Swiss-based concept car specialist Rinspeed has provided details and latest pictures of its UC? electric car, which is set to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
The tiny two-seater is powered by an electric motor and is aptly named “UC?”, which stands for “Urban Commuter”. The little speedster measures less than 2.60 meters in length and is intended to help avoid gridlock in the inner cities.
It has a range of 74.6 miles (120km) and a top speed of 68.4 mph (110km/h). The vehicle is controlled by a joystick and delivers 130 Newton meters of torque.
“It’s a new and highly emotional web-based car that interweaves individual and public transport in an intelligent way,” said Rinspeed boss Frank Rinderknecht.
The goal is to create a new mobility concept that integrates individual car ownership and public transportation. A transverse loading system using custom railcars allows loading and unloading of numerous “UC?” vehicles simultaneously and in a very short time.
The lithium-ion batteries come from Li-Tec-Battery in Germany, a joint venture of Evonik and Daimler AG. The efficient and reliable on-board charger is supplied by specialist Absaar; the external stationary charger comes from ABB Sécheron. A beautiful crystal ‘tank lid’ from Swarovski covers the necessary 230-volt plug. A stylized laser-cut coil filament embedded in the crystal lid serves as a battery charge indicator: red=empty, orange=half charged, green=fully charged. Rinspeed wants to change the electric drive’s image: The “E” signifying the electric drive isn’t shamefully hidden but displayed openly and proudly: “Look here, I drive with electric power”.
According to Rinspeed, the UC? electric concept is production ready and is designed to be easily adapted and integrated by volume manufacturers. The design group even boasts that intensive talks with manufacturers are already well underway.
[Source: Rinspeed][wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
