New EV designed to replace short-haul flights

In an ever-changing world, car-makers and tech companies are constantly looking for ways to make passenger transport more convenient and better for the environment.

Enter: the Budget Airline Car – a vehicle designed to replace airplanes, despite the fact that it can’t fly.

The quirky electric transport pod is billed as offering a comfortable, zero-emissions alternative to short-haul flights, with Car Design Research (CDR) – the UK-based firm responsible for the concept – pitching the idea to budget airline companies, hoping they’ll adopt new forms of ground transport rather than rely purely on aircraft.

Said to offer a spacious cabin with seating for six adults over three rows (and their luggage), the futuristic EV was developed with CDR design associates from both China and India and is said to realise “a totally new way to comfortably and efficiently travel from city to city”.

With a focus on “aerodynamics and shared access”, the Budget Airline Car uses electric motors and batteries developed for long-distance cruising as opposed to performance.

Still in its infancy, there’s no word on the concept’s powertrain details or predicted range as yet.

Measuring up at 5.0 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and kitted out with a host of safety and driver assistance aids, the EV concept can be driven either by a human or autonomously, with “good driving incentivised by the shared-economy digital platform that [passengers] access the service through”. 

According to CDR, the electric shuttle would produce only two per cent of CO2 emissions per passenger compared to a short-haul flight, which is the most common form of air travel in Europe.

The company also said an individual commuter could theoretically make 50 trips in the Budget Airline Car for the same environmental burden as one aircraft journey of the same distance.