“Dock+Go” is the name the Swiss has given to his mobility concept, which he will present March 8 through 18 at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The idea’s irresistible charm lies in the docking “backpacks on wheels.” These single-axle “packs” serve a variety of purposes depending on the requirements of the day. They also solve the much-discussed operating range problem of electric vehicles in a clever way. The ingenious twist: neither unneeded space nor superfluous weight is carried along if they are truly not needed.
Any electric city car could serve as the basis for “Dock+Go.” For demonstration purposes Rinspeed boss Rinderknecht turned his attention to the two-seated smart. A wide variety of “packs” turn the electric-powered mini car into the dream car of any pizza delivery driver – complete with an integrated heated box. For craftsmen there is a toolbox pack with well-organized spaces for every tool. And after the day’s work is done the shared or owned camping, golf, skiing, beach or party pack is docked to the rear of the mini-mobile.
Yes, this car truly saves the best for last: and in this case it is ample operating range when the 120 kilometers that are typically available just aren’t enough. An “energy pack” with a combustion engine or range extender, packed with batteries or powered by a fuel cell, provides the decisive added range for reaching more distant destinations. The equally simple and clever trick: the docked third axle drives the rotating second axle and thus recharges the on-board battery of the city car. And thus the first Vario-Hybrid, as Frank M. Rinderknecht refers to his range donor, is born. In the garage at home the batteries of the energy pack are recharged with solar power from the roof, making living and driving without any CO2 emissions a reality.
