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City Car – Green Revolution
A clean car that you can stack like a shopping cart? That customizes everything from its color to the radio the instant you step in? That you can always find a parking space for? Too good to be true? Nope, it’s just one of the brilliant ideas coming to life at MIT’s Media Lab. Join host Lisa Van Pay, PhD (aka a scientist) as she explores exciting alternative energy research taking place around the country.
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On May 11th, 2011 at 2:56 pm Guy Said:
This is a great story!
I wish there would be a city that will adopt this idea and take it all the way.
As an EE graduate from the Technion in Israel – I would be happy to see Tel-Aviv take the initiative to try this project! I think that could be awesome of people would park their cars outside the city limits in big parking lots, and drive into the city only in these things. It will make the city so much more accessible and fun!
This initiative together with Better Place can be an awesome green revolution!
Hope this thing will work and soon!
On May 12th, 2011 at 5:17 pm Ira Sorkin Said:
I really like this one. The one problem that I can see is how
to get to the “stacks”. Would I drive my regular car and use
the stack as a park-and-ride option? I would rather have
these within easy walking distance from my house or business.
Will there be an option for carrying cargo? Will there be an
option for a passenger?
I would still need a normal family car to do most of the things
that would be necessary. This is why I do not have an all-electric
vehicle. Range and capacity. Right now I drive a 2006 Prius.
On May 12th, 2011 at 9:00 pm myna lee johnstone Said:
park and ride and use simple go carts and stepup innovative public transit is more useful and…less SELFISH
On May 12th, 2011 at 11:29 pm Milt Lee Said:
It was the first line of the video that set the tone for me – “I love to drive” – well yes, driving can be fun – never had any fun driving in a city, but there are places where it’s fun, but that really isn’t the issue. The issue is how to move thousands of folks cheaply, reliably, and in some degree of comfort. Of course the answer is not another car. It’s a proven technology that also uses electricity and has been around for 100 years – trams, street cars, trolleys and light rail.
Come on America! Take your next vacation in Europe – ride around a city in a relaxed and beautiful street car. You’ll never look back, and guess what – we don’t have to invent it!
On May 13th, 2011 at 1:48 am Joel Goldberg Said:
Now we’re talking!! My smart community senses are tingling from all these comments. Let’s take a look:
Guy – Good call! As a constantly evolving metropolis, Tel Aviv would be the perfect setting to implement a City Car system. Who knows? One day they could replace the mounds of motor scooters.
Ira – Storage capacity does represent a major drawback for City Car. What if the City Car transit system incorporated an optional storage feature? Imagine: a convertible sidecar for your stackable City Car.
Myna – Some welcome skepticism. In regards to public transit: couldn’t local governments one day inherit City Car systems, thus transforming them into public entities?
Milt – Interesting that you mention rail transportation. Didn’t a certain president of a certain 50-state constitutional republic promise to revamp the nation’s rotting railways? I agree–it’s time to put U.S. rail infrastructure under the microscope. Also, a European vacation sounds lovely. Do you mind footing the bill?
Way to go people!
Joel Goldberg
Planet Forward Intern
On May 13th, 2011 at 11:10 am Liviu Popa-Simil Said:
Great idea, but that is not enough, they need to go one step further.
The vehicle is indeed a nice TOY, but have some issues already described on the web site – that have to be considered in order to make the individual transportation of the future.
It is advisable the the people to own the cockpit – for bacterial safety reasons and only the rental system as today car rental to operate in the vehicle sharing system – It happens many times renting a car to get contaminated from the previous customers dejections (spit, skin, food (chewing-gum under the chair), etc) or attacked by aggressive detergents and sprays used for cleanup (aerosols, chemicals) giving rushes, itches, or simply by bacteria…
Other issues are also important.
See the book challenges of the future and it will reveal more.
Regards, and congratulations
On May 15th, 2011 at 12:09 am John Hindes Said:
Austin TX has this today, It’s called the car2go.com
I’ve used it for a year now, and it’s expanding it service area and number of cars.
I love the “Unit” Idea of steering, suspension and drive in one unit, when done right this gives you four wheel drive, traction control and radically improved turning abilities, oh, and MIT won the Urban Challenge, so the car should be autonomous as well.
A truly autonomous car would be crash prof, vary light and need less then 10 horse power, the result would be realized in mileage, such a car could easily get 300 mpg
On December 14th, 2011 at 7:20 pm Susanna, PF Web Maven Said:
Thank you for submitting this idea! I have featured it in my blog post on electric vehicles on the Huffington Post!
Here’s the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susanna-murley/5-ideas-to-chargeup-the-e_b_1149562.html