Johnson Controls rolls out re3 plug-in concept vehicle
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jan 15th 2009 7:20PM
posted Jan 15th 2009 7:20PM
You may not be seeing the car itself roll off an assembly line anytime soon, but Johnson Controls is hoping that some of parts in its new plug-in concept vehicle will eventually find their way into a few production vehicles. The car, dubbed the re3, made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show this week, and packs a whole slew of gadgetry, including an "extended cluster" with a 7-inch touchscreen, a seat-wing armrest and controller that moves some of the controls away from the dash, and a lithium-ion battery pack that makes use of "active cooling" and is able to be tucked in between the two front seats. Johnson Controls also says that the car makes use of renewable materials throughout and, supposedly, it can seat five people relatively comfortably. No word on any interest from automakers just yet, but you can get a closer look at it courtesy of Autoblog at the link below.
Awesome! Which is why it will never me made.
Looks like a Volvo C30. Which I happen to really like. Looks cool, don't know if I can agree with Mystic though. Someone is going to make this work eventually. With the amenities they are talking about, who knows? It's all part of the process.
Definitely won't be one of the borrowing Big 3 though I'll tell you that much.
I see a lot more Audi/VW influence than I do a Volvo one. Looks like a A3/Rabbit.
@required:
vw/audi on the outside but this was designed from the inside out, more like a volvo. I love vw, i own one, but the vw/audi were never generous in interior design.
Mos Def Volvo after seeing that dumb Twilight movie it looks just like the c30 with a little A3 roundness. But will never see one on the street next to either so I guess who cares huh!
Example:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://car-reviews.automobile.com/images/cars/ArtImages/54378/alt.jpg&imgrefurl=http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Volvo/picture/2006-volvo-c30-concept/1634/&usg=__6Td_07O_Bis2Q7Ox2lGWvLfqIpo=&h=408&w=544&sz=26&hl=en&start=56&um=1&tbnid=48lT8T9bTerDiM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvolvo%2Bc30%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
Looks pretty cool. Are there any pictures of the side with the doors? (I didn't see any on the autoblog site)
The interior interfaces look like the next step moving forwards from the Prius' setup. I wonder why car companies haven't tried this yet considering the Prius has been out for about 4 years now?
No doors. Energy-saving AC.
Umm...try 10 years
Clearly the left side of the car has doors... just all the pictures are of the right side.
And I meant the current Prius style not the first Echo-looking one.
it looks like a very good concept especially puttin the batteries in places that won't really need to be used like the trunk another good place would be under the seats add a few more in there and could probably add more to what the car can do
Gosh. Johnson Controls clean the toilets at my place of work. Who knew they were so diverse.......
They make most of the stuff in your car.
They also make things like Optima Batteries. Used to work for them. They do scientific research, staffing, building security, cars, whatever.
It definitely looks cool, but I'm not too sure about how safe it would be without doors...
Don't let the looks fool you - this is a very safe car. It has side-impact airbags that inflate the moment you sit down.
The oil industry will never, ever allow an electric vehicle of any kind. At least untill we get down to the last drop of oil.
I agree and find that the oil industry is practically synonymous with the auto industry. They're maniacally joined at the hip.
You didn't forget to put on your tin-foil hat did you? Never forget that Major League Baseball is always watching...
Enough with the concepts! I'm tired of concepts!. They shouldn't even release images/info on a product, if they have NO intent of mass-producing it.
Anybody can put a car-shaped shell on 4 wheels, and give a list of things that they want to do, but what the public wants is to be able to BUY them.
The auto (aka oil) industry would rather scrap them then let you buy them (ie: ev1).
The concept is just a dressed up KIA ceed
Looks like this is based off the Kia Cee'd hatchback, sold in Europe only.
The tailights look similar but the quality seems different.
Lithium Ion batteries seem so old-tech now that EESTOR has their quick-charge capacitors out. Get with the new era, Johnson!
No way in hell that seats more than two comfortably. Unless the two in the back don't have legs.
You're obviously never sat in an old Bug. Oh, wait. You said 'comfortably.' Nevermind. Just take out the front seats and I'll fit.
I'm 6'3", and i doubt i'd fit comfortably even in the front seats, let alone the back ones. Maybe if i took out the front seats and sat in the back... Police Academy anyone???
I'll just stick with the Chrysler 300C, i feel like a 5'6" person does in a Civic
"Seats five comfortably"
Three of which don't have legs.
ahh.. remember the ev1?
People in the back seat go cramp, cramp, cramp.
Or they're children.
I work with johnson controls everyday and I wouldnt trust anyone else to do the cooling of those batteries...... Nice looking concept....... Ill beleive it when it almost hits me when Im crossing the street.....
Can't wait for them to whip out the new Johnson...
That is unquestionably the perfect car for Lieutenant Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise) from Forrest Gump.