Mindset

"Everything plastic," says Schmid today about the attempts to put people at the end of last century, the electric propulsion for themselves. The mindset, a concept car with an electric motor to ennoble status symbol. That levy Günak Schmid and even the claim that the battery technology, until now the Achilles heel of the electric drive as far to have a grip that the cars everyday.

Apart from the design model in the display case stands in Schmid's garage also a so-called test-bed consisting of engine, chassis, wheels, steering wheel and seats. That leaves Daniel Buchter, chief of technology, and he demonstrated with a short rehearsal ride the tremendously strong acceleration of the car. "We give under seven seconds from 0 to 100 km / h, but there are more under six," he says. And pressure on the return trip, when it goes downhill, with the left foot a special pedal. "Recuperation," he says, Bremsenergierückgewinnung. Who is this pedal, the ride slowed and makes 100 horsepower engine generator, which fills the batteries. Consistent use could recuperation by the driving range by 50 percent extended.

"We give 100 kilometer range," says Lorenzo Schmid, "but there will be more." That mindset could be interesting for the many people who are not on the day more than 100 km ride - who need more coverage, gets a twin-cylinder Motor gasoline supplied.The drives with 26 hp not the car, but invites the batteries. "It can be stored in the garage and an easy and expand," says Günak.

This is really new mindset on the concept. The idea of the so-called plug-in hybrid, an electric car with a combustion engine as a generator, on the other hand, have also been others. General Motors wants to 2011 on the market, Volvo has shown a prototype, and the most beautiful of all plug-in hybrids, the four sports sedan karma by Henrik Fisker. The Dane is a designer as Murat Günak, he was at BMW and Aston Martin, before he was made independently. Now he has finished his car was unveiled, the 2009 for 80,000 dollars on the market.

With the sale price of the mindset, which also start 2009, it is still against such a thing: 30,000 euros Günak times Murat had said what was unwise. "I must now withdraw." He speaks of new financing models, which suggests to expensive leasing, and then eventually called Lorenzo Schmid but a new number: 50,000.

A high price for a small car, but Schmid passionately denies this. "It has been in the last ten years, some 100,000 light electric vehicles sold, which were all technical cripples." Because it will be possible, with a right good car to have success. In any case, the car something special: with a lightweight aluminum frame, only 800 kilo weight. Narrow 155 tires for low rolling resistance. Aerodynamic tricks like the tail is rejuvenating. And - Günak(car designer) shows it with a smile - a green light at the end of the 4.20-meter-long cars. "The lights when the car goes electric."

Now it says to find a partner for the production, 10,000 cars per year if he can build. Still, there is no name, only negotiations. But both Günak and Schmid, it is noted that they and their ideas up front, and that the industry prefers the word zuriefen Gorbachev, according to the will of life be straft who come too late. But Murat Günak says nothing bad about others.

It is a sunny, cold day in St. Niklausen near Lucerne. In the garden of a huge villa, to the shores of Lake Lucerne enough, there are two large air-conditioned showcases. This is to see what Günak in the past six months has made a car. But a quite different than all the previous models. Peugeot 206, Peugeot 307, Mercedes CLS, VW Eos, VW Tiguan - to name just a few drafts Günaks to name - have little to do with what was in the showcase. The new car is not just about driving, lost their good looks. "We are convinced that we are moving to something sustainable," says Günak.
In July 2007, as the experts are asked, where consolidated Günak car probably would be next to charter, which sent SpirtAvert AG, a Swiss investment company, a duty Communication: You have the mindset AG, whose aim is alternative vehicle concepts. And SpirtAvert boss Lorenzo Schmid (47) was succeeded Günak as Chairman of mindset to win.

This is guaranteed two things: attention and seriousness. Günak is known among Europe's automotive designers, it is one of the stars, although this term he himself would reject modest. But exactly that Schmid has brought him. Lorenzo Schmid, 1.94 meters long, 110 kilograms, as he himself repeatedly stressed, is the exact opposite of Günak: Big, loud, stirring - in ancient Rome he would have on the forum career. He is accustomed to convince work to do, what to professional image of the financial investor, he talks, talks, talks, while only Günak and something to say.

Both scenario looks like this: The price of oil is barely under control. And it could be for the auto industry will soon be uncomfortable, because cars with petrol or diesel drive, are not the solution. Instead, it is the mindset. "Mindset is attitude," says Schmid.
The mindset is an electric car. However, not one of the variety, the image of the battery-powered vehicles have been marked. Schmid was the end of the 90-year responsible for the three-e-Twike model, of which only 850 were sold.