On the straight and narrow

Smart...very smart not-a-car;

The all-electric vehicle is fully enclosed and uses a steering wheel and floor pedals like a car. But it weighs just 800 pounds and balances on two wheels even when stopped, making it more efficient than hauling around a 2-ton four-wheeler and safer than an accident-prone bike.

"Most people don't drive motorcycles because they're dangerous," says Lit Motors founder and C-1 creator Daniel Kim, 32.

"We're bringing safety to motorcycles with carlike controls that everyone's familiar with," Kim says of his self-stabilizing two-wheeler.