In San Francisco, and many other cities, electric buses get their power by connecting a pantograph arm to HV cables strung over streets along their routes. I want an electric battery powered (or hybrid) car that has a pantograph on the roof so I too can hook to the overhead wires. That would provide a huge savings in battery power in stop and go city traffic and might even charge up the battery while I was idling. The added bonus is that the city would surely raise a fit, ensuring that I would be on the nightly news in every city in the U.S. the first day I used it.
-- riromero, Jul 04 2003

I thought a pantograph was a machine that determined the size of jeans you should wear.
-- Cedar Park, Jul 04 2003


Think how fun this could be combined with skid steering and all wheel steering for Metropolis driving.
-- Tiger Lily, Jul 05 2003


i thought this had something to do with removing your pants with tiny electric cars
-- slapdash loser, Jul 05 2003


so disappointed, I thought you were going to do really big drawings...
-- po, Jul 05 2003


A more important question is what kind of electric car idles? I could've sworn they only consume power when the motor is exerting some force i.e. when it's moving or trying not to roll back down a hill.
-- squigbobble, Dec 11 2005



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