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Rinspeed iChange photos

Our favorite Swiss automotive design house comes out with a new concept for the 2009 Geneva auto show. The iChange is electric powered and sports a different profile depending on whether it is carrying one or three people.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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Rinspeed, a Swiss automotive design and conversion company, has a history of presenting far-flung concepts at the Geneva auto show. This year the company doesn't disappoint, offering up a car that can change its shape based on whether it will be used as a one or three seater.
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As an electric vehicle, the iChange needs to be light. Using composite materials for the body, the total weight for the concept is 1,050 kilograms, or about 2,315 pounds.
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Lacking doors, the canopy of the iChange opens up, allowing passengers to get in and out. The sides of the concept are low, so passengers can easily step in.
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In one seater configuration, the canopy sits at its lowest position in the back, making for less aerodynamic drag and optimal performance.
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If you have to carry passengers, the rear of the canopy can be set at a higher position with the push of a button, making the rear seats useful, but increasing drag.
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According to Rinspeed, the car can get to 62 mph in just a little more than four seconds with its 150 kilowatt lithium ion power pack. Top speed is 137 mph.
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Being an electric car, the controls are relatively simple, although its electric motor gets power to the wheels through a six-speed manual transmission sourced from Subaru.
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The instrument display shows a speedometer, with a battery level indicator at the center. Harmon Kardon provided the audio and navigation system for the car. This picture also indicates you can get Internet radio station Pandora.
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Instead of using a key with the iChange, you use an iPhone. Beyond merely starting the car, a custom iPhone application also controls things such as exterior lighting and signals.
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Rear seat passengers get the luxury of a screen for DVD or other video sources.

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