First Look at Peapod NEV Interior With Designer Peter Arnell
By John O'Dell April 13, 2009
Peapod Neighborhood Electric Vehicle is a spinoff from Chrysler's Global Electric Motorcars unit.
By Dale Buss, Contributor
These first photos of the inside of a production model of the new Peapod NEV, provided exclusively to Edmunds Green Car Advisor by designer Peter Arnell, reveal a strong harmony between the interior and exterior design as well as innovative features including an in-dash cell-phone storage cylinder that looks like an air vent at first glance.
Arnell, who will be introducing the Peapod first for customer reservations on Earth Day, April 22, and then launching sales in October, said he intends to redefine the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle segment with the first model that combines appealing design with features that optimize the practicality of the segment.
The completely battery-powered four-seater, with a maximum legal speed of 25 mph, will retail -- mainly via online sales -- for $12,500.
Arnell took Green Car Advisor on a photographic tour of his design over the weekend.
Here are the highlights:
Design Language
Arnell's forte is synthesizing brands and design, so it's no surprise that Peapod demonstrates styling consistency inside as well as outside. One notable example is his use of the "smile" on the horn pad of the steering wheel, echoing similar defining crescents on the front and rear of the outside of the vehicle.
And on the interior door panels, Arnell noted, "We picked up the [design] lines from the outside. We thought it would be good if the inside and outside language 'speak' the same way," Arnell said.
Flexible dashboard tray
A deep divot in the dashboard allows the owner to utilize the space in a variety of different, interchangeable ways, including this tray (left) that has two cupholders and a coin holder. Another option is to leave the space open.
"A lot of consumers have said they like that configuration because they can stash papers and other stuff in it," Arnell said.
"Green" seats
One of the most interesting areas of innovation in Peapod is the seats. In contrast to conventional automotive seats with a complicated metal infrastructure -- often embedded with motors and other controls -- and several inches of padding, Peapod sports front seats that are more akin to an office chair, with a back that is only about three-quarters of an inch thick (right).
"We've removed all the material that is typically wasted on seats," Arnell explained. "We believe strongly that the structure and the frame 'reports' to the consumer -- telegraphs -- the importance of how we've studied and understood ergonomics for Peapod.
"It's honest. We've left the seat structure open. We've removed an enormous amount of material compared with conventional seats, and that also creates lots of space. It also aerates the seats."
Cell-phone stasher
Right where convention would argue that Peapod should provide air vents, on either side of the steering and instrument cluster, Arnell instead decided to put portholes that provide storage for cell phones and other small objects. Each has a flip-open lid.
"We were going to just leave that space covered," Arnell said, "but we decided at the last minute to add these port holes. It just added pennies to the cost."
Detachable roof
Peapod's roof is held on by eight hinges and is completely detachable.
"You just leave [the roof] in your garage and Peapod becomes a convertible," Arnell said.
"Lifestyle integration"
A big part of the positioning of Peapod is to make it akin to an "accessory" to an owner's iPod or iPhone, or vice versa.
"We want to keep someone completely connected to their lifestyle through this car," Arnell said. "Apple has done an extraordinary job of keeping you and your lifestyle one, and supported" through the iPod, the iPhone and their applications.
So Peapod provides speakers to the left and right of an i-device dock "so you can always be connected to information and entertainment," Arnell said. At the same time, through a special Peapod application, the GPS software accessed through the iPhone or iPod will "show you all over the country where the 30-miles-per-hour-or-less roads are," Arnell said.
That feature should be a big hit as NEVs can only be driven legally on roads with speed limits not exceeding 30 mph.
"iKey" Integration
The dock for an iPod or iPhone, Arnell said, likely will be called the iKey at some point because Peapod's software turns either device into an ignition key for the car.
Window cranks
Some may see the lack of power windows in Peapod as a drawback, or at least an acknowledgment that this is an inexpensive, limited-use vehicle.
But not Arnell, who has his own spin on his decision to use manual window cranks instead.
"I love the fact that we brought back the window crank," he said. "The expectations around a vehicle like this seem to be so different: People want to see simplicity, even a lack of moving parts. They tend to really appreciate that the essence of the vehicle is that it operates off a battery, more than expecting a particular feature" such as power windows.
LEAVE A COMMENT
Arnel - he's the guy that redesigned the Tropicana OJ containers. They lost so much money ($35 million) on that fiasco they went back to the old design in a couple of months.
Let's hope he does better with this than the OJ (and the Pepsi logo). Seems like a $12k electric car should have electric windows though.
Love the exterior design, but the interior may be a bit too price compromised. Perhaps a second, more expensive model can solve that.
For example, there doesn't seem to be ANY cabin air system. People might grudgingly do without a/c, but heat and especially defrost are necessary. (And I doubt people would be willing to do without a/c nowdays--it's been included in most cars, even cheap ones, for too long.)
Also the office chair mesh is a great idea -- but the lack of a headrest is concerning.
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