Just had to post this photo because it is so cool. It’s an electric smart car charging up on the street in Hamburg. I’ve never seen one before and it was uber impressive (appropriate that uber a German adjective 🙂 ) so I snapped it with my trusty SGS3 so that I could show it to y’all. Quite dinky as well. Wouldn’t have one meself mind you as I’d struggle to get the golf clubs in but it clearly suits someone.
That’s all folks.
9 replies on “Electric smart car in Hamburg”
There’s one gadget that would benefit from wireless charging!
Also I’m sure the UK wouldn’t allow that cable hanging there also, bit of a trip hazard “This charing point is sponsored by claimsdirect.com! “
Two great points Hugo. Every drive through McDonalds could have wireless chargers:) Also I completely agree with the comment re health and safety. Not at all like the efficient burgers of Ham to overlook that.
Now that you’ve mentioned it it is quite concerning but at this stage I have no solution. All I can say is what works for Hamburg doesn’t necessarily work for inner city London.
The sensible solution would be to have a
cdocking station that you could drive up to and slot your car in. A bit like a laptop docking station but different. Obv the world would have to standardise on a docking station format and there will always be a maveric car maker (the Apple of the automotive world) who thinks they know better than everyone else but that is mere detail.Local town car park has two bays, not seen anyone in them yet. But charging while shopping would get most people home again.
Wonder if AA vans have a fast charge option to get electric cars off hard shoulder and into next services – akin to them dropping a few litres of petrol into the tank for those that run out – and people do.
However it would make good YouTube clip showing someone getting out the car, and tripping over the (h&s yellow) cable, face-planting…
Or the reverse: the car thief literally caught and tied up by the cable then electrocuted!
Or Someone driving off with it plugged in, taking the charging machine with it with sparks flying, or to find out it has a REALLY REALLY long cable…
PS Tref what is a “cocking station” is this a new Trefor / Timico invention you may have just leaked….could you elaborate 😉
Ah thanks m’Lord. A cocking station is of course something completely different. It is a lamppost for the use of the local canine population. In Germany a cocking station has to be used under strict supervision and owners of the canines in question are often subjected to spot checks to see that their paperwork is in order. The license fee covers the cost of LAT testing (the German lamppost equivalent of PAT testing – a lamppost that is not fully registered as “safe to cock” can be lethal).
In the case of the particular comment referenced I have corrected the typographical error (for such was it) but left the original c with a strikethrough otherwise this latest comment would have been a little bewildering to readers late to the discussion.
Thanks again your worshipness for pointing out the error. We the general public are grateful that you were able to find the time to do so 🙂
Please note that the term cocking station is in no way associated with the other cock related phrase – cock a hoop of which I am unable to enlighten you of its origin.
I have seen these in London – there is some near my work on Charlotte St – i saw a Renault Twizy charging last week.
Magne Charge inductive charging was employed by several types of electric vehicles around 1998, but was discontinued. In 2009, Evatran, a subsidiary of MTC Transformers, formally began development of Plugless Power, an inductive charging system they claim is the world’s first hands-free, plugless, proximity charging system for Electric Vehicles.
In November 2011, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and Qualcomm announced a trial of 13 wireless charging points and 50 EVs in the Shoreditch area of London’s Tech City, due to be rolled out in early 2012.
HTH.
Per the OED :
cock a hoop / cock-a-hoop – to drink without stint Obs.
First use – 1529 in T. More’s Dialoge of Comfort ii