Peapod meets the Governator, makes new friend [w/VDEO]
It appears that the Peapod has emerged unscathed from the recent turmoil of Chrysler's brush with bankruptcy. In fact, the little neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) with the big friendly (or evil, depending on your point of view) smile is now riding about the 35 mph-or-lower streets of California, where it is making lots of friends, including the governor of the state, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former Hummer owner has fallen, by his own admission, "... in love with it."
At a recently held press conference with the Governator and Chrysler's Chief Innovation Officer, Peter Arnell (and
Gallery: GEMs Peapod
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NeilBlanchard 9:01AM (6/14/2009)
Hi,
When I see "designs" like this car, I get the feeling that they are trying to undermine the legitimacy of electric cars. This thing redefines fugly...
I see no redeeming features, either -- no low drag aerodynamics, no innovative use of materials, no high efficiency drive train -- it doesn't seem to solve anything in a better way that any other toss off design...totally meh...and ugly to boot.
Sincerely, Neil
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Dave 9:32AM (6/14/2009)
At low speeds, weight is far more important than aerodynamics.
There is nothing wrong with the vehicle.
It just doesn't deserve the attention its getting. This is a vehicle for retired senior citizens to use within their gated communities. A recycled golf cart with a canopy would serve the purpose just as well.
Chris M 5:22PM (6/14/2009)
Oh, I don't know about that.
It's the perfect car for parents to give their teen drivers, as they can't get speeding tickets, can't "burn rubber", can't "spin donuts", can't pick up chicks, can't take it on a cross country road trip. Makes it very difficult to get into trouble.
And, of course, in typical Parent fashion, it totally embarrasses the kid!
GoodCheer 8:20PM (6/14/2009)
"no innovative use of materials, no high efficiency drive train"
Well, they did say it's made of 95% recycled material... while you may not say that's innovative, I would call it a really smart dicision for a vehicle with a low environmental footprint.
And it does have a high efficiency drive train... one of the highest on any road you'll see anywhere.
Tohe 9:17AM (6/14/2009)
Very odd couple.
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jharlan 9:43AM (6/14/2009)
Where do you put the golf clubs?
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RAN 12:40PM (6/14/2009)
From the look on Arnold's face, I don't think you want to know where the golf clubs go... :-)
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tinman 1:06PM (6/14/2009)
Their website doesn't have a "contact us" link. My question would be for those of us who live in a 35 mph NEV state (currently 6 states), meaning we can actually drive 35 mph not 25, has it been engineered to be easily switched up to the higher speed of 35?
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Sean 2:05PM (6/14/2009)
As an owner of an NEV, the drive trains are usually built to be able to withstand 40-50MPH or higher sustained, for the MSV states and others looking at such legislation. It's usually just a matter of a firmware upgrade or turning a small knob or trim pot on the controller/inverter. (The latter is the case for the Zenn.)
Diffrunt 4:01PM (6/14/2009)
Great ergonomics! Would like to see more of this direction appearing in highway cars.
Can,t beat the Kiss Principle.
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eto 10:26AM (6/15/2009)
11 to 12 thousand dollars? Might as well get a Versa, Aveo, or Yaris. Something like this should cost less than the gasoline powered cars that are able to do more than just drive short trips. Chrysler's target audience must be people who want to purchase an EV as a second vehicle. Who would purchase this as their primary vehicle when the are other vehicles for the same price that can be used on regular roads and highways?
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