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StreetScooter: The $7000 Open-Source Modular Electric Vehicle

Posted by timothy on from the just-drive-the-rest-of-the-way-tomorrow dept.

bill_mcgonigle writes "A consortium of eighty companies and developers have developed the StreetScooter, a modular electric vehicle developed in a year using open-source methodologies. With a top speed of 74mph and an 80-mile range, the vehicle is expected to cost $7000 and be available in Germany in 2013."

17 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. StreetScooter by NFN_NLN · · Score: 2

    "StreetScooter", great name for a product... that isn't a scooter.
    Plus, there is no way a search for StreetScooter could return ambiguous results.

    http://vimeo.com/28929146

    1. Re:StreetScooter by Dahamma · · Score: 2

      It just goes to show you what open source methodologies get you so often... a well engineered product for a fraction of the price of competitors that has no clue how to market it to the customer so no one will ever use it. Sigh. I know everyone hates marketing and sales but they do in fact serve a purpose...

    2. Re:StreetScooter by EdgeCreeper · · Score: 2

      The name of the company was on the road, so to speak: StreetScooter (road roller)

      I know it is an artifact of Google Translate, but I like the name 'Road Roller'.

    3. Re:StreetScooter by Werkhaus · · Score: 2

      The US market needs a deadly-sounding, weaponish name to play properly to the customers insecurities.

      The Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust?

  2. Re:Well by MimeticLie · · Score: 2

    You do realize that despite the name, it's a car rather than a scooter, right? $7k is quite good; the closest competitor that comes to mind would be a Smart Car, and those start at $12k in the US.

  3. Re:not price-competitive by epte · · Score: 2

    Are you aware that the vehicle in TFA is more like a smart car than a scooter? This isn't a moped or a vespa we're talking about. See the picture here: http://streetscooter.eu/unternehmen-a-strategie/welches-fahrzeug-haben-wir-entwickelt.html

  4. If it's open source.... by epte · · Score: 2

    ... then where can I download the plans?

    If the source is not open, then is the methodology "open source"?

    1. Re:If it's open source.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      The methodology was open source in that every member of said community of developers were able to toss out ideas and do things instead of just "what do we need, we will do this and nothing else."

      Each of the collaborators on the project was organized into a lead engineering group (LEG), made up of the foremost experts in each of the vehicle’s components, including the exterior, powertrain and electronics.

      “Everyone is on par with each other. Everyone can bring in ideas to radically try whatever makes sense. The subject matter expert comes to the table and collaborates with the other LEGs,” said Kampker. “In case of a conflict that cannot be resolved, the issue is sent to the team of leaders in program management and it is resolved at that level.”

      The method that participants took to build the StreetScooter echoes the car’s design. It’s a modular vehicle, with parts that can be added, removed and reused depending on customer preference. Even the batteries are leased separately so that fleets don’t have to deal with maintenance. Kampker says that relying on the strengths of individual manufacturers to create their own modules doesn’t just maximize customizability, but also allows the StreetScooter to be built quickly and inexpensively.

      This car sounds like the wet dream of those folks that love to mix and match things to fit what they need. The word for it is on the tip of my tongue, but I'm not sure on it.

      A wet dream for them, a potential nightmare for mechanics.

  5. Pictures of the car by thomas089 · · Score: 2

    Here are pictures of the car: http://www.streetscooter.eu/news-und-info/bildarchiv.html

  6. Note to Nissan & Ford... by FSWKU · · Score: 2

    This car has range and performance similar to the Leaf and the upcoming Focus, yet will cost less than 1/5 what either of those overpriced toys go for, and also looks better. What's your excuse?


    (Sidenote, if I can get a tax credit of up to $7500 from Uncle Sam for purchasing an EV, does that mean I actually MAKE $500 to drive this thing? They'll probably cite the "up to" part and give me a whopping $20 for this, but I can dream, can't I?)

    --
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    1. Re:Note to Nissan & Ford... by Spazmania · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You're comparing vaporware to a real shipping product. What's YOUR excuse?

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      Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
    2. Re:Note to Nissan & Ford... by evilviper · · Score: 3, Informative

      This car has range and performance similar to the Leaf and the upcoming Focus, yet will cost less than 1/5 what either of those overpriced toys go for, and also looks better. What's your excuse?

      The Leaf seems to be reasonably priced. They're unable to meet demand as-is, and while they're turning a profit on the thing, it's not a cash cow by any means.

      The $7,000 price-tag of this toy seems to really only be materials cost of drive-train+frame&interior. The batteries are meant to be "leased" rather than purchased, so they're probably damn expensive, and just being excluded from the price. The Leaf's battery costs about $18,000 alone (according to the WSJ), about half the cost of the whole vehicle. And that doesn't count actual production and R&D costs. I'm betting once more plants come online, and the supply of Leafs increases, you could lease one for pretty close to the same price as this toy. Plus the Leaf is a 4-door, with cargo room, and all the modern safety features, and certification by the NHTSA.

      I wouldn't drive this tiny tin can of a death trap if they were giving it away... I'm not willing to risk driving on the California freeways without nice big crumple zones giving me a fighting chance... I'm sure it will have its use, but it certainly won't be competing with the Leaf for sales.

      (Sidenote, if I can get a tax credit of up to $7500 from Uncle Sam for purchasing an EV, does that mean I actually MAKE $500 to drive this thing?

      The US government isn't so idiotic as to hand out a fixed amount of cash for meeting some nebulous metric (ie. electric car). I don't know the specifics of the electric car tax credit, but I'm willing to bet it's a PERCENTAGE of the purchase price, which tops-out at 7500 (so they don't encourage purchasing an electric Hummer).

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  7. Summary - 2 seater electric car for short trips by Cato · · Score: 2

    Since the links in TFA were quite unhelpful: it's a small 2-seater electric car that's intended for short trips only. The $7000 gets you the car and there's an unspecified fee to lease the battery.

    Overview: http://green.autoblog.com/2011/10/31/crowd-sourced-streetscooter-electric-vehicle/

    Picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/think_on_tour/4194887078/in/photostream

  8. Re:import timeline by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Look at the smartcar, in Europe it sold NEW for the base model for $5500-6500US when it hit here it sold for $17,500 for the base model and it's gas mileage dropped drastically because they had to add "safety features" that are useless.

    The Smart car has stellar safety ratings all over europe, yet it was deemed "unsafe" in the USA and needed to be retrofitted with US safety equipment. Now it has to have the big engine in it ot move it, and Oh you cant have the Diesel engine that get's 80mpg.
      Hopefully someone will circumvent the retarded US auto laws and sell it as a "kit" so it does not have to meet ANY US safety or other laws and can be a home made car that fits under the "experimental" rules like they do iwth aircraft.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  9. Re:not price-competitive by BitZtream · · Score: 2

    Yes, in English, thats entirely accurate.

    Too bad they don't fucking speak English as a first language in Germany.

    So while you call it shitty marketing fail, I call you stupid ignorant American making comments without bothering to be informed with the information right in front of your face. People like you are an embarrassment to our country, please keep your mouth shut in public.

    --
    Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
  10. Re:import timeline by slart42 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Look at the smartcar, in Europe it sold NEW for the base model for $5500-6500US when it hit here it sold for $17,500 for the base model and it's gas mileage dropped drastically because they had to add "safety features" that are useless.

    Uhm. I'd be very surprised if you can get a new smart car in Europe for $5500-6500US. I just checked the web site, the list price in germany is 10190 EUR for the base model (= USD 14043).

  11. Re:import timeline by Anaerin · · Score: 2

    I do agree though, there is a larger weight/speed thing here in the states, we have have a lot of 55MPH 2 lane roads with only a stripe protecting people from a 110MPH closing speed offset head-on crashes. maybe the issue is our road system..

    And in Europe (Well, the UK at least) there are a lot of 70MPH 2-lane roads with only a paint stripe protecting people from 140MPH closing speed crashes. The Euro-spec Smart car does fantastically well at surviving a head-on crash, as ably demonstrated here. And bear in mind (as Mythbusters showed) with 2 vehicles colliding at 70MPH, the effective speed is 70MPH, not 140.

    US regulations have all kinds of stupid limitations, like having the headlights being fixed a certain distance from the road (Not allowing for adjustable height vehicles), very poorly designed lighting systems (made to dazzle oncoming drivers rather than illuminate the road), excessive large bumpers and so on. The smart was already one of the safest cars on the roads, scoring better in crash and safety tests than most other vehicles available in any class. The additions and alterations that were forced on Daimler by US regulations didn't help, merely hindered it's safety and the efficiency of the vehicle.