SORRY TO SEE THIS PROJECT GO 'KAPUT'

NOTE: A couple of years ago on this blog I posted the progress of Carbon Motors who was building a purpose built police car, the world's first. Now, you and I, never like to see a police car pulling up on us because it usually means a problem, but they are a necessary evil. The company had some great ideas and I was looking forward to their future. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The U.S. government, who had dumped hundreds of millions of the taxpayers money into failing solar panel companies, decided to refuse the $300 million loan requested by Carbon Motors. Could it be because at the time the government was still playing Russian roulette on the auto bail-out costing the taxpayers billions of dollars. So, the company has failed. Their prototype car and intellectual property will be on auction in Indiana on the 23rd of January.

One of the world’s most unique cars is going to auction on January 23, according to Indianapolis-based Key Auctioneers.

The futuristic E7 police cruiser, the world’s first purpose-built police cruiser, will be auctioned along with other assets of the Indiana-based Carbon Motors Company. The E7 includes automated license plate recognition, a weapons-of-mass-destruction detection system, forward and rear radar, 360-degree video and audio surveillance, and an integrated touchscreen communications and command system. The E7 was the only prototype produced by Carbon Motors before the company declared bankruptcy in June.

Unlike traditional police cruisers that retrofit lights, sirens and computers onto Crown Victorias and other production models, the E7 was designed from the ground up as a police cruiser. Carbon Motors surveyed thousands of law enforcement officers and incorporated their ideas into the design, including cutaway seats that accommodate police officers’ bulky gear, rear-hinged seats for safer suspect insertion, a secure and fully hoseable rear compartment, integrated rifle and shotgun mounts, and even builtin cup warmers. Twin turbo-charged six cylinder diesel engines were designed to take the E7 from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, with top speeds over 150 mph, all while delivering fuel efficiency 40% greater than existing models.

Law enforcement officers described the car as “amazing,” a “bad boy” and “a dream come true.” The car generated substantial interest worldwide: Carbon Motors reported receiving reservations for over 20,000 cars, including reservations from every state in the U.S. and from dozens of foreign countries.
The company was founded in 2003 and settled in Connersville, Indiana in 2009. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2013 after the Department of Energy rejected its application for more than $300 million in loan funding.

The prototype E7 will arrive in Indiana from a collectible car facility in California within a month. The auction of the car and other Carbon Motors assets, including intellectual property, computers and a tradeshow booth, will take place at 1 p.m. on Thursday, January 23 at 5520 South Harding Street, Indianapolis, IN 46217. Online bidding will be available.

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edited text: © 2014 insideindianabusiness.com