Carver (automobile)

Carver
van den Brink designed Carver One at full tilt (45°) going round a roundabout
Overview
Manufacturer	Carver
Also called	van den Brink
Production	1999 - 2009
Model years	1999 - 2003 2003 - 2007 2007 - 2009
Assembly	Germany: ACU
Designer	C.R. van den Brink and H.M. Kroonen
Body and chassis
Class	Micro
Body style	1-door
Layout	Rear-engine Rear-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	0.6 L I4 (petrol)
Transmission	5-speed manual
Dimensions
Length	3.4 m (11 ft)
Width	1.3 m (4.3 ft)
Height	1.4 m (4.6 ft)
Kerb weight	640 kg (1,410 lb)

The Carver is a tilting three-wheeled vehicle using an automatic balancing technology to balance the passenger compartment under all conditions. The first commercial Carver product, the Carver One, was designed to seat two people, and manufactured and distributed by Carver Europe (formerly named Vandenbrink) in the Netherlands. In June 2009 Carver Europe declared bankruptcy due to lack of demand at its 30,000 euro price, and ceased commercial production and sales. As of 2011^[update], the technology is owned and licensed by Carver Technology.

The Carver vehicle combines aspects of a motorcycle and a car, both in appearance and design. Like many microcars, the Carver has three wheels and the controls of a normal car. The three-wheel Carver One is said to have the comfort, controls and stability of a normal car while showing the dynamic cornering behaviour of a motorcycle. The Carver was design with Man Wide Vehicles (MWVs) in mind. The Carver can be driven by anyone with a normal car driver's license in the European Union, though other countries outside of the EU may not allow this. In most countries the taxation follows the motorcycle guidelines.

The dimensions are 3.4 m (11 ft) long by 1.3 m (4.3 ft) wide by 1.4 m (4.6 ft) high, giving it a low slim profile, similar to a motorcycle. It weighs 640 kg (1,410 lb), about half the weight of a medium size car or three to four times the weight of most motorcycles. The Carver One can tilt up to 45 degrees while turning. This is not based on how far the steering wheel is rotated, but on how much cornering force is applied to it.

The Carver has a 660 cc 4-cylinder 16-valve engine with a turbo intercooler giving a power output of 65 bhp (48 kW) at 7,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 100 N·m (74 lb·ft) at 4,000 rpm. An option is available to upgrade the ECU to give 85 bhp (63 kW) output (this option was never released). The transmission is a 5-speed manual with reverse, and all wheels are equipped with ventilated disk brakes. The front wheel is slightly larger than the rear wheels (at 17" to 15").