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Posts with tag electric vehicle

Chrysler's Peapod EV lets iPod double as ignition key

That unassuming iPod dock we saw in Chrysler GEM's Peapod prototype? Turns out it's got a pretty interesting little trick, allowing your iPhone / iPod double as the ignition key. According to the EV's brochure, the company's got an app that makes all the magic work, and if you wish to start your car in an old-school manner, keys are still a viable option. Sure, it's not the first example of car-phone integration we've come across, it's a welcome addition to the oddly-shaped neighborhood whip that's going beyond concept phase into production this October.

Rinspeed's iChange EV is an iPhone-integrated shape shifter

While not nearly as outrageous as its sQuba submarine car, Rinspeed's shape-shifting iChange all-electric concept car, debuting at this year's Geneva Motor Show, has more than its fair share of eccentricities. As the name not so gracefully suggests, it sports iPhone integration that lets you dock the mobile and control the headlights and turn signals, among other functions -- no steering capabilities, unfortunately. The phone can also adjust the height of the bubble roof to make room for two passengers in the back. Left to its own devices, the bubble adjusts dynamically to maximize fuel efficiency. As for the specs, it's got a 150 kilowatt motor, top speed of about 137MPH, solar panel roofing to power the A/C, a Harman/Kardon infotainment system with GPS navigation, goes 0 to 62MPH in under four seconds, and is all powered by lithium ion batteries available in two different stack configurations optimized for short and long trips, respectively. See it for yourself in the video after the break -- soundtrack not included, so be sure to add your own techno beats.

[Via The College Driver]




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