The new Rinspeed Dock+Go Concept will be introduced at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Swiss company Rinspeed is convinced that this concept will put to rest the issue of range anxiety that has hounded sales of electric city cars. The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive-based concept comes with a detachable trailer axle dubbed as a ‘backpack on wheels’. This could accommodate a combustion engine or range extender and it could also have batteries or a fuel cell.
The rear wheels of the Fortwo are powered by this ‘backpack’. This could raise the otherwise limited range of the electric Fortwo. If a trip is short, the ‘backpack’ can be taken out and what’s left is the car’s standard all-electric range.
This charging range-extending system is referred to by Rinspeed’s creator Frank M Rinderknecht as a ‘vario-hybrid’. This trailer is available in different sizes and styles to fit a variety of purposes. Among those that Rinspeed included are a heated box for pizza delivery drivers and a mobile toolbox for craftsman. It can also be modified to store items like golf clubs or camping equipment.
