicle to be accepted by the public (see difficult entry of Chinese manufactured vehicles in Europe, notwithstanding Euro NCAP crash tests.
Environmental friendliness
Environmental friendliness is not only good for the environment (less emissions per km), it is also good for the customer (more km per liter) - a win-win situation.
To this goal, a maximum range and minimum fuel consumption and emissions should be targeted with today's technologies: Usually achieved by small displacement engines, enhanced by methane/LPG implants or more efficient hybrid powertrains with electric driving ability. Plug-in options, though not yet realized by OEM, are planned by most hybrid vehicle makers in the near future.
Definition open
A more precise PCV characteristics definition needs yet to be established in the general public and the media, A race competition through the United States in 2010 for super fuel-efficient vehicles, has established a separate vehicle category for 2 seat vehicles: “Alternative Class” (aka Commuter Vehicles Class) specifying them to be:
2 or more occupants (95th percentile adult male)
100 miles minimum range
0-60 mph acceleration in less than 18 seconds, lateral acceleration (300 ft. diameter skid pad) 0.7.

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