This tiny EV claims to be the safest car in the world
But there's a catch
This is the Commuter Cars Tango, a ridiculously small and bonkers EV. Their website claims that is the safest car in the world and the base price is a whopping $85,000. Notable Tango owners include George Clooney, who bought the first one ever produced, and Google founder Sergey Brin. Oh, and by the way, you have to assemble it yourself.
Introduced in 2005, The Commuter Cars Tango T600 is a two row, two-seat electric vehicle that's about as long as a smart car and with a width of just 39". They claim that it gets 120 miles of range at under 60mph, and it somehow weighs 3,325 pounds. That doesn't seem like a lot until you realize that this car has the volume of roughly two thirds of a smart car and weighs 50% more. Commuter Cars boasts about some seriously impressive specs on the Tango, but it also makes some questionable claims.
epic tri-spoke alert
SAFETY
Technically speaking they don't lie about the vehicle's safety, but merely use words that cause ambiguity so they cannot be held legally responsible. They state on their website (emphasis mine) that they are "Solving traffic congestion with what we believe to be the world's safest car". By adding that little statement they shift any responsibility to back up their claims. There have been no crash tests of the Tango, so I would say that they can't definitively say it is the safest car, but the claims aren't entirely unfounded.
safety!
Commuter Cars claims they achieved the safest car in the world by creating a car that "avoids accidents better than any car in history". Since it's very narrow and agile, the logic goes that you can't die in a crash if you avoid it. The only problem is, avoidance will only go so far. People are bound to make mistakes, and car manufacturers have to create systems that will actually protect the occupant when someone inevitably gets in a wreck. By shifting the responsibility onto the driver, Commuter Cars is able to disregard any crash safety standards by saying that you can just swerve away. However, it does have some impressive features that let you make quick emergency maneuvers. Acceleration is 3.2 seconds 0-60, and according to their website the Tango has the lowest center of gravity of any car due to 2/3 of the weight in the car being situated below the floor. Due to this, they also claim that the car won't tip over on up to a 30% grade, which is rather impressive. The Tango also has an FIA certified roll cage, but real-world crash-testing hasn't been done yet. In addition, the car has a 4-point safety harness instead of conventional seatbelts, which does pose a risk of deceleration injury in event of a crash. And no, it doesn't have any airbags, meaning you should probably wear a helmet.
PRICE
Per Commuter Cars' website, one Tango T600 will set you back $240,000. However, they're significantly cheaper if you buy them in bulk, with 10 costing $200,000. 100 will cost you $100,000, and 250 per year will cost only $80k. The funny thing is, the website doesn't specify whether or not that price is the price per car (which it most likely is) or the price for the bundle. Either way, it's insanely expensive, and while I do understand that they are a niche manufacturer that has to cover R&D costs... come on. 240k for any car, no matter how impressive, is a lot of money, not to mention that compared to other cars in the price bracket, the car isn't very practical or snazzy. It's also worth noting that in some countries the price isn't for the whole assembled car - it's only for the kit.
image: http://www.evnut.com/tango.htm
PRACTICALITY
While the Tango does technically seat two, I can imagine it's not very comfortable given that it's shorter than a smart fortwo. There is one seat in front and one seat in back, like Messerschmidt KR200. Cargo space is virtually nonexistent, and range is a meager 120 miles of range, not that you'd want to travel in it for that long anyways. Just look at this interior:
PERFORMANCE
This is one area where the Tango T600 is undeniably impressive. The Tango can go 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds, which is as fast as a Ferrari Enzo. Its quarter mile time is 12.2 seconds, and Commuter Cars claims the top speed is 150mph. The Tango also has a whopping 3,000 lb-ft of torque, which allows it to do sick burnouts. When looking at performance alone, the Tango is an engineering marvel, especially given its small size.
You can see videos of the Tango in action here and here, or look for yourself on their website.
high quality jpeg from Commuter Cars' website
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimately, I like the idea of the Commuter Cars Tango T600. I think having a ridiculously fast electric microcar sounds really cool. But ultimately, sticker shock combined with misleading claims make me significantly less enthusiastic about this car.
To learn more about this car, visit www.commutercars.com/
All information in this article was per Commuter Cars' website.
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Comments (3)
Interviewer: Impressive numbers, how did you achieve those?
CC PR: We followed basic principle of any italian sports manufacturer. We lied.
So cramped
$240,000