It seems people are going to great lengths anymore to combat the rising cost of fuel. Some have chosen to look toward the future, albeit with great expense, with a concept that may become reality sometime soon. Students at the University of Bath (in western England) recently took the wraps off a new prototype car, dubbed the CLEVER (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport).

The car is basically a small speedster that has the versatility of a motorcycle coupled with the safety of a car. The CLEVER is built to take on long-distance driving, as well as city streets. Fueled by compressed natural gas, it can achieve a top speed of 80 mph. "The goal was to produce a lower-emission vehicle and to combine the efficiency of a motorcycle with the comfort and safety of a car," said Ben Drew (student, 27, who works on the project) who demonstrated the handling of the car during several test laps.

A 218cc engine, running on natural gas, is said to achieve about 108 miles per gallon. CLEVER will likely be marketed in the micro-car market, with a price range of $8500 to 17,000 (Euro). It is the brainchild of a three-year project funded by the European Union and is bankrolled by German, French, and Austrian organizations, as well at the Bath team.

Read more on the CLEVER creation