Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Check out the new Peapod


The future is here!!!!!

The Peapod is a product of Chrysler's ENVI design and engineering division. ENVI is a skunkworks style operation dedicated to electrically powered vehicles. The organization is said to operate semi-independently to facilitate moving quickly outside the normal corporate climate.

Clearly, the Peapod's design language is intended to look very futuristic. Its rounded teardrop form offers large expanses of tinted glass, including a large overhead glass roof panel. The body design maximizes interior space and has four high-back bucket seats with space saving mesh seatbacks. The dash area is a large elliptical shape with a center dock that can accommodate an iPod or iPhone.

The car is built on a 102 inch wheelbase with an overall length of 143.6 inches. It is 56.5 inches wide and 70.5 inches tall. For contrast, that's just two inches shorter in overall length than a MINI Cooper with a longer wheelbase. Its turning circle is 32 feet curb-to-curb. Base vehicle weight is estimated to be 1,290 pounds, and with a rated payload capacity of 910 pounds the maximum gross vehicle weight is 2,200 pounds. The Peapod is built on an aluminum spaceframe that's supported by dual A-arm front suspension with coil-over shocks and rack-and-pinion steering.

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