Smart Car On Site
January 12, 2009
Whoa! What is that?
Heads turn when the little black car zips by. If you haven't seen one yet, you'll be startled the first time you spot a "smart" car.
David Pate, Collider Accelerator Department, owns that tiny box on wheels, measuring just 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall, and 5.1 feet wide.
"I purchased the car back in August after waiting six months for delivery," said Pate. "I was looking for something small, economical and easy to park."
His first experience in a smart car was at CERN when he was working on the ATLAS detector. He found that it was fun to drive and had some great features for such a little car, a common sight on Europe's narrow streets.
It also has an amazingly roomy interior. Pate easily folds his 6-foot, 2-inch frame inside.
He's so comfortable in the car that he's even taken long road trips, most recently with his wife Beth to the northwestern corner of Connecticut, across to eastern Massachusetts and back through Rhode Island via Interstate 95. That means highway driving, where he has no trouble keeping up with traffic. He reports that the car is "very peppy" and that he has no problem getting on and off the highway.
The smart car has a top speed of 90 mph, "electronically limited" says the official website, which lists its fuel economy as "33 city/41 highway mpg according to 2008 EPA standards."
That's the only negative thing Pate could think of about his car. "For its size, I expected 50-60 mpg," he said. "But it weighs 1,800 pounds."
He's impressed by the thought that went into the car, made by Mercedes-Benz. For example, when he drives in the rain and has to back up, the rear windshield wiper comes on automatically.
He likes the way the car handles. "Remember when the Lab had an early dismissal on December 19th? I'm the mayor of Bellport, and it's my job to check on road crews. I had no trouble. The car has a built-in stability system and traction system. If you start sliding, it compensates."
He's especially pleased about the car's eco-friendliness. The steel frame is coated with powder paint, kinder to the environment than conventional painting processes. And the colorful, easily exchangeable body panels are made of recycled plastic.
Pate's thoughtful attitude carries over into his work. He's an engineer in C-AD, where he coordinates the energy-recovery linac project. Ultimately, this linear accelerator will be used as an electron-cooling machine for RHIC, saving the Lab energy in operations.
"My car has turned into quite the statement in Bellport Village, considering the economic climate," said Pate.
2009-968 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
