chimpanzee
07-09-2008, 04:36 AM
Another entry that is along the lines of "Smart" car:
Formula One design vet creating eco-smart city car | Green Tech - CNET News.com (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9984501-54.html?tag=nefd.pop)
The styles from Europe this year are decidedly green and small.
Designer Gordon Murray, best known for his work on Formula One racing cars, detailed on Monday (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-07-2008/0004844105&EDATE=) a new city car design called the T.25 that is aimed at reducing congestion and lowering pollution.
The planned T.25 in green compared with (going left to right) a VW Golf, a Fiat 500, a Smart Car, and a Mini Cooper.
Compared even with existing compact cars, the T.25 will be small: it can be parked headlong against the curb, allowing three cars to fit in one parking space.
Gordon Murray Design is about halfway through its two-year planning process and plans to have a prototype on the road early next year.
To lower the car's carbon footprint, the company has rethought the cradle-to-grave lifecycle of the car. For example, many of the parts, including the capacity and body, can be recycled and the manufacturing process is being set up with a minimal number of parts to reduce energy use during fabrication.
The first versions of the car will run on either gas or diesel and get about 60 miles per gallon, the company told Greentech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/uk-designer-trots-out-mini-mini-car-1086.html).
No more driving around the block to wait for a space. Three T.25's fit in the space for one car.
The company intends to work with outside manufacturers to lower the cost and sell the car to city dwellers in Asia and Europe for between $10,000 and $11,000, it told Greentech Media.
Overall, the car should have low or zero emissions, the company says.
Compact cars are already more popular in Europe and Asia than in the U.S. Automakers have helped create demand for SUVs and trucks as passenger cars. But with rising fuel prices and growing environmental awareness (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9945899-54.html), city cars appear to be staging a comeback.
The Smart Car (http://www.smartusa.com/) is already cruising European and American streets. And Think Global from Norway intends to market its all-electric city car, called the Think City (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9924678-54.html), in Europe and the United States next year.
I personally have abandoned any idea of using fossil fuel car. I declared my 4x4 Dodge van non-operational for the next year (starting July 1), cancelled my car insurance. I bought a trailer for my road-bike, & am going car-less. Public transportation (bus or electric train to downtown Los Angeles) allows me to bring a bike on board. I just recently tried this hybrid mode of transportation, & was surprised at the beauty of this solution.
Heck, I don't even need a car PERIOD (gas guzzler, or electric for that matter)!! I haven't used my van for city travel in OVER A YEAR, I only used my 4x4 van for offroad jaunts to Baja offroad races or Nevada/Arizona offroad races (http://www.jumplive.com/TA/bitd1000day2/bitd1000day2.textamerica.com/indexdc94.html?r=2840451).
In a pinch, I can always rent a car.
Formula One design vet creating eco-smart city car | Green Tech - CNET News.com (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9984501-54.html?tag=nefd.pop)
The styles from Europe this year are decidedly green and small.
Designer Gordon Murray, best known for his work on Formula One racing cars, detailed on Monday (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-07-2008/0004844105&EDATE=) a new city car design called the T.25 that is aimed at reducing congestion and lowering pollution.
The planned T.25 in green compared with (going left to right) a VW Golf, a Fiat 500, a Smart Car, and a Mini Cooper.
Compared even with existing compact cars, the T.25 will be small: it can be parked headlong against the curb, allowing three cars to fit in one parking space.
Gordon Murray Design is about halfway through its two-year planning process and plans to have a prototype on the road early next year.
To lower the car's carbon footprint, the company has rethought the cradle-to-grave lifecycle of the car. For example, many of the parts, including the capacity and body, can be recycled and the manufacturing process is being set up with a minimal number of parts to reduce energy use during fabrication.
The first versions of the car will run on either gas or diesel and get about 60 miles per gallon, the company told Greentech Media (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/uk-designer-trots-out-mini-mini-car-1086.html).
No more driving around the block to wait for a space. Three T.25's fit in the space for one car.
The company intends to work with outside manufacturers to lower the cost and sell the car to city dwellers in Asia and Europe for between $10,000 and $11,000, it told Greentech Media.
Overall, the car should have low or zero emissions, the company says.
Compact cars are already more popular in Europe and Asia than in the U.S. Automakers have helped create demand for SUVs and trucks as passenger cars. But with rising fuel prices and growing environmental awareness (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9945899-54.html), city cars appear to be staging a comeback.
The Smart Car (http://www.smartusa.com/) is already cruising European and American streets. And Think Global from Norway intends to market its all-electric city car, called the Think City (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9924678-54.html), in Europe and the United States next year.
I personally have abandoned any idea of using fossil fuel car. I declared my 4x4 Dodge van non-operational for the next year (starting July 1), cancelled my car insurance. I bought a trailer for my road-bike, & am going car-less. Public transportation (bus or electric train to downtown Los Angeles) allows me to bring a bike on board. I just recently tried this hybrid mode of transportation, & was surprised at the beauty of this solution.
Heck, I don't even need a car PERIOD (gas guzzler, or electric for that matter)!! I haven't used my van for city travel in OVER A YEAR, I only used my 4x4 van for offroad jaunts to Baja offroad races or Nevada/Arizona offroad races (http://www.jumplive.com/TA/bitd1000day2/bitd1000day2.textamerica.com/indexdc94.html?r=2840451).
In a pinch, I can always rent a car.