Microcars ease congestion

mobi commuter cars
Two Tangos fit comfortably in one standard lane
  • Startup: Commuter Cars
  • From: Spokane, Wash.

Two cars in one lane may sound like an accident waiting to happen, but it could be the solution to road congestion.

Tangos, the electric microcars from Commuter Cars, are designed to be just that: vehicles that get people to and from work.

They're just big enough to fit one driver (up to 6'10'' in height) with room in the back for luggage or a passenger. And they're safer than large SUVs with four times the amount of side door protection.

Most U.S. commuters are single occupant drivers, meaning the market for Tango is potentially huge. But they're pricey to purchase individually ($240,000) so it really only makes sense for a city to buy en masse (which brings the price down to about $29,000).

That's what Auckland, New Zealand, is considering in the hopes that it could fix the city's terrible traffic. Not only do Tangos double road capacity, but they could quadruple the number of parking spaces, since Tangos can park perpendicularly.

First published November 4, 2014: 3:19 PM ET

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