We just got an exclusive first look at the
Peapod from Chrysler's Global Eco Mobility unit. Like its cousin the
GEM, Peapod is a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, which means it's limited by law to 25 mph and can't go on the highways. Peapod gets about 30 miles on a charge, and adds in all the "car" goodies that GEM was lacking. The vehicle seats four in lightweight Arion-inspired seats, has suicide doors for easy entry, a windowed roof that can be removed for some open-air driving, and even a nice amount of trunk space. On the dash there's an iPod dock and the instruments panel is a colorful collection of informations. We couldn't drive it around just yet -- it was stuck in a building lobby -- but we'll get a shot at taking this onto the city streets shortly. The Peapod should hit the streets in October, for the quite dramatic estimated pricetag of around $12,000. That's a pretty penny for something that can't top 25 mph, but at least this thing is a lot more likely than the
P.U.M.A. to land in your driveway in the near future.
Update: We added some video, check it out after the break!
posted April 9th 2009 6:37PM
It's a golf cart... Though I've seen golf carts that are faster.
But does your golf cart have an iPod dock? /sarcasm
Does the guy showing the car remind you a little of Gil Gunderson from the Simpsons? (the nervous salesman who just this season beat Lisa in a crossword puzzle tournament).
The guy showing off the Peapod is Peter E. Arnell (the PEA in Peapod), and is also the guy behind the new Pepsi logo and the short lived Tropicana redesign.
why wouldn't I just get a golf cart? This thing is way overpriced!
Only difference is this thing is street legal and golf carts aren't.
Oh yeah, and this is way overpriced.
Not exactly street legal; only in low-speed neighborhoods. This would qualify as a Low Speed Electric Vehicle (LSEV), which is a vehicle class exempt from crash testing standards, and is therefore limited to certain streets.
As for the price, how else is Chrysler going to pay back their government loans? /sarcasm
i don't think i can fully express how much i don't want to buy this.
A MEN BROTHER
Yes, brothers are typically men.
haha. exactly. Don't even want to think about someone crashing into you inside that car....ugh ugly...
Isn't Peapod that delivery system supermarket like Stop&Shop uses?
$12,000!?
I can buy a darn good used car off of Craigslist for a third of that!
Fuck you, Chrysler! MF'ing government-run asshats!
Pffft... you can buy a very basic model of Yaris for $12000 brand new
This will have a market never the less, as it is a cheap inner-city EV.
Not sure if that will hold 4 Americans... Definitely not 4 Mid-Western Americans...
Let me guess, it's running a f'in Intel Atom processor?!
this is why electric cars have a bad reputation, it really is
$12000, yet I can outrun it on a bicycle? Next!!!
25mph is pretty quick on a bicycle. I can burst for a 25mph speed, but I can mantain about 20mph for long period. And I consider myself in shape. I guess with the wind behind you, it's doable.
But really, yeah, it's a piece of shit... Realistically speed limits in the city are 40mph, driving at 25mph is dangerous and will piss everyone off. Any transportation needs to be able to go at least 50mph in order for it to be useable/considered for/by general public.
25mph... If you want your family to go green, ride bicycles. You can go just as fast and save your $12k.
Where are the bicycles made and how are they brought to you? What materials are used, how are they extracted and transported?
There's no such thing as green. End.
So basically you are saying...
Don't go green... Go Amish?
i can understand that argument for the PUMA but this thing can seat four and carry a decent amount of cargo, so it's not exactly the same thing as a bike.
@fanman, where does the $12,000 come from? What carbon emissions were generated in earning that surplus cash? At least bikes are the lesser evil and far better for the user.
is that an egg on wheels?
Unless you plan on circling your local elementary school, 25mph is way too slow. Even if you're going to limit it to non-highway use it should do at least 45mph.
I agree with the bicycle alternative. Just imagine a tandem bike built for 4. What could be more fun?
The limit is by law, not necessarily the motor. It shouldn't be too hard to make it go a little faster but then it'll be illegal on the streets.
Jesus H Christ, that is one ugly wagon...
FAIL.
It's like they want us to hate electric vehicles.
I think if the PUMA were closer to its finished design, it would compare more favorably. Smaller, faster, greater range, better maneuverability, and (probably) a lower price tag. The PUMA doesn't seat 4, but you really don't want to put 4 people in one of these things anyway, your mileage will reduce by 40%. It will have an optional enclosed cabin and creature comforts like heat and A/C.
The thing that many of you don't seem to understand about these types of vehicles is that they are intended for a very specific niche. If you don't fall into that niche, then you can't see the application or value of these things. For those of us with short commutes, a vehicle that can go 20-40 miles on a charge and hold a reasonable amount of stuff can function as a second car. Right now, with as much as I save on gas and wear and tear on my Tahoe, my Segway will pay for itself in 18 months.
PS: Bicycles aren't always practical and not everyone can ride one, such as people with physical limitations.
Electric motorcycles and dirtbikes are the only affordable AND reasonable electric vehicles out so far. Like srsly, once I exit my small neighborhood its 45mph+. Just turn in into a go-cart, cheapen it up, and give it to the kids.
A/C?
If not it's a plastic death-box around here.
No wonder you're going bankrupt Chrysler! This thing screams death trap...especially at 25 mph. You can't get out of the way fast enough when big rig red necks start gunning for your slow ass. When you build a total crap vehicle like this that LOOKS like a urinal and is named PEE POD (oh excuse me, Pea Pod) ;) don't act too surprised if it shows up on some late night comedy special skit with a lot of dogs sniffing it and pissing all over it...
Look at those seats! Uh, hello lawn chair!
You know Chrysler, I had hope for you and was hoping for you to rebound out of the economic slowdown. At least you usually had more style in your designs than GM...but pull your head out of your ass on this one...you'll need every dollar of that bail out and this is a total waste of resources. Fire the engineers responsible for this mess!
Someone else already said it, but I just have to upsize it for emphasis: SUPER EPIC FUCKING FAIL!
that guy does NOT sound excited about his own company's product at all
All of these from the Smart Cars to junk like this make no sense to me. In 2005 I bought an '06 Scion Xa for $13k straight off the car carrier. I get 32-38MPG mixed driving, even more if I drive more consciously. It is a 4-door vehicle, with a Yakima rack it carries two 11' kayaks and tons of gear inside for two. It's light, handles well, and has virtually no maintenance in 65,000 miles.
It isn't flashy or luxurious, but neither are these things. Easily I can beat the TCO of even most hybrids over 10 years, the only reason for this trash is the "look at me" factor I'm so eco. Ugh. Toyota screwed up and made their Scions less efficient, THAT is the place for Chrysler/GM/whoever to step in not with this.
its really weird.. but the car looks like the guy talking about it.
Yeah I think they were both high. I'm mean the car and the salesman.
Smiley face makes me have to say it. I'm sorry. There I apologized in advance.
Give Peas a Chance.
Why nut-job ad execs shouldn't design cars. Will this get canned as fast as his Tropicana brand fiasco? Can't wait to see.
I dunno, I can see something like this taking off in rural areas. The last time I was out in the bush in Alaska, the locals spent their days cruising the 15 miles of dirt roads in big pickups. I think gas was something like $8/gallon at the time. Something like this could reduce the amount a family pays for gas, so they could spend more money on food.
Yeah because americans need to eat more food.
Dude, I drive a Chrysler (Jeep), but Chrysler should fail just for this idiotic project. What a waste of money to work with Mr. "$30 Million Tropicana Redesign", that saw sales decline 20% in 2 months and had to be changed back.
This man is finally certifiable.
My Honda Ruckus can hit 49mph after spending about an extra $1k on it, i know it's only for one passenger, but I get 90MPG, and I can ride it pretty much everywhere and I don't need a license, all for the awesome price of $3500 after all the parts i got for it. Take that Chrysler.
Why?
Where on Earth can you GO if it can only do 25MPH? --even if I DID use it for neighborhood commuting... I would be traveling between more than just my own immediate streets...and to reach the next neighborhood, I would have to hit at least more than a few 45 MPH zones to get there... a vehicle that seats 4...CHECK-- my 3 passengers simply walking next door instead of checking out my sweet new ride? ...CHECK.
A small vehicle like this can only be practical if you can at LEAST maintain 45-50 MPH comfort zone... keeping it off the highway is something that I can live with... limiting myself to LOCAL roads, I can live with ( for a small extra vehicle ) -- but limiting it to 25 MPH is simply offensive. --and the price just rubs it in. For this, I'll just get a TATA NANO and call it a day.
Electric bikes go as fast and no pedaling!
Arnell designed an ugly, pointless car.
The fellow who got the Scion has the right idea.
Does anybody here actually work in their neighborhood? What is this useful for? Am I the only one that sees a golf cart with doors?