Cheese Louise: A Car That's Grate

The Cheese Louise is an electric car owned by Swedish robotics enthusiast and YouTuber Simone Giertz. Giertz, along with fellow YouTuber William Osman, converted the car into a gigantic working computer mouse. The car itself is a Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, inspired by golf cart designs and the first fuel crisis.

Cheese Louise is an electric car

The Citicar was inspired by golf cart designs and was built in response to the first fuel crisis. It was powered by a 48-volt battery pack and was America's best-selling EV since 1945 until the Tesla Model S. The car's exterior design was later purchased and upgraded by Commuter Vehicles Inc., who launched it as the Comuta-Car.

Giertz's Citicar, Cheese Louise, sports a 4-point harness, a hairy-chested parking brake, and an advanced rear crash structure for a car of its time. Giertz has also stated that the car is "not safe at all". Despite this, the car is perfect for driving around San Francisco, as long as she is going downhill.

The conversion of the Citicar into a computer mouse is not just a fun invention but also a technically ingenious one. Osman had to overcome challenges such as displaying sideways movements when the car is not drifting. To do this, he attached a mouse with a magnetometer to his computer, allowing the system to identify the direction the car is facing. He also fitted a new lens to the mouse to detect movement from a distance. The mouse click was connected to the car's horn.

It was converted into a computer mouse

The Cheese Louise is an electric car that was converted into a computer mouse by Swedish robotics enthusiast Simone Giertz and fellow YouTuber William Osman. Giertz, best known for her "shitty robots", purchased the Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, an electric car produced between 1974 and 1977 by a U.S. company called Sebring-Vanguard, Inc. based in Sebring, Florida. Giertz then renamed the car Cheese Louise, for obvious reasons—its cheese-like shape.

Giertz and Osman's unusual conversion of the Citicar into a gigantic, working computer mouse involved some technical ingenuity. To display sideways movements, for example, Osman attached a magnetometer to the computer, which acts like a compass and tells the system which direction the car is facing. He also fitted a new lens to the mouse so that it could pick up movement from a distance. The mouse click was connected to the car's horn, an idea that was described as "a nice touch".

Despite their technical prowess, the inventors found that simple tasks like sending an email became almost hazardous, and typing was far from fast. However, Cheese Louise showcased a new level of connectivity. Giertz herself was quoted as saying that her electric car was "not safe at all".

Simone Giertz is the owner of Cheese Louise

Simone Giertz, Sweden's most famous robotics enthusiast, is the owner of Cheese Louise, an electric car turned computer mouse. Giertz, known for her "shitty robots", teamed up with YouTuber William Osman to convert a Ford Comuta-Car into a gigantic computer mouse. The car, christened Cheese Louise, is based on the early Ford Comuta, an electric commuter car from the 1980s.

Giertz's version, however, is far from ordinary. With Osman's technical ingenuity, they addressed challenges such as displaying sideways movements without the car drifting. Osman employed a magnetometer, similar to a compass, to indicate the car's direction. He also modified the mouse lens for better motion detection at a distance. Additionally, the mouse click was cleverly linked to the car's horn.

Cheese Louise showcases a unique level of connectivity, although tasks like typing and sending emails become challenging and even hazardous. When asked about the safety of her electric car, Giertz humorously replied, "No, not at all."

Cheese Louise is not Giertz's first experience with electric cars. Her first car was a Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, an electric vehicle produced from 1974 to 1977. This cheese-shaped car inspired the name of her subsequent vehicle, Cheese Louise. Giertz's Citicar, also known as Cheese Luise, featured a 4-point harness, a hairy-chested parking brake, and advanced (for 1979) rear crash protection.

Simone Giertz, through her ownership of Cheese Louise, demonstrates her passion for robotics, innovation, and creativity. She embraces the unusual and pushes the boundaries of technology, as evidenced by her transformation of a car into a functioning computer mouse.

The car is inspired by contemporary golf cart designs

The Cheese Louise is an electric car that was converted into a giant computer mouse by Swedish robotics enthusiast Simone Giertz and fellow YouTuber William Osman. The car itself is a Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, an electric vehicle (EV) produced between 1974 and 1977 by Sebring-Vanguard, Inc., a company based in Sebring, Florida.

The Citicar was inspired by contemporary golf cart designs and the challenges of the first fuel crisis. With its tubular chassis and 48-volt battery pack, the wedge-shaped car became an instant success, making Sebring-Vanguard the sixth-largest auto manufacturer by volume.

The design was later purchased by Commuter Vehicles Inc., who further upgraded it and launched it as the Comuta-Car. Before this transaction, Vanguard also created an extended-wheelbase variant called the CitiVan.

Giertz's Citicar, which she named Cheese Louise, is one of the less powerful civilian Comuta-Cars. However, it is known for its safety features, including a 4-point harness, a parking brake, and an advanced rear crash structure for its time.

In terms of design influences, the Citicar's contemporary golf cart aesthetic is evident in its compact size and simple, functional shape. The influence of the fuel crisis at the time likely contributed to the Citicar's efficiency and electric power source.

The car's golf cart inspiration can also be seen in its relatively low power output, with the early variant featuring a 3.5-horsepower motor, and later models reaching up to 6 horsepower. This focus on efficiency and low power consumption aligns with the typical design principles of golf carts, which are designed for short-distance travel at relatively low speeds.

In conclusion, the Cheese Louise, or the Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, is a unique electric vehicle that draws inspiration from contemporary golf cart designs and the need for efficient transportation during the fuel crisis of the 1970s. Its success played a significant role in popularising electric cars and paved the way for future innovations in the automotive industry.

It was built around a tubular chassis

The Cheese Louise is an electric car that was converted into a giant computer mouse by Swedish robotics enthusiast Simone Giertz and fellow YouTuber William Osman. The car is based on the Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, an electric vehicle produced between 1974 and 1977 by Sebring-Vanguard, Inc., a company based in Sebring, Florida.

The Citicar was built around a tubular chassis and was initially powered by a 48-volt battery pack. The wedge-shaped car had a 6-horsepower motor and was produced in around 2300 units until 1977. The design was then purchased by Commuter Vehicles Inc., who made further upgrades and launched it as the Comuta-Car.

The Citicar was America's best-selling EV from 1945 until the release of the Tesla Model S. The car's design lives on in the Norwegian Kewet.

Giertz's car, nicknamed Cheese Louise, is one of the less powerful civilian Comuta-Cars. It features a 4-point harness, a hairy-chested parking brake, and an advanced rear crash structure for a vehicle of its time.

The tubular chassis of the Citicar formed the foundation of the vehicle, providing structural integrity and serving as a platform for the attachment of various components. The chassis' tubular design likely utilised a network of steel tubes to create a strong, lightweight frame. This construction method is common in automotive engineering, particularly for performance vehicles, as it offers a balance between strength and weight optimisation.

The chassis of the Citicar was designed to accommodate the vehicle's unique shape and compact size. The tubular frame allowed for efficient packaging of the car's electric components, including the battery pack and motor. This design choice also contributed to the Citicar's overall rigidity and handling characteristics.

The tubular chassis of the Citicar was a key factor in its production and evolution. By starting with this foundation, Sebring-Vanguard, Inc. was able to create a vehicle that not only performed well but also stood out for its distinctive wedge-shaped design. The chassis' versatility allowed for future upgrades and modifications, as evidenced by Giertz's transformation of her Comuta-Car into the one-of-a-kind Cheese Louise.

In conclusion, the tubular chassis of the Citicar, and by extension, the Cheese Louise, is a testament to innovative automotive engineering. It showcases the fusion of form and function, enabling the vehicle to be both structurally sound and aesthetically unique. This foundation set the stage for the car's evolution, from its initial production in the 1970s to its modern incarnation as a giant computer mouse, capturing the imaginations of car enthusiasts and robotics enthusiasts alike.

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