By The Way...

Sunday, January 14, 2007
4:44:00 PM EST
Hearing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road -- Elton John


Last week I noted the new GM electric concept vehicle, the one that would would never have to put gas is in you drove less than 40 miles a day. This week, it's Ford's turn, with a hybrid that's a hybrid in more ways than one -- not just a gas-electric hybrid, but a hybrid between Ford and RV kings Airstream:

This totally tricked-out vehicle concept is powered by a HySeries Drive powertrain (a version of this is also in the Edge prototype that will be unveiled later this month in D.C.). The HySeries Drive is battery-powered, with plug-in capability and has a hydrogen fuel cell as an on-board charger. Ford estimates a combined city/highway gasoline equivalent fuel economy rating of 41 mpg. On all-electric power, the Airstream concept can go 25 miles. Add some hydrogen (ahh, if only it were so easy), and you can go another 280 miles. The fuel cell, made by Ballard, turns on automatically when the battery charge dips below 40 percent. With the on-board charger (110/220 VAC), the battery pack can be refilled at home. Ford says the HySeries Drive is 50 percent smaller and less complex than conventional fuel cell system and should have more than double the lifetime.

The Airstream concept is full of high-tech gadgets, like a 360-degree screen that come down from the ceiling and is viewable from all the seats in the car. Ford says, "Passengers can use the screen to watch DVDs, view the feed from the special camera that's custom-made for the concept vehicle and play vintage video games. Also, the 360-degree screen helps create different moods with ambient settings including a modern lava lamp, virtual fire and ice crystals."

I like everything about this particular concept vehicle except the fact it's all done up in chrome, which means that in the real world it would be likely to blind the hell out of everyone else on the road. And that's not very nice. Otherwise? Sweet. It's like the perfect "I've decided that me and the cat are going to live life on the road, man" vehicle. Sign me up!

Your thoughts?


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This entry has 5 comments: (Add your own)

• #5 Comment from laurewoods 
  2/20/07 9:40 PM | Permalink

  wow a vehicle that really impress  me..It would surely make a big market as soon as there would be enough production for those who want to own one...i would love to have it..and even like it if it has <a href="http://www.coldairintakedirect.com/brands/dc-sports.html" title="DC Sports Cold Air Intake">DC Sports Cold Air Intake</a>. Its worth the price. Quality tested.
• #4 Comment from boomersic 
  1/16/07 3:43 PM | Permalink

  i like this car....
  
  i can definitly see people relaxing watching the cool visuals and chilling at the beach or a tailgaiting event.  i just found out at  www.vjworld.com you can view the various Lava and Fire this Airstream displays.  Ford did a cool job bringing ambience in their veicles.
• #3 Comment from lurkynat 
  1/15/07 4:51 PM | Permalink

  Wow John! Psst! Bea and Caroline: what is an on board charger????
  It looks and sounds out of this world John!
  hugs,natalie
• #2 Comment from princesssaurora 
  1/15/07 1:09 AM | Permalink

  Ack... my EYES!!!
  
  be well,
  Dawn
  http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/
• #1 Comment from gifdude 
  1/14/07 9:40 PM | Permalink

  It looks like what the Terminator would drive in IMHO. Lol