CROATIAN INVENTOR BUILDS ECOLOGICAL VEHICLE

( Editorial: --> 0281 ) ZAGREB, 1 Feb (Hina) - An inventor from Zagreb and a group of enthusiasts have constructed Croatia's first ecological vehicle. The vehicle has a speed of 10 kilometres per hour but with a full battery can reach 30 kilometres. It can move about in open or closed spaces (hospitals, office buildings, airports, warehouses etc). It can conquer 30 degree gradients as well as climb stairs. The ecological vehicle is 1.25m long, 70cm wide, with a 45cm seat height level with the carriageway and weighs about 200 kilograms. The inventor is Tomislav Juravic, the creator of 20 various inventions. He started working on the vehicle project in 1995 under the incentive of Croatia's Defence Ministry, intending to build a new vehicle for invalids. Depending on its purpose, this small, very manoeuvrable vehicle can be built with or without a cabin and has wide applications, said Juravic. Outside of Croatia, this type of vehicle has an average value of 20,000 DM, while in Croatia one can get 10 ecological vehicles from the production line for a total between 5,000 and 6,000 DM. For now there is a three month wait on orders for the vehicle. The vehicle is now being manufactured by order only and its first user will be the National Park on the northern Adriatic island of Cres. Juravic is negotiating with a number of tourist companies and with the Croatian Army in regards to its application for invalids. Foreign investors from Austria and Italy are also interested in this discovery. (hina) mrb jn 011128 MET feb 98