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Last Updated: Mar 26th, 2006 - 13:41:45 |
Trial Golf Cart-Sized Auto May Ease Commuter Woes
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Nov 24, 2005, 23:35
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Trial Golf Cart-Sized Auto May Ease Commuter Woes
Date: Tuesday, September 16 @ 00:00:00 CDT
Topic: Technology
(NUI) - Commuter transportation woes in metropolitan areas may have little to do with factors such as the unavailability of railroads or spotty reliability of bus service. The big headache for many commuters is getting to the railroad station or bus terminal and, once there, finding a parking space.
According to Mechanical Engineering magazine, a new type of car produced by Ford Motor Co. could contribute to a solution. Featuring dimensions closer to a golf cart than a full-size passenger car, Ford's Think City vehicle occupies about 40 percent less parking space in commuter lots. That translates to greater parking lot capacity and reduced waiting time for harried commuters.
The Think City is a nonpolluting electric vehicle that is fueled by a nickel-cadmium battery. It has surprising power - the model earmarked for entry in the U.S. market sometime this year will achieve 65 mph. It is 9 feet 8 inches in length and 5 feet 2 inches in width. By comparison, the 2002 Buick Century is 16 feet 3 inches in length and a little more than 6 feet wide.
Currently, there are only 100 Think City vehicles on the road - in a New York City demonstration program called "Think Clean Commute." While transportation officials and some legislators are encouraged, economic and regulatory hurdles must be overcome before the Think City can proliferate on American highways. The cars would have to be equipped with passenger-side airbags and meet other U.S. safety regulations.
According to Mechanical Engineering, the plan to use electric vehicles to link commuters to mass transportation centers is novel if costly. Credits from railroads along with substantial tax credits from both the state and federal governments will be necessary before commuters embrace the program, says the magazine, which is published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Think City vehicles now cost about $30,000, but according to Ford, a major cost reduction redesign could lower the retail price of the car to about $20,000.
The limitation of the battery also is a concern. While nickel-cadmium batteries are more robust than their lead-acid counterparts and provide a 50-mile range between recharges, Nicad cells require replacement in six to eight years, with an average cost of $5,000.
For more information about ASME and Mechanical Engineering magazine, visit www.asme.org.
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