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Plug-in Pininfarina set to tackle Smart
Here's a cool new city car set to create a buzz! It's the electric-powered B0 – or B-Zero – and it's the work of legendary Italian style house Pininfarina.
A rival to the Mercedes-built Smart,
it is powered by an electric engine, and uses hi-tech batteries along with a bank of fast-charging supercapacitors supplied by French company Ballore.Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the four-door four-seater is tipped to start production as early as 2009, at Pininfarina's HQ in Turin. As well as its good looks, it offers a range of never before seen technologies, including lithium-metal-polymer (LMP) batteries which can be recharged in less than four hours from a standard household plug. They also boast a range of more than 150 miles – more than lithium-ion cells. Battery life will also be boosted by solar roof panels and an automatic gearbox.
Top speed will to be limited to 80 mph, while the B0 also gets an innovative crash protection system with a cabin built to sit within the car, independent of the bodyshell. Prices should start at £4,000.
We have to look at "the big picture." Our days of tunnel vision need to cease. Our nation better wake up and smell the coffee. With all our bail outs along with the 168 billion economic stimulus package, that btw did nothing for our economy it is hard to understand why our government can't see the need to bail us out of our dependence on foreign oil. The high cost of fuel this past year seriously damaged our economy and society. Meanwhile, while we are busy doing the Happy Dance around the lower prices at the pumps, OPEC is planning to cut production to drive prices back up to between 75-100. per barrel. Why don't we invest in America's Energy Independence. It would cost the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to charge and drive. The electricity used to charge the car could conceivably be generated by solar or wind. Why not invest some of these millions in getting some of these projects set up? Create clean cheap energy, badly needed new green collar jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What more of a win-win situation could there be? Now there is talk of another stimulus pkg. Don't get me wrong, if you hand me a check I will take it. I am broke from this past year myself. I just think we are going about this all wrong. I just read a fascinating book by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW. We need to look at the "big picture" This book Is the big picture. www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
Wilson also has a fascinating article on the Better Place Web Page called How Much Electricity Does It Take To Replace Gasoline. You can read it @ http://planet.betterplace.com/profiles/blogs/how-much-electricity-does-it