Commercial Vehicle Show 2012, Birmingham

Today for the first time I visited a commercial vehicle show, Birmingham Commercial Vehicle Show 2012. Similar to passenger vehicle show, they were many new technologies and new vehicles, however I don’t have adequate knowledge to compare or judge the vehicles like I do it with passenger vehicles.

Commercial vehicles are totally different, even their marketing is different. People never buy a commercial vehicle because they want one, they buy it because they need one! This is the difference between passenger vehicle and commercial vehicles, wants and needs!

So, before the show finishes I highly suggest you to visit it. Because, you will see the new gorgeous Mercedes-Benz Actros, E-Vito (Electric powered), Unimog. Also, Citroën has a great show and one of the best stand in CV Show! You should see it. Ford revealed the new Tourneo and Transit, also they have a 3.2-lt diesel Ranger pick-up. Peugeot also features an electric vehicle. MAN features only two tow trucks but you can see how a diesel engine looks like from inside. Lastly, you can play a remote control LGV model and try to park in reverse! And there are lots of many industrial products that I am not interested at all. And some models!

Still, worth a visit :) It will be open until Thursday from 08:30 to 17:30

For more information: http://www.cvshow.com/webcontent/

For more photos: Cars & Life Facebook Page

Car of the Day # 26 Alfa Romeo Spider Matte

Some people don't like it, some people love it! That's that matte paint. I liked it with the Alfa Romeo Spider.

An electric car in 1899, is it real ?

Actually I wasn’t planning to write for today but ideas kept coming to my mind!

Recently Charlie Chaplin’s one of the movie turn into a global phenomenon for time travel. A lady is passing in front of the camera and she is holding something to her ear and seems like she is talking with that thing. Interestingly this video revealed just couple of weeks ago, since 1920s nobody ever noticed this fact. I don’t wish to talk about the possibility of time travel but I would like to warn for a similar situation.

Nowadays electric cars promoted as something “new” and many people think that they are new technology. Actually they are not! It is a really old technology older than the mobile phone in Chaplin’s movie. In 1899 Ferdinand Porsche produced the first hybrid vehicle on earth. The wheel were the engine, there is no transmission. And it was producing around seven horse powers in 1899! Also it was four wheel drive!

The system is very basic; wheels are the engines, energy comes from battery and battery is charged by petrol engine. Very simple and effective technology. Interesting the Audi A1 e-tron uses the same technology platform. 110 years has passed and this car is not available yet!

If one day a video appears in YouTube and tells, there is a time traveller in Ferdinand Porsche’s video, don’t believe it. We just forgot what have done in 110 years ago!

Note: Toyota Pruis uses a different system, petrol engine can engage with during the drive and also acts as a generator. Ferdinand’s Porsche concept excludes petrol engine from the drive train.

Pictures', Video Copyrights
Charlie Chaplin, Porsche