Finally, An Electric Car That Won't Trap You In The Zombie Holocaust

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:40:00 PDT

This is the first car of the future that isn't solely designed to keep you trapped in the city. The Liberator Car combines two technologies for maximum zoom. It's an electric car in the city, but then once you get out of town, it adapts to ride electric rails at high speeds. Yes, it's an electric car that turns into a monorail! Click through for another picture.

The Liberator, which totally should have huge weird nacelles sticking out of it and an onboard computer called Zen, is being developed by the Monomobile Co., based out of Cincinnati, with 10 other companies involved. At first, I thought that the bottom of the car hooked on to the rail and it zoomed along, but it's actually the car roof. (Photos are here.) I have to admit the idea of zooming along at 200 miles per hour in a car suspended from a rail is... sort of exhilerating. But I like the idea of zooming on a light rail and then, instead of having to get to your car, the rail car turns into your car. That's pretty neat.

Images by AP/Mark Duncan.

Streamlined Cars Blaze at 120 mph in 1930s Future City

Lynn Peril — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:20:00 PDT

Here's a brief, animated glimpse of a future city where torpedo cars rocket along on elevated highways. It comes from a 1930s industrial film on automotive streamlining, hence the awed tone of wonder in the narrator's voice when he describes the completely streamlined car of the future - alas, "entirely impractical" on today's streets.

io9: car of the future

Finally, An Electric Car That Won't Trap You In The Zombie Holocaust

Streamlined Cars Blaze at 120 mph in 1930s Future City