Showing posts with label automobile technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label automobile technology. Show all posts

Thursday 19 January 2017

FF 91 – A Car That Recognises Faces

FF 91
The Vehicles that come up these days are fed with latest technology of all time. The vehicles too have turned out to be more of an electric gadget with all sorts of automatic features. The development in terms of cars, depicts a countries economy, the more updated version of cars, the more developed the country is. Faraday Future has introduced a fresh and new modeled car called FF 91 that is sure to give a tough competition to all the models of cars present today. The car with its terrific features is a perfect combination of style, elegance and comfort. It is designed with all sorts of fresh technology built especially to add charm to your personality.

It is bestowed with many features that will force you to bring this vehicle at your place as soon as possible. It comprises of an electric motor which is of 783 kW i.e. equal to 1050 hp. The mileage of the car will leave you in awe as it is capable of running 96 km/h that too in just 2.39 seconds. Yes, you heard it right, seconds! So you can well imagine the power of the vehicle.

This is not the end of the story as the car includes a battery with a capacity of 130 kWh, which is the highest density battery of the world. You can also charge your car up to 50% in just 4.5 hours and the car is capable of moving up to 600 km per charge. Don’t you think that the description seems to be of a cell phone rather than a car! Let me make you aware of the fact that LeEco who is a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer has induced his money in the making of FF 91.

The FF 91 car is called as Arrival Interface by Faraday Future that is not just a name given rather it introduces another vital feature of the vehicle which enables the owner of the car to unlock it even without using key. So, you need not worry now if you have forgotten to carry your key or by mistake have left it inside the car, as the smart car will identify its owner and simultaneously will welcome him or her by automatically opening the door because of the welcoming system fed in the car which uses cameras that are located internally to identify the user and will also maintain the settings as per the users choice.

The perks of the car does not end here as FF 91 is capable of recording the expressions of its users and will hence adjust the music and other settings like temperature depending upon the expressions. There are 10 cameras inside the car along with 12 sensors which are ultrasonic, both long and short radars which are 13 in number, the rear mirror has a display which is high definition and many more.

FF 91 is the vehicle that is capable of depicting the future of the car manufacturers and its users which is richly stylized without any loops from any aspects.

Tuesday 10 January 2017

Selfie Taking Concept Car for Millennials


Concept Car
 
Fiat Chrysler’s new Portal concept car unveiled at a recent electronics show 

A breakthrough innovation which has taken the automobile industry further ahead is the Portal concept cars. The car was recently unveiled in the prestigious automobile event called Consumer Electronics Show. The maker of this extraordinary sedan is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and the car has a list of amazing features, the result of 20 years of constant research. According to automakers, this Portal Car is exactly what the Millennials wanted.

Separate cameras for every passenger 

This Selfie taking car features six different cameras, each attached to the separate six seats of the car. The cameras can take photos of every person sitting in the car. Passengers onboard would be able to take photos with ease, and capture every precious moment while vacationing or enjoying a road trip with their loved ones. This portal concept car by Fiat has plug in ports for electronic devices like for charging mobile phones, and every passenger gets an individual port. The camera can not only take pictures but it can be easily attached to other devices and everyone can share their new pictures with ease on social media.

Customize and create your own playlist 

Music is an integral part of driving and traveling, so Fiat’s Portal allows everyone in the car to share videos and songs. This is an important feature of the car, and every person present in the car can create a playlist which can be enjoyed while traveling by everyone. Another cool Portal feature is ‘zoned audio’, which allows every passenger onboard to enjoy listening to separate songs and music without using headphones. The same technology helps the car driver to listen to certain amplified sounds, like siren of an ambulance.
The van’s ceiling has a shared display screen which allows the passengers to create a combined playlist by mixing separate tracks from occupant’s devices.

Customizable interiors 

The interior of this top notch concept car is fully customizable. The car seats can be easily moved back and forth, and if they require extra space they can simply remove some of the car seats. It also features LED accent lightning, and the passengers can simply change the color of the interiors whenever they want to. Another high tech feature of this revolutionary automobile is the facial recognition software on the outside of the coupe which will help recognize people from a distance approaching the car. The entire entertainment feature and the interiors of the vehicle can be customized using the high tech system.

The self driving mode is limited in the Portal, and the driver can again gain control of the vehicle ones he is ready. When the steering wheel is not in use, it simply folds into the dashboard. Although, the event was a massive success CES, is not yet sure if Fiat Chrysler can actually create what they have said. The company has not made any announcement or revealed any plans to actually fabricate a high tech vehicle like Portal. It can only be hoped that the company soon creates a high tech automobile as this Portal concept car.

Wednesday 21 December 2016

Lucid Air a Private Jet on Wheels


Lucid Air
Lucid Motors showcases its latest offering in a remote warehouse which takes away the breath of all at once. It brings a new force in the luxury car segment of high-tech automobiles which is bound to turn heads and give a stiff competition to the market leaders. Lucid Motors has aptly named their latest invention as the Lucid Air which an all-electric vehicle with a price tag of $160,000. Lucid Motors has stated that their new technology loaded sedan is aimed towards becoming a private jet on four wheels which it is when you look at it.

Lucid Motors has launched and began the deposits for the Lucid Air at just $2,500 for the standard edition which will be priced at something around $100,000. While $160,000 model will have a deposit of $ 25,000 and it will feature independent dual rear seats which can be fully reclined right to the back just like airline seating. Lucid Motors also has plans to introduce an edition at just $65,000 in near future.

Lucid Motors takes inspiration from other high end models

Lucid Motors has taken inspiration from three of Mercedes Benz models in order to design and model its Lucid Air. The exteriors can effectively be seen inspired by Mercedes E Class, interior space by S Class and emotion appeal of the vehicle originates from CLS. Quite recently Lucid has announced that it will build its own vehicles from a $700 million facility in Casa Grande in Ariz. Lucid Motors has just 300 employees who work from its office based in Menlo Park. It has future plans of rolling out its vehicles from its own dedicated stores which might sound like Tesla stores.

Lucid Air performance is awesome

During the test runs of the Air prototypes it has been able to achieve the 60 mile per hour speed in 2.5 seconds. This speed is same as it is seen on $1.4 million Ferrari LaFerrari hypercar. Among the features which defines Lucid Air as high-end car includes twin electric motors front and rear which results in 1,000 horsepower. It has a number of Lidar, radar and camera for autonomous driving and it has a range of 300 miles which can be boosted up to 400.

Lucid Motors aiming too big in too short time

We have seen a number of super car manufacturer shutting shops within a short time in recent past. Lucid Motors has plans of bumping up its manufacturing capabilities along with opening stores which will become function from 2017. Fisker Karma started doing the same thing but lost its steam within a year due to lower demand, costs and stiff competition from market leaders. Currently it has the initial production target of 10,000 vehicles and it will be boosted by 60,000 in upcoming years. Lucid Motors prides on its super technology and integration of it in super cars but the major issue would be to get break-even sales in order to move into expansion phase.

Saturday 3 December 2016

Comma.ai Goes Open Source with Self Driving Car Kit


Comma
Self driving car segment is popularly associated with Google and Apple automated car programs. But most of the people doesn’t known that BMW, Tesla and a number of other firms are working on the segment and each are going through a rapid phase of development to come up with their own version of safe and robust self-driving car within the mid next decade. Comma.ai is a lesser known player in the self-driving companies list but it has done a tremendous research and built a very reliable within a few years of its inception.

Comma.ai has announced that it will be coming up with its own software platform and it has future plans of bringing an associated hardware module which will be made available for free download on Github site. The best thing about this startup is that it will release its software platform and hardware module as an open source entity under the MIT license. This will help in development and engineering of self driving more easier and error free than before both for the enthusiasts and manufacturers alike.

Comma.ai is already works on a selected number of cars

Comma.ai’s developed self-driving platform is currently helps in powering the automation utility to just two cars namely the Acura ILX and Honda Civic. In order to bring the automated driving functionality to these cars this particular self-driving platform has to be supported with the LaneWatch package which is placed in the cars. Comma.ai brings a number of self driving capabilities to the vehicle which includes adaptive cruise control and self steering.

Adaptive cruise control backed with Comma.ai self driving platform allows the car to slow down from any given speed to a slower speed as per the traffic movement ahead while the self-steering allows users to leave the car completely on the auto-pilot kind of mode.

The advantage & disadvantage of self driving platform at a glance

As stated earlier a number of car manufactures, equipment supplier and even well established technology companies are trying their hand at developing their own home-grown self driving cars. The potential of the self driving technology is vast as it will not just bring a drastic fall in the car crashes and ultimate deaths but it will also help in reducing the traffic congestion which has become a chronic disease in mega cities. It does have it won a disadvantage which includes a major and detrimental impact on the jobs along with the economy.

Comma.ai is moving swiftly towards bring self-driving all cars alike

At the inception Cooma.ai offered to develop a self-driving car within $1000 but what it actually meant was that it will help in retrofitting the existing cars with self-driving capability through hardware and software support. On the same lines it is making its self-driving platform in open-source which will help hackers, engineers, communities and manufactures to add new capabilities and extend the application of this platform to a more diverse range of cars regardless of the region and location.

Friday 28 October 2016

This Year’s Paris Auto Show is Très Électrisant

car

Electric Car Market – Tesla Motors


The electric car market is dominated by Tesla Motors with regards to the attention the small-scale car builder tends to get. In a world of contraction emission criteria as well as city-wide prohibitions of internal combustion engines, it has been jointly decided that the electric cars seems to be the solution. This has been obvious during the recent Paris Auto Show.

The Mondial de l’Automobile seems to have the usual extreme French concepts though is close-to-production EVs like those of Volkswagen, Mercedes and Porsche.Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen AG have been leading enormous changes in the approach to electric cars in the auto industry with ambitious intentions focused in ending the indifference of consumer for battery powered vehicles.

The automakers from General Motors Co.’s Opel to Renault SA, at the Paris Motor Show had been announcing their contributions on latest electric car. In contrast to the earlier years where the focus was on viability, the exhibition this year had been focused in generating mass appeal addressing concerns regarding range as well as widening the selection of options.

The I.D. concept vehicle had been unveiled by Volkswagen that had been set to create a sensation in the market by 2020. Moreover it could drive almost double as far as the future Model 3 sedan on a charge of Tesla Motors Inc.

Car - a Revolutionary


Though only a model, the VW hatchback would kick off the roll-out of 30 battery powered car in the near future since the German manufacturer intends to alter an image tarnished by the emission-cheating outrage and Volkswagen seems to have high hopes for the vehicle.

Head of the VW brand, Herbert Diess commented in a Bloomberg TV interview with Caroline Hyde, that this car would possibly be revolutionary. It would possibly have the same importance which the Beetle had in its age or the Golf and the next generation will be I.D.Mercedes on the other hand is being likewise aggressive.

Earlier depending on converting the present model to electric, the Daimler AG unit intends to now introduce almost 10 new battery-powered vehicles. The vehicles together with the related technology like the charging boxes and energy storage would be promotedunder the EQ panel, providing more visibility.

Meeting Restricted Emissions Standards


Chief Executive Officer of Daimler, Dieter Zetsche had mentioned in Paris that they are now flipping the switch and are ready for the launch of an electric product offensive which would be covering all vehicle segments from the compact to the luxury class.

In particular, European manufacturers seem to be slow in developing a rational electric car strategy with the exception of BMW AG, having two diverse cars built around a carbon-fibre architecture which seems to be on the road already. The appeal of electric cars has been widened with Tesla’s success with the buyers in the U.S. and Norway, though the U.S. manufacturer has faltered while seeking to lift output which its well-established European opponents could have less trouble in achieving.

Though the cost of batteries seemed to have dropped in making electric cars reasonably priced, the turnabout of the industry also comes from stress in meeting the restricted emissions standards. The European Union is in search of efficiency progress in the next five years which would be almost double the gains since 2010.

Saturday 22 October 2016

Researchers Show Air Bag Bike Helmets Have Promise

airbag_helmet

Foam Bike Helmets – Reduce Possibility of Skull Fracture/Brain Damages


An assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford, David Camarillo is well aware that bicycling had been the main cause of sports and activity connected concussion together with brain injury in the United States.

With bicycling accidents, he had received two concussions and though he is not doubtful that wearing a helmet would be better than no helmet at all, he is of the belief that the traditional helmets do not seem to be protective for the rider as much as they should.

Camarillo had stated that foam bike helmets have proved to reduce the possibility of skull fracture together with other severe brain damages. However he thinks that many misleadingly are of the belief that bike helmets tend to protect against concussion, which is not true.

Being aware of what he does regarding the traditional bike helmets, Camarillo whose lab tends to work on understanding and preventing concussions decided to experiment a new kind of helmet, which is available in some of the European countries. The outcomes have been included in the September 27 edition of Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

Designed to Address Situations


The helmet which Camarillo had tested has a soft pocket worn around the neck which tends to pop up like an air bag around the head of the person when it gets alerted of a possible collision.

 Initially he had been designed to address the situations that people did not desire to wear helmets for visual reasons This air bag helmet had been compared to the traditional foam bike helmets by the researchers where the results seemed to be quite remarkable.

Mehmet Kurt, a postdoctoral scholar in the Camarillo Lab commented that they conducted drop test which seemed like typical federal test to assess bicycle helmet and observed that air bag helmets with the precise initial pressure could reduce head accelerations five to six times in comparison to traditional bicycle helmet.

The drop test comprises of placing the helmets on dummy head with accelerometers and dropping it, from neck-side up from different height on a metal platform. At two different angles, the head form had been tilted, faking hits of the crown as well as the side of the head.

More Cushioned Fall


Researchers had dropped the helmets from 0.8 meters to a height of two meters and had measured the direct speeding up of the helmet when it had hit the ground. Camarillo had informed that the huge size of the air bag helmet in comparison to foam bike helmets seems to be a possible source of its achievement.

Besides being large, it can also be soft enabling a more cushioned fall. But this cushioning seems to have a possible shortcoming. The air bag helmet, during the experiment was pre-inflated and the researchers had exploited the pressure of the air in the helmet before each drop to obtain the results.

 Deprived of the maximum amount of the air, the air bag helmet could bottom out resulting in the head to hit the ground with more force than it would be in the case of a traditional foam helmet. In the present form of the air bag helmet, a chemical process tends to activate expansion that does not guarantee maximum air pressure.

Tuesday 6 September 2016

Self Driving Two Person 'Cyclotron' Bike

Cyclotron

Cyclotron Maintains Stability Utilising Gyroscope


Focus on automated vehicles has been directed towards cars and trucks. The ultramodern concept vehicle dubbed the Cyclotron tends to transport two passengers at a time and does nothave to worry about the road ahead.

The designs for the two wheeler looks like a cross between the vehicles from Sci-Fi movies Tron and Minority Report, which demonstrates a face to face ride where the passengers can get familiar while touring the city.Charles Bombardier, a mechanical engineer had explained in an article for a website that the concept vehicle would maintain stability utilising a gyroscope, which would keep it upright in spite of it coming to a halt.He commented that two passenger could sit facing each other with a rare opportunity to relax, converse or get to know one another.

The purpose of the electric vehicle design is to minimize the human footprint and would be capable of running in every season with the electric motor driving both wheels for enhanced traction during winter. Bombardier had developed the concept with industrial designer Ashish Thulkar and had explained that the design had been inspired by the Tron light cycle and the C1 prototype vehicle from Lit Motors.

Adjustable Seats – Adequate Space for Leg/Head


Cyclotron tends to recharge wirelessly and could probably buy as well as sell electricity in real time based on price fluctuations with the other vehicles. The interior of the vehicle seems to be a bit cosy with its two passengers seated face to face.

The adding of adjustable seats can ensure adequate space for leg and head with the passenger getting in and out through the butterfly doors, which makes the concept bike, appear like a high-tech insect. Bombardier, in his blog sets a number of concept vehicles intended at inspiring the future generations of designers. Over 200 concept cars together with bikes, planes, trains and space vehicles had been considered with industrial engineers from across the world.

Even after Tron hit cinemas for three decades, its effect on the advanced design indicates no signs of slackening down. The Cyclotron bicycle tends to borrow the look as well as the name from the science-fiction film with a design which has been unmistakably centred on the Light Cycle especially its two illuminated spokeless wheels.

Wheels Hubless – Utility Slot Modules


Moreover, the visually striking wheels `radiances’ tend to turn by themselves on in low-light conditions, helping as an additional safety measure by increasing the visibility. This seems to last for eight hours only on battery alone. The red laser lines can project rearward to mark a bike lane for precaution. The wheels seem to be hubless enabling what according to the designers is known as USMs or Utility Slot Modules, which are said to be storing vessels intended to fit within the wheel where the spokes could be in the traditional wheel.

Though it seems to be a great concept, it is left to be seen how the additional mass in the wheel would affect the gyroscopic effect. The base of the Cyclotron is said to be a manual 12-speed though the top-of-the line model tends to provide more secrecy along with an electronic gearbox which seems to move under a fifth of a second even when it seems to halt. Those who prefer to enjoy the ride could enable an automatic mode wherein the gearbox tends to do all the shifting for you.

Friday 19 August 2016

Audi Vehicles to Talk to U.S. Traffic Signals in First for Industry


Audi Technology – Vehicles to Coordinate with Traffic Signals


Audi, the German manufacturer is developing a technology which would enable its vehicles in the United States to coordinate with traffic signals, permitting a more stress-free trip, which is said to be the first commercial use of the nascent technology in the car industry. Audi of America, owned by Volkswagen has handpicked 2017 Q7 and A4 models built after June 1, 2016 to be furnished with its vehicle-to-infrastructure technology.

Recognized as `V-to-I’, in the industry, the technology enables traffic signals together with the other infrastructure to interchange safety accompanied with other operational data, wirelessly to vehicles through the cloud. Ultimate applications of the technology that tends to continue for testing across the globe by manufacturers as well as transportation agencies would be beneficial in mitigating crashes thus dropping jamming on highways and roads.

Pom Malhotra, general manager of the connected vehicles division of Audi had commented that this is their foray into V-I and this is designed not as a safety feature but a comfort and convenience feature. Malhotra states that the system of Audi permits the vehicle to exhibit a countdown before a red light tends to turn to green and being aware of how much time one has before the light could change to green could relieve much of the apprehension of waiting.

Traffic Line Information – New Line of Ground-Breaking Connected Car


The countdown also tends to display on the dashboard if the vehicle decides that it would not be capable of making an approaching light before turning to red, to enable the drive to apply the brake. On waiting for the red light to turn to green, the display tends to disappear a few seconds before it turns to green, compelling the driver to be aware of the intersection and regulate when it is safe to go ahead, informs Malhotra.

Traffic light information seems to be the new line of ground-breaking connected car improvement by Audi. Audi had been the first manufacturer in 2010, to provide a broadband enabled vehicle and since then, Audi connect tends to continue to enlarge on its industry leading services and potentials. Towards 2014, it had been the first manufacture to provide 4G/LTE Broadband connectivity.

Planned partnership as well as proprietary scalable infotainment architecture has enabled Audi to constantly provide its customers with the latest in solutions to mobile connectivity. An executive has informed that the future applications of the technology could envisage it to be linked to the navigation system of the car or its stop/start roles.

Manufacturer’s Efforts to Leverage Technology


Another possibility is that the traffic signals could direct the vehicle to maintain a certain speed to match the flow of traffic lights. Audi intends to roll out the competence this year, in five to seven U.S cities with cities to be switched on one by one.

The company has not revealed which of the cities would be the first. The manufacturers of car have been making efforts to leverage technology inclusive of vehicle-to-vehicle communications – `V- to –V’, enabling vehicles to talk to each other, in order to decrease accidents and to improve overcrowding. Organizing such types of schemes could be challenging since both V-to-I and V-to-V technologies tend to need safe communication infrastructure as well as close assistance with municipalities together with transportation agencies.

 The President of Audi of America, Scott Keogh had stated that `continuous innovation in connected car services as well as advanced driver assistance systems which enriches and improves the customer experience is at the core of the Audi brand and our collective future.

Tuesday 5 July 2016

Redshift SM: Electric Motorcycle Designed For Everyone

Redshift SM

RedShift SM  – No Carbon Dioxide Discharge


Marc Fenigstein, Alta co-founder and the CEO, has indicated that the Alta Motors’ battery powered RedShift SM is a good bike which does not discharge carbon dioxide and the company opted for electric power for performance. He stated that the purpose was to build a bike which would be faster than the ones already owned. With the application of 40 horsepower to a bike which tends to weigh around 275 pounds seems good for an 85 mph top speed though it would not be adequate to stand out in a market where superbikes tends to lead on with 200 horses accelerating at a speed of 60 mph in two seconds.

The RedShift SM that seems to look and drives like a 400-cc off-road endure machine comprises of subtler upside which it exposes not on the track but at the time of a ride around midday traffic in Manhattan. Alta had spent about 10 years on designing the bike for urban riding wherein it would take on commuter bikers varying from the budget conscious Suzuki TU250 and Kawasaki KLR to high Enders such as the MBW R1200GS. The benefits of RedShift SM consist of a narrow chassis which tends to slip with ease in the midst of traffic as well as a high seat for a view of errant taxis, device-distracted pedestrians together with other dangers

Instant Acceleration


The 5.8-k Wh battery pack seems to be good for an average range of 50 miles if intended to ride aggressively which is not much for a car. The RedShift SM tends to have instant acceleration due to the torquey electric motor and while the horsepower seems to be the main power for a lightweight bike, it is the 34 pound feet of torque which tends to matter. This seems adequate to leave cars and several other motorcycles behind at least for the first few blocks.

The RedShift SM priced at $15,000, seems small and is not cheap wherein for that price one could take away any number of larger and more powerful machines such as the BMW K1300s and Yamaha Super Tenere together with various stylish entry-level models inclusive of Triumph Street Twin, Ducati Monster 821 and Moto Guzzi V7. If one is on the look-out for an urban runabout, it takes the lead. The RedShift SM validates its price with specialization.

No Direct Consumer Sales


Unlike the other bikes, the RedShift SM tends to deliver an amazing amount of mechanical feedback, an awareness that one is on a complex machine and not a two wheeled application.On twisting the throttle, the motor tends to respond with subdued, clicking, crunching vibration before the power seems to be kicked in totally. It gives a feeling like someone seems to be feathering the clutch after moving into the first gear. However, there does not seem to be any clutch for operation, and no gears to choose.

The bikes would be shipped to dealers next year and not direct to consumer sales, BMW Motorcycles of SFwould be one among the first dealers. It would begin in California during Q2 before extending to the rest of the US later this year.

Tuesday 14 June 2016

Cadillac’s Wide Angle, LCD Rear View Mirror

Rear View Mirror

Cadillac’s XT5 Rear View Mirror – LCD Portraying View of Traffic Behind


On flipping the day-night lever towards the bottom of a Cadillac XT5’s rear view mirror it tends to change to a LCD portraying a wide-angle view of the traffic behind you. It is said to be the first of what could be a flood of inside as well as side rear mirror utilising small cameras providing wider viewing angles as well as less wind resistance than the traditional outside mirrors. The likelihood prevails for several cameras edging together a seamless view of 180 degree.

Cadillac has partnered with Gentex Corpn in order to develop the Rear Camera Mirror, as called by Cadillac, after its announcement on the concept as a `streaming video mirror’, a year ago. Initially, it is available on the XT5, a crossover compact replacing the Cadillac SRX together with the high-end Cadillac CT6 sport sedan. On test trading the XT5, it was found that it worked well though it also needs to getting used to it. As Gentex seems to call it – the Full Display Mirror tends to pull an image from a moderately high-definition camera mounted on the rear of the car just over the license plate.

Lens – Hydrophobic/Water-Shedding Coating


The lens tends to have a hydrophobic or water-shedding coating in order to decrease the effects of the rainy weather. The image is said to be fed to the 1280-by-240 pixel LCD display implanted in the rear view mirror. The driver can switch between views utilising the lever towards the bottom which on modest mirrors tend to switch between daytime and night viewing modes. In reflective mirror mode, the electro-chromic component tends to dim automatically, the view whenever bright headlamps tend to shine on the mirror. Moreover the other exceptional feature is a high-dynamic range camera which tends to reduce the glare at night.

Gentex had informed that each pixel arrays its own exposure and the headlamps seem as bright objects, though darker objects like the outline of the car or a pedestrian at the side of the road can also be noticeable. It is said that Gentex seems to be having 10 patents on the mirror system inclusive of the streaming video mirror concept as well as for wide-angle-view calibration, de-warping, glare reduction together with the camera’s hardware design.

Wide View Beneficial in City Traffic


The first and the last impression is how extensive is the field of vision, which is around four times as wide as a traditional mirror. Since it is on the exterior of the car, the view is not blocked by back seat headrest, roof pillars or passenger. One needs to be aware that the view is 8 – 10 feet beyond a traditional mirror view. The wide view could be beneficial in city traffic as well as for looking around before reversing into a parking space.

When one is properly certain that there is no crossing traffic in one’s blindspot, you can switch on to the camera view on the main LCD of the car. What Cadillac has been doing with Gentex is just the beginning. Other automakers, including Tesla have been toying with small cameras as replacement for side mirror. They tend to lessen wind resistance, making the car contracted and easier to fit into a snug garage.

Saturday 11 June 2016

BMW Revamps 'i' Electric Car Division to Focus on Self-Driving Tech

BMW

BMW `i’ Division Transformed into Development Centre


A board member has informed Reuters, that the `i’ division of BMW has been transformed into a development centre for self-driving cars, a main considered shift for the unit had earlier aimed on making a family of lightweight electric vehicles. Though Model 3 of Tesla would hit showrooms in 2017 and as Porsche and Audi rivals would be working on all electric cars to be released by 2019, the German car manufacturer seems to have put these kinds of cars at the back and its next fully-electric car would not be due till 2021.

The company’s approach has been changed after it’s fully battery powered car, and the i3, was not successful in gaining traction with the public with only 25,000 sales done last year. Tesla in comparison has already received over 370,000 orders for its Model 3. Instead of looking to match Tesla and Porsche with new zero-emissions sports limousine for release in the next two years, its focus lies in manufacturing an electric car with the next generation of technology, the autonomous driving.

Project `i’ Next


BMW board member Klaus Froehlich, in charge of development, in an interview at the company’s headquarters in Munich had mentioned that in April he had re-launched the `i’ division, as a unit dedicated in producing cars which tend to drive themselves and it is now in ramp-up stage which is called `Project i Next’. The renovation also tends to follow four great profile staff defections, this year from the division. Manager of BMW’s `i’ powertrain group Dirk Abendroth, vice president product management BMW `i’ Henrik Wenders, and vice president engineering, head of the i8 vehicle programme, Carsten Breitfeld, had been robbed by a Chinese electric vehicle start-up.

As a measure of its autonomous driving push, BMW has been hiring experts in machine learning as well as artificial intelligence. It is also assimilating the tasks of prevailing computer driven support systems such as emergency braking, cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and automatic parking. Froehlich stated that `with a fully autonomous vehicle, BMW could launch a ride hailing business without the need to pay drivers, thus giving car manufacturers a competitive edge over new ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft that seem toeat away car sales by making part utilisation convenient as ownership.

BMW to Partner with Ride-Hailing Firm


Toyota Motor Corp had mentioned earlier in the month that it would invest in Uber and Volkswagen had announced a $300 million investment in Gett which was a smaller ride-sharing company. It is said that BMW may partner with a ride-hailing firm especially in markets such as China though the car manufacturer’ policy on probable partnerships with companies is yet being worked out in this space according to Froehlich. He further added that China which is the world’s largest car market would probablybe the market, where autonomous cars would first appear on a big scale.

He also mentioned that China is implementing technology extremely fast. Last year more electric cars were sold in China than in all the other global markets put together. BMW has also been considering in expanding the area of reserving parking areas as well as electric car charging stations over mobile phone, a market that is still uneven within countries. Car manufacturers have already invested in ParkNow as well as Parkmobile the two digital parking as well as payment services.

Saturday 14 May 2016

Survive a Military Grade Bio Attack by Sitting in Your Car

Car

Tesla’s The High Efficiency Particulate Air Filtration


According to the company, those intending to buy a Tesla should add the capability of surviving a biochemical attack to the `pro’ column. It is said that Tesla has been examining a new in-car filter to `scrub’ the air inside as well as outside the vehicle in an attempt to fight the increasing issue of air pollution afflicting major cities. Air pollution has an important as well as a prevalent influence on public health.

As per World Health Organization, it is considered as the world’s largest single environmental health risk where over three million people tend to die due to this which is more than twice the number of people that die in vehicle accidents every year. Health and safety is of great importance to us. The HEPA filtration – High Efficiency Particulate Air, had been motivated by technology utilised in hospitals as well as the space industry. As per a blog post by Tesla, it has the capabilities of stripping the outside air of pollen, bacteria as well as pollution, before the driver enters and systematically scrubs the air within the cabin to eradicate traces of such kind of particles.

Air Pollution more Injurious than Car Accidents


Air pollution, statistically speaking, is more probably to be injurious to the world’s motorists than car accidents, considering the huge number of people residing in cities with the dangerous levels of air pollution which is beinga hindrance to health. The company of Elon Musk is tarnished for tackling some of the major challenges facing humanity; hence the latest feature of the Tesla Model S and Model X should not be surprising.

Irrespective of the outside state of air, drivers will be sitting in an unspoiled oxygen environment. The company has mentioned that the filter system tends to undergo rigorous testing by being placed in what amounted to a bubble full of pollution. The blog post explained that `a Model X was placed in a large bubble contaminated with extreme levels of pollution. The falcon doors were then closed and activated Bioweapon Defence Mode. Within a span of two minutes, it had cleaned the air inside the Model X to enable Tesla workers to sit safely inside the vehicle.

Filter System Very Effective


During the following minutes, the filtration system started cleaning the air outside the car eliminating the number of unwanted particles by around 40%. The company has stated that Bioweapon Defence Mode is not a marketing statement, but is real and one can exactly survive a military grade bio attack by sitting in the car. Revealed first by Musk last year, the mode utilises an extreme level of air filtration to eliminate harmful toxins from the air.

Tesla stated that it was almost 200 times more toxic than the world’s present highest levels recorded in Beijing. The company, in fact claim that their filter systems are so effective that it can even clean the air outside the car. Tesla will tend to continue in improving the micro-geometry as well as chemical passivation defences in the primary and the secondary filters that can be replaced easily and it will get better the long one tends to own their car.

Friday 6 May 2016

Google, Fiat Chrysler Working on Self Driving car Deal

self driving

Google & Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV – Developing Self-Driving Cars


Google together with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are almost on the point of agreeing on a partnership which could break barriers between Silicon Valley and the auto industry in competition of developing self-driving cars, according to sources familiar with the discussion. The announcement of the partnership deal would be out soon as disclosed to Reuters on condition of anonymity by three people familiar with the situation, since the discussions seemed to be private.

The talks at first were reported on Thursday by blog AutoExtremist.com. Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc. as well as Fiat Chrysler, refrained from commenting on this issue. Google has stated that it does not desire to build self-driving vehicles on its own and has explored deals with auto companies though none have been confirmed. Sergio Marchionne, Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive stated recently that the company was in talks with an advanced technology company, though had not offered any details. The executives at the other auto makers, together with Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co and Daimler AG, have shown wariness regarding alliances with Alphabet or other technology companies which could demote them to the role of hardware suppliers.

Marchionne Interested in Partnership with Google/Apple


Auto executive had informed that they do not want to stand by while Alphabet gains richer profits from the data created by vehicles and their passengers. GM has indicated that it intends to go its own way on driverless car technology, going ahead in buying self-driving vehicle start-up, Cruise Automation. After Fiat Chrysler had issued quarterly earnings on Tuesday on a conference call, Marchionne had repeated that he was interested in partnerships with Google or Apple Inc. Marchionne had stated in response to a question regarding working with non-traditional automakers that `dialogue continues with people who are interested in exploring their relevance in the automotive world and would continue to help them find their way out’. A former auto executive, John Krafcik, who tends to head Alphabets’ self-driving car project, at a conference in Detroit in January, had made a public pitch for partners. Fiat Chrysler officials in Michigan as well as Italy had refrained to comment on assumption that the technology of Google would ultimately be offered on the new Chrysler Pacifica minivan launched in February.

Self-Driving Vehicles, Minivans – Ride Sharing/Shuttle Fleets


Marchionne together with the other FCA officials are scheduled to visit the Windsor, Ontario plant which builds the Pacifica on May 6. The auto as well as the technology industry executive had stated that the self-driving vehicles, probably the minivans would hit the roads first in ride-sharing or shuttle fleets. Among the models which Alphabet has been utilising in its self-driving project, is the Lexus RX450h, which is a hybrid sport utility vehicle, manufactured by Toyota Motor Corpn. Alphabet intends to have the first driverless minivans on the road by this end of this year but has not commented on a timeline for all 100 vehicles. On increasing the test fleet, the agreement would be helpful to Alphabet’s mission to automate the world’s vehicles. Its present fleet of 70 self-driving cars has driven over 1.5 million miles in California, Washington, Texas and Arizona.

Saturday 23 April 2016

Ford's Autonomous Fusion can see in the Dark Without Headlights

Ford

Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle – No Headlight On


There are a lot of talks going on regarding the present status of self-driving cars. Ford is aware that its systems are not perfect yet; however its self-driving Fusion research vehicle seems to be getting better and is capable of navigating in the dark. Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicle with no headlights on, had recently navigated along lonely desert roads to perform task which would be dangerous for a human driver. Driving in pitch black at Ford Arizona Proving Grounds symbolises the next step on the journey of the company in delivering fully autonomous vehicles to consumers all over the world.

Its car have the potential of tackling the dark of night owing to two technologies namely 3D mapping and LiDar which tends to stand for Light Detection And Ranging, uses lasers for measuring the distance to objects. The 3D maps tend to provide extra information regarding the road, comprising of markings as well as the geography. The LiDar also helps the car to recognize where on the map it is at that point of time. Utilising infrared improving goggles, the engineers of Ford were able to observe the car work its magic as it casts infrared laser beams around the vehicle.

Adequately Strong to Steer Impeccably


Presently, the night-time, lights-off testing has been limited to its Arizona proving grounds, since it is quite illegal in operating vehicle on public roads at night minus the traditional illumination. Though autonomous night vision could be helpful for vehicles to continue to move towards a destination if infrastructure or the own lighting of the vehicle tends to goes dark, dashing forward in pitch black could be a bit scary to an average driver or passenger.

Moreover, it would also put a dent in the light pollution which covers most of the sky in areas with great population density.It is an important progress which shows that even without cameras that depends on light; Ford LiDar tends to work with the virtual driver software of the car and is adequately strong to steer impeccably around winding roads. Though it is idyllic to have all the three modes of sensors namely radar, cameras and LiDar, the last can operate independently on roads without stoplights.

No Driver to Intervene/Control Vehicle


Jim McBride, technical leader for autonomous cars says that due to LiDar, the test cars are not dependent on the sun shining, or cameras detecting painted white lines on the tarmac. In fact LiDar enables autonomous cars to drive well in the dark as they do in the light of day’. After over a decade of Ford autonomous vehicle research, the company has been dedicated to achieving fully autonomous driving possibility that as defined by SAE International Level 4 does not need the driver to intervene and control the vehicle.

Ford, this year will be increasing its autonomous vehicle test fleet bringing the number to around 30 self-driving Fusion Hybrid sedans for the purpose of testing on roads in California, Arizona and Michigan. These elements seems to be the main elements of Fort Smart Mobility, the plan in taking Ford to the next level with regards to connectivity, mobility, customer experience, autonomous vehicles, together with data and analytics.

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Google self-driving car effort expands hiring, posts manufacturing jobs

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Google’s Self-Driving Project–Advertising Jobs on Manufacturing  Expertise


Self-driving project of Alphabet Inc. has been advertising dozens of jobs with special focus on manufacturing expertise on its website. Jobs related to the Google X car project of around thirty six had been listed comprising of engineers working on display, motion control, robotics and sensors together with managers charged with operations, materials and marketing.

Google who had refrained from commenting had denied earlier that it had any interest in the making of cars. Several industry experts were of the belief that the tech giant would be partnering with established carmaker, supplying the software which would invent the fully autonomous vehicle. However, the job listed offers insight on how much hardware has been built by Google in its contribution to the future cars. A key priority of traditional carmaker, technology companies like Apple Inc. Uber Technologies Inc. and auto suppliers,is developing self-driving cars.

A manufacturing process engineer job listing has mentioned that the post is responsible for designing factory assembly stations, automating critical manufacturing process, optimizing production floor layout and approve fixture designs utilised in the assembly of electronic modules for self-driving cars.

Hiring May Continue to Increase


The manufacturing supplier quality engineer would be creating and approving `manufacturing inspection processes, mechanical components, mechanical assemblies, tools gauges and fixtures for raw materials. The mechanical global supply chain manager will be responsible for manufacturing development execution besides other tasks.

In January, the president of Google self-driving car project, John Krafcik, had mentioned that he wanted to form partnerships with established carmakers and suppliers to speed up work in 2016. When Krafcik had been hired in September, his earlier experience at Hyundai and Ford had driven speculation that Google had plans to build its own cars.

Other jobs were also posted by Google beyond the manufacturing which provided hints as to the scope of the developing project. The position of marketing manager posted nine days back needed someone to shape-go-to-market strategy and storytelling in order to win hearts as well as minds of community members, governments and influencers.The company is also on the look-out for a head of real estate and workplace services recommending that the hiring may continue to increase.

Google Achieved Landmark Victory


The hiring rampage tends to reflect Google’s aspiration to join the driverless car manufacturing trend and though the Silicon Valley based tech company had denied rumours of driverless car manufacturing several times in the past, the recent adverts posted by its secretive X division indicates the possible plans of bringing Google branded driverless cars to the market very soon.

Google had achieved a landmark victory on 4th February when US federal authority The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – NHTSA had agreed to consider the tech firm’s AI system as the legal driver under federal law. The decision had been a main boost to leading tech and automobile manufacturing companies who had been vying to bring driverless cars in the US and international markets in past.

Google is presently testing its autonomous car in US though the company had recently received an appeal from London transport authorities to expand testing to British capital too. Google has yet to remark on its plans for the future for its driverless car division.

Monday 25 January 2016

Toyota is Testing Flat Panel Satellite Communication for Future Models

Toyota

Toyota Unveiled Flat Panel Satellite Communication Vehicles


Japanese automaker, Toyota had unveiled its flat panel satellite communication vehicles, in partnership with sat-comm company Kymeta at the North American International Auto Show’ 2016.The hydrogen fuel cell powered Toyota Mirai has been equipped with flat-panel satellite communication technology of Kymeta.

Toyota has been working in getting data to and from the car as quickly as possible with satellites being the solution. The focus of the Japanese carmaker lies in the inclusive of Data Communication Modules in a broader variety of upcoming vehicles and satellite communication seems the key technology.

Rather than depending on huge traditional satellite dish, the panels of Kymeta tend to use liquid crystal technology for tracking and steering electronically, towards satellites. There seems to be some advantage of using satellites in transferring data instead of cell towers of Wi-Fi transmitters. Firstly, a high-capacity satellite could transport large amount of data to and from a vehicle quickly and more safely than an Internet connection.

 Moreover, unlike a tower based connection, an unceasing satellite connection could span between countries, borders as well as in remote areas.

Solves Challenge of Vehicle Based Satellite Communication


Another purpose for Toyota to warm up to flat-panel sat-comm is since it can be comparatively easy in installing in the aftermarket which means that instead of being forced to buy a new brand of Toyota to avail all the best data service, you could have your present car fitted with the tech.

 This would however enable Toyota to indoctrinate extra customers in its data services as well as add to the number of cars that it digitally tends to track on the road. Senior managing officer of Toyota, Shigeki Tomoyama had commented that they are excited to learn about Kymeta since their flat antennae technology tends to solve the challenge of vehicle-based satellite communication’.

Toyota together with Kymeta, based in the hub of Redmond, Washington, has been working on the research of flat antenna since 2013. KymetaCEO, Dr Nathan Kundtz, had stated that his company was the first in successfully demonstrating this kind of technology and that they have more than 8,000 miles of road testing with cars linked to satellites’.

Antennas Lightweight & Flat – Easily Added to Vehicle


It was revealed by Toyota that the next generation in connectivity at the Detroit Auto Show recently, that a satellite embedded in the roof of its hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan could download data fasters as well as securely than cellular networks.

Toyota had mentioned in a press statement that `while these satellites have historically require the use of a `dish’ antenna on the ground, Kymeta’s satellite antennas take away the need for mechanical components by utilising software and liquid crystal technologies. Toyota states that the antennas seems to be lightweight and flat and can easily be added to the vehicle during or after the assembly.

The company also intends utilising satellite communication in the near future which includes high capacity satellites offering a higher data transfer rates thanthe conventional satellite technologies. Though there is no indication of when the satellite communication is intended to make an appearance on commercially available cars, a kind of Kymeta’s antenna meant for marine vehicles will go into production in partnership with Panasonic Avionics Corp, somewhere next year.

Mirai Creation Investment, the venture capital firm where Toyota is also a partner has contributed $5 million into Kymeta as part of the deal and the flat panel antennas could serve the customers of Toyota with added innovative type of what is here at NAIAS – the upsurge of the connected vehicle.

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Ford in Talks with Google to Build Self Driving Cars


Google and Ford
Google is going all guns blazing to get its self-driving cars a better car manufacturer. It should be noted that last year Apple had talk with BMW to assess the manufacturing capabilities of self-driving cars. Apple wanted to get manufacturing support and assistance from the automotive major rather setting up whole manufacturing line but the talks went sour and some elite BMW officials lost their jobs.

Google is now initiating talks with the automaker Ford Motor Co. in order to secure help in building autonomous cars. As per the source, if the deal gets finalized then it might be revealed in the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

Google keeps mum on its talks with Ford

Google spokesperson has kept mum and declined to give any comment on this initiation of talks with Ford. But it should be noted that Google has increased its efforts in roping in new partners for the automobile world to give proper shape to its aims of bringing self-driving cars to the market by 2020.

Ford is an ideal partner for Google

It is quite logical for the Google to partner with an established automaker as it offers a remarkable way of building cars. It wouldn’t be feasible for the Google to ensure that tens of thousands of parts to be used in the cars could abide by the strict federal guidelines. Google will have to spend huge amount on developing plants and competencies, which are involved in building cars. But having Ford as the partner will help Google in leaving the manufacturing related decisions in the hands of seasoned car maker and it can lend its time towards improving the various aspects of the automation technology.

Ford looking for partners for its autonomous driving research

In the past year, Ford has been vocal about its autonomous driving research and it was actively looking for new partners. Ford was hoping to get some new startup and bigger companies to work together in order to improvise and revolutionalize the automotive industry on a bigger scale. The coming together of Ford and Google is a right as most of the automakers are planning the self-driving gradually by adding one feature at a time. But Google has aimed of bringing the first self driving car with complete automotive controls and devoid of any steering wheels or pedals.

Ford will benefit from partnering with Google

It is worth noting that Ford has been lagging behind most of its competitor and it has revamped its pace for developing the self-driving cars last year in order to get better of them. Ford has expanded its advanced safety technology, which includes a number of features from the automatic braking, hands free operation of cars and much more. Ford will be implementing most of its automotive functionalities and features in its global line over the next five years. Partnering with Google will benefit both the companies on a whole new level.

Thursday 24 December 2015

World's First Brain-Powered Car Being Developed

Brain-Powered_Car

Car Controlled Through Brain Signals of Driver


Automotive companies such as Nissan, Tesla and Toyota have informed that self-driving cars are likely to show up soon though it may not be the only futuristic automotive tech coming up. According to a report, at China’s Nankai University, a team have created a prototype of a car which is controlled through brain signals of the driver.

 According to the publication, the team have been working on a technology utilising brain signals in order to control a car to stop, move forward, backward, lock or unlock. One of the project researchers, Zhang Zhao had explained that the headgear contains around 16 electroencephalogram – EEG sensors which tend to identify the activity of the brain that is worn by the driver.

They have developed a computer program which tends to select the related signals, translating them inthe control of the car. The computer tends to examine and decode brain signals and translate the same to the relevant automotive commands. Zhang has informed that the `tester’s EEG signals picked up by the brain signal reading equipment and transmits wirelessly to the computer.

The computer processes the signals to sort and recognize the intention of the person and translate them in controlling the car. The central point of the whole procedure is to process the EEG signals which are done by the computer.

Self-Driving Cars Soon a Reality for Consumers


Improvement in the field of consumer vehicles is great with the company at a point of delivering partly autonomous cars. After several years of testing out the technology, Google has exposed its intentions of releasing smart automobiles within the next five years which is also supported by Toyota as well as Nissan.

They have both fixed 2020 as the year wherein self-driving cars would begin to be a reality for their consumers. The technology is said to be in progress wherein the researchers are at the stage where their cars which has been provided by Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors, could drive in a straight line with the use of brain power.

 The project is led by Dang Feng, associate Professor from the university’s College of Computer and Control Engineering. He highlighted that the technology is focused on serving human beings and there could be a possibility of combining brain controlled technology as well as driverless cars, like Google Self Driving Car – SDC.

Driving Method without Use of Hands/Feet for Disabled


He adds that driverless cars’ further improvement could bring about additional benefits since we can realise functions relating to brain controlling better, with the aid of the driverless cars’ platform. In the end, cars, irrespective of driverless or not and machines, would be serving people. In the project, it makes the cars better serving human beings.

The brain fuelled automotive project materialised from the desire to help physically handicapped people to drive, according to Duan Feng, an associate professor and project leader. There are two starting point of this project where the first one is in the provision of a driving method without the use of hands or feet for the disabled who may be unable to move freely while the second is to provide healthy person with a new and much more intellectualized driving mode according to Zhang. As per the team it is said that presently there are no plans to mass-produce the technology.

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Tesla's Cars Can Drive Themselves Starting Tomorrow

tesla

Tesla – Car’s Self Driving Features


Tesla recently announced at a press event, the release of version 7.0 of the Model S software, which is a broadly expected new build that permits the car’s self-driving features. The capabilities had first been announced last year while the essential sensors had been added to all Model S cars which had rolled off the assembly line since last September.

However, Tesla wanted more time to amplify the systems which it has been testing this year. The 7.0 release would start soon in the US on a rolling basis and would be proceeding to Europe and Asia soon pending regulatory approval.

This does not seem to be a completely autonomous vehicle like that of Google car, but the main feature is what Tesla calls Autosteer that tends to keep the car in its present lane once they are already on the road, managing speed as well as distance from the car ahead.

Elon Must, on the call, was cautious to call Autosteer as a `beta’ feature wherein drivers were instructed to keep their hands on the wheel even though the function was engaged. He commented that they want people to be quite careful, while admitting that some people tend to take their hands off the wheel regardless and that they do not advise that.

Features - Auto Lane Change


A forthcoming version 7.1 would add the capability of sending the car off to a garage on its own and come back to pick you up which is another feature informed, when Musk had announced autopilot potentials last year. The Tesla in fact instructs drivers to keep their hands on the wheel while the car is steering for them and helps to keep liability squarely out of their court.

He comments that if there is an accident, the driver of the car is responsible, while also observing that there would ultimately be a time where self-driving vehicles would be safe and reliable adequately to abandon drivers of that liability completely.

The other 7.0 features Auto Lane Change which would automatically move to the nearby lane by tapping the turn signal together with the Autopark which tends to scan constantly for available parking around the car.

System Comprises of Four Sensor Categories


When it locates a space for park, the cartends to park it on its own. Besides this, there is also the Automatic Emergency Steering and Side Collision Warning, which utilises the ultrasonic sensors to move the car away from risk while cautioning the driver whenever it is essential.

The system comprises of four sensor categories on the car namely forward radar, forward-facing camera, 360 degree ultrasonic sensors and the GPS accompanied with Tesla’s high resolution navigation maps which trail the individual lanes and features of the roadways.

These types of sensors are found on several modern vehicles that are equipped with semi-autonomous features such as lane keep and dynamic cruise control. Tesla is constantly uploading real world sensor data from 7.0 equipped vehicles to home base which Musk calls it `fleet learning technology’.

This means that the autopilot potentials need to be theoretically more reliable over a period of time and the functions will improve with passage of time, even without a firmware update since the car is accessing Tesla’s high-res maps.

Friday 23 October 2015

Toyota Unveils the FCV Plus, a Multifunctional Hydrogen Electricity Concept Car


FCV_Plus_1

Toyota is all set to boost its environment friendly range of vehicles by bringing in dedicated hydrogen electricity based concept car. Toyota is utilizing the concept of ‘FCV plus’ wherein it will be using compressed hydrogen for its upcoming concept car. This ‘FCV Plus’ concept will allow it to use highly efficient and energy rich compressed hydrogen which can easily be generated from a much wider range if raw materials. It is extremely easier to store the compressed hydrogen within the car which will in turn provide the electricity for running the environmentally sustainable technological vehicle.

Understand the hydrogen car first


Hydrogen cars are nothing different from the electric car and the only difference between the two is the use of battery. Electric cars usually runs on the conventional lithium ion or nickel metal hydride while hydrogen car explicitly stores their electricity in the form o hydrogen which later gets converted in into electricity and utilized in the motors for running the car. Hydrogen cars offers a great way to use a completely environment friendly fuel i.e. hydrogen which offers no harmful exhaust emissions.

Consumers will easily be able to refuel their car with the hydrogen just like filling their present cars with the petrol or diesel. Furthermore hydrogen car doesn’t require users to charge their batteries and they can drive for as long as their hydrogen may last.


FCV_Plus_2

The futuristic Toyota concept car


Toyota concept car possess an ultra slim futuristic design which can easily four passengers with great comfort. The FCV Plus will possess a hydrogen tank which will help in generating the electricity from the hydrogen for driving the motors. It also possess the ability to harness the electricity directly from the hydrogen placed outside the car and it can help in providing a stable for the electric even at home and at other places. Toyota new concept car fuel cell stack can easily be used by the users as a electricity generating device which has been never heard of before. IN simple words this fuel stack not just help in running the car but it can provide electricity to the users for different purposes.


FCV_Plus_3

Features of the hydrogen powered car


Toyota had gone with an extremely compact design but it has sacrificed on the consumers comfort at all. The fuel stack has been carefully mounted between the front wheels while the hydrogen tank has been placed right behind the rear seat. This has made it easier to offers more space within the car even the ultra compact design.

Toyota has used an independent in wheel motors in the entire four wheel which helps in providing better control of the vehicle. This car creates an optimal weight balance by carefully placing the fuel stack and motors at different places and it also helps in offering a wide field of vision to the user. Lightweight shells are used throughout the exterior design to lend a futuristic look. Driver gets straightforward controls which is extremely easier to use and handle without much inconvenience at all.