Opel Flextreme

From WikiCover

On September 10, 2007, Segway and General Motors Europe announced a design collaboration resulting in a comprehensive solution for eco-friendly mobility -- the Opel Flextreme concept car with integrated Segway Personal Transporters (PTs). The Flextreme is built on GM's global E-Flex electric drive architecture and is the first functional automotive concept that integrates an onboard storage and charging system for two Segway PTs.

The two Segway PTs housed in the concept's FlexLoad cargo space operate on the same balancing technology used in the well-known personal transporters available today. Using Segway Smart Motion -- a unique combination of sensors, propulsion and intelligence -- the Segway PT balances in place and moves in response to the way the rider moves his or her body forward, backward, left or right.

Special adjustments have been made to the Segway PT prototypes for easy loading and unloading into the Flex-Load cargo space. The tire diameter and track width were optimized to fit inside the Opel vehicle and the prototypes have a unique exterior design to match the look and feel of the Flextreme, making them a cohesive part of this integrated transportation solution. Most notably, these Segway PT units have retractable handlebars that allow for more compact storage. Built into the Flex-Load cargo area are ramps used to load and unload the Segway PTs. The Segway PT units attach to a docking station inside the cargo space where they recharge while the Flextreme batteries charge.

The Opel Flextreme uses GM's E-Flex architecture and represents the company's strategy to develop vehicles that reduce CO2 emissions and the automobile's dependency on oil, thereby supporting global diversification of the energy mix. This also includes using the mains electricity network as an energy source. At the concept's heart is an electric motor that takes its power from a large lithium-ion battery. The difference to conventional hybrid propulsion systems is that the E-Flex system’s 1.3-liter diesel engine is not connected to the wheels. It is purely on board to produce additional electricity to charge the battery and provide a greater operating range. It always operates in the optimum rpm range and its cylinder pressure-based closed loop technology controls the combustion process, further reducing the vehicle's emissions.

With a fully charged battery, the Flextreme has an operating range of 55 kilometers when running purely on electrical power, and only requires a standard 220 V mains socket to recharge the battery in around three hours. Commuters in Europe have an average commute of less than 50 kilometers, so if they were to charge the car up overnight and during the day, they could drive over 100 km each day without producing any CO2 emissions.

Like the Opel Flextreme, the Segway PT is electrically powered and does not produce emissions during operation. Powered by two lithium-ion batteries, the Segway PT typically takes eight to ten hours to charge at a 110/220 volt outlet and consumes about one kilowatt hour of energy while recharging.

Considering a rider can travel up to 24 miles on one battery charge the Segway PT consumes .033 kilowatt hours per kilometer on average. The production of 33 watt-hours of electricity creates 23 grams of carbon dioxide -- that is 70 to 80 percent less than the emissions created by other individual transportation devices such as gas-powered scooters or motorcycles, respectively. Moreover, the Segway PT is four to five times more energy efficient than a motorcycle or scooter.

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