This is not where to park a rare $2 million Bugatti

Steven Hodson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:43:36 +0000

I don’t blame the driver for wanting to remain unnamed (person i the picture is the tow truck driver) after all blaming a low flying pelican for landing you in the swamp is pretty lame.

The Bugatti Veyron is one of 200 made and only one of about 15 in the United States. New models of the car – if you can get one – sell for about $2 million.

image courtesy of Chris Paschenko at Galveston Daily News

A turning point in electric car design

Steven Hodson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:41:22 +0000

When we think of automobiles we think of things like engines, powertrains, exhaust systems and a myriad of miscellaneous items that go into making up an automobile.

But what if that was to change?

What if we didn’t need all those different parts to make up those vehicle we drive?

Well we may just find out sooner than anyone might think especially if a partnership between Michelin, coachbuilder Heuliez and Freench telecommunication giant Orange can bring to market a radical new drive platform called Active Wheel Drive.

The graphic above is one of their test model called Heuliez Will; which is built on top of the Opel Agila frame and including the Active Wheel design. Part of the whole process stress the designers and builders was to be able to convey a comfortable familiarity but once you realize that there is empty storage space in both front and back you know something different is up.

With the Active Wheel design Michelin has dramatically shifted what our concept of what makes up a car. No longer do we need an engine as we are use to, no longer is there a powertrain we are use to. In short everything but the shell and interior changes. Not to mention all that new cargo space that was taken up by the motor.

The first Active Wheel vehicles are on the street now and with a target price of $27 to $34 thousand this puts them in the same prices range as the upcoming Chevy Volt. Heuliez plans on making the first production models available by 2010 for professional drivers, municipalities and fleets with availability for you and me by 2011.

[hat tip to Treehugger]

The Inquisitr » automobile

This is not where to park a rare $2 million Bugatti

A turning point in electric car design