Mygreenwheels

Next year's Geneva Motor Show will see the unveiling of yet another compact electric commuter car, but this one's got an unusual approach to solving the range problem. If you want to travel further in it than its 75 mile range will allow, you can drive Rinspeed's UC? (the question mark is part of the name - blame their marketing department) straight onto a train for intercity travel. In Europe where most trains are electric the idea is that you might even be able to plug the car in during the journey.

Rinspeed's UC, electric urban commuter carIn their press release Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht says: "UC? - it's a new and highly emotional web-based car world that interweaves individual and public transport in an intelligent way. We want to create a community of people who are open for a new definition of mobility."

Well, that sounds very commendable, but then the release refers to it as a lightweight 'lovebug' ... Steady on, chaps! Just because it has a joystick instead of a steering wheel there's no need for that sort of language.

Considering that this is from the company that produced the amphibious sQuba, the shape-shifting iChange and transparent eXasis, the UC? seems a bit tame. But there might be a good reason for that.

Rinspeed looks for other manufacturers to make its designs and most of them have been way too esoteric to be built for sale. With this one they've maybe had a bit of a reality check, so with the UC? they're claiming that talks have begun with volume manufacturers.

The only feature that would get this car a headline is the fact that it goes on a train and in my view that's not a huge benefit. OK, at 98.4 inches long it's shorter than a Smart ForTwo and can park end-on, but so are lots of commuter EVs. Need to do better, guys, and no points to you for such gratuitous use of the question mark.