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posted by Fnord666 on Thursday January 05 2017, @10:27AM   Printer-friendly
from the even-your-car-is-connected dept.

Chrysler is betting millennials will want to be as connected in their cars as they are at home with a new concept car that mixes high-tech gadgetry with a head-turning design.

The Portal concept was unveiled on Tuesday at CES in Las Vegas as Chrysler's proposal to the millennial generation and is designed to be a comfortable "third space" for a generation that is just as much at home in a coffee shop as they are at home or work.

[...] On the tech side, the Portal hits all the right notes when it comes to the current crop of concept vehicles: A large sweeping digital dashboard with many of the internal surfaces doubling as flat screens, and internet connectivity throughout.

There are an impressive 10 gadget docks so the six passengers will never be fighting over who gets to charge their device, and Chrysler said speakers direct audio to each seating zone so it's possible to each listen to their own music.

[...] The Portal is a battery electric vehicle with a 250 mile range, and supports fast-charging that can deliver a 150-mile charge in 20 minutes.

Setting aside its intended market, the car has good features that would appeal to a lot of customers.

[One thing to note is that this is a concept car, not intended for production - Fnord666]


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  • (Score: 2) by Unixnut on Thursday January 05 2017, @09:16PM

    by Unixnut (5779) on Thursday January 05 2017, @09:16PM (#449936)

    That is one definite solution, however it will require all EVs to standardise on a particular battery pack size (or sizes, as I suspect supercars will have different power needs to city EVs). Then having the distribution and storage to sustain all differing battery packs, and the grid infrastructure to charge it all. I think it is impractical, considering the amount of batteries you would have to store and charge in certain areas. As the energy storage is less dense than liquid fuels, you will need a lot more real estate for equivalent fueling abilities. This is especially problematic in cities and dense urban environments, where there are a lot of cars per square mile, and real estate is very expensive, and you are competing for space with fueling stations for ICE vechicles. Additionally the lower range of EVs means you will need more charging stations than equivalent fuel stations for an area to be able to keep people moving.

    Also, how would the cost be charged? Would you have to buy a battery pack? Will your empty battery pack offset the cost? How would you judge the value of the battery you are trading in? What if your current battery pack is newer (or stores more charge) than the second hand one you are getting? Unlike liquid fuels, where you are just paying for the energy. Here you are paying for the energy, and the container it comes in, which can be differing states of wear and ability to retain energy.

    From what I can see, the downsides to EVs are in the battery. Like I think I mentioned before, if we just stuck to some sort of liquid fuel, I think the transition would be easier, with the bonus that if we use Ethanol, or Butanol or Methanol, old ICE cars can also still be used, and they can share existing infrastructure quite happily, reducing outlaying costs and allowing even older machines to convert to a carbon neutral cycle.

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