Photo: Uniti
They say one of the reasons the dinosaurs died was because they were so large, the brain impulses took forever to reach the other extremity of the body and signal the need to move the feet away from the fiery log.
A paleontologist would probably laugh at that idea, but even though it’s just a stupid myth, it makes for a very solid parallel with what’s happening at the moment in the automotive world, and particularly with the traditional carmakers.
All big companies react slowly to change, and most of those that make the cars we drive are downright huge. Porsche, for instance, might not seem like one of the largest manufacturers, but it can’t make decisions on its own. That’s because it’s part of the Volkswagen Group, which is a mammoth of a corporation.
It’s the same with smart. Based on its production output and logistics, Daimler’s tiny division could be a lot more flexible, but the problem lies with the decision makers. They’re not adepts of the risk-taking attitude, and change usually involves uncertainties. That’s why anything they do, they take baby steps.
Take the smart electric drive, for example. The company claimed the new smart models were designed from the off with the thought of electrification in mind, and yet their performances are almost abysmal. With a maximum range of 160 km (100 miles) – which is actually even worse in the real world – the smart EV doesn’t really make the cut, even as an urban commuter.
Sure, an urbanite won’t probably need more miles for their daily commute, but this is where the price comes in. A smart fortwo electric is way over €20,000, making it a bit too expensive for a very limited city runner. Spec one to the brim and you’ll get very close to €30,000, which is dangerously close to Nissan LEAF territory.
The Uniti One, on the other hand, uses a different recipe. The diminutive EV is built from the ground up, and it shows. The Swedes raised over €1 million from crowdsourcing last year to build a prototype, and have now shown the production model at their facility in Landskrona.
Like the smart fortwo, the One is a two-seater, but that’s where the similarities end. The driver and passenger sit in tandem, giving the vehicle an egg-like shape and making it considerably narrower than the Daimler. That means better aerodynamics and better traffic-dodging skills.
On the inside, the Uniti looks very futuristic, and that’s mostly down to its controllers. It features a large display smack in the middle, flanked by two handles that look like they were stripped off a small airplane. We’re not exactly crazy about any car that comes without a steering wheel, but we’ll have to wait and see how the Uniti One manages to deal with it.
Performance-wise, it’s all good news. It gets a maximum range of 300 km (186 miles), but since we’re talking NEDC, it’ll more like 200 and something miles in the real world. However, that’s still twice as much as the smart fortwo electric drive.
It’ll also do 0-80 km/h (0-50 mph) in 3.5 seconds, which is quite nippy, and also go all the way to 130 km/h (80 mph), making it highway-proof if somebody’s commute includes a short segment of the express road. Uniti also says it should replenish 200 km (124 miles) worth of its battery in just 30 minutes, meaning long(ish)-distance travel is not out of the question (as long as you don’t need too much luggage.
But if all this hasn’t convinced you, here’s the best part: Uniti plans to release the One with a price of under €20,000 (about $23,400). Add the incentive that most European governments offer for new EVs and this could genuinely become the first truly affordable battery-powered car, albeit with some limitations. Production is planned for 2019, so there’s not that much to wait either.
(the video starts just after the hour mark)
All big companies react slowly to change, and most of those that make the cars we drive are downright huge. Porsche, for instance, might not seem like one of the largest manufacturers, but it can’t make decisions on its own. That’s because it’s part of the Volkswagen Group, which is a mammoth of a corporation.
It’s the same with smart. Based on its production output and logistics, Daimler’s tiny division could be a lot more flexible, but the problem lies with the decision makers. They’re not adepts of the risk-taking attitude, and change usually involves uncertainties. That’s why anything they do, they take baby steps.
Take the smart electric drive, for example. The company claimed the new smart models were designed from the off with the thought of electrification in mind, and yet their performances are almost abysmal. With a maximum range of 160 km (100 miles) – which is actually even worse in the real world – the smart EV doesn’t really make the cut, even as an urban commuter.
Sure, an urbanite won’t probably need more miles for their daily commute, but this is where the price comes in. A smart fortwo electric is way over €20,000, making it a bit too expensive for a very limited city runner. Spec one to the brim and you’ll get very close to €30,000, which is dangerously close to Nissan LEAF territory.
The Uniti One, on the other hand, uses a different recipe. The diminutive EV is built from the ground up, and it shows. The Swedes raised over €1 million from crowdsourcing last year to build a prototype, and have now shown the production model at their facility in Landskrona.
Like the smart fortwo, the One is a two-seater, but that’s where the similarities end. The driver and passenger sit in tandem, giving the vehicle an egg-like shape and making it considerably narrower than the Daimler. That means better aerodynamics and better traffic-dodging skills.
On the inside, the Uniti looks very futuristic, and that’s mostly down to its controllers. It features a large display smack in the middle, flanked by two handles that look like they were stripped off a small airplane. We’re not exactly crazy about any car that comes without a steering wheel, but we’ll have to wait and see how the Uniti One manages to deal with it.
Performance-wise, it’s all good news. It gets a maximum range of 300 km (186 miles), but since we’re talking NEDC, it’ll more like 200 and something miles in the real world. However, that’s still twice as much as the smart fortwo electric drive.
It’ll also do 0-80 km/h (0-50 mph) in 3.5 seconds, which is quite nippy, and also go all the way to 130 km/h (80 mph), making it highway-proof if somebody’s commute includes a short segment of the express road. Uniti also says it should replenish 200 km (124 miles) worth of its battery in just 30 minutes, meaning long(ish)-distance travel is not out of the question (as long as you don’t need too much luggage.
But if all this hasn’t convinced you, here’s the best part: Uniti plans to release the One with a price of under €20,000 (about $23,400). Add the incentive that most European governments offer for new EVs and this could genuinely become the first truly affordable battery-powered car, albeit with some limitations. Production is planned for 2019, so there’s not that much to wait either.
(the video starts just after the hour mark)
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