Did you know that electric cars are not a thing of the future, but rather have been around for centuries (specifically one and a half, dating back to 1834, yes 1834)
You have entered the wonderful realm of the future of cars, where the possibilities are endless and anything is possible. From air-powered cars to battery operated cars, cars have come a long way since their invention in the late 1700's. Inventors then dreamed of a "horseless carriage", a vehicle that could travel under its own power. The cars in 1700 were but mere steam-propelled road vehicles, and were extremely unreliable - they made noise, destroyed roads and even exploded in your face.
Since then cars have made much progress and we now travel in air-conditioned sedans fitted with gadgets and gizmos like car radios, cigarette lighters and such. Cars today are not just a mode of transport, but also a luxury item, one to be ridden in comfort, one in which one can take a nap in.
Cars in the near future? We can only dream of them now, but this site will give you an insight as to what it might be
But then, the future is the future, and we'll know when it comes. This website does not predict what the future of cars is going to be, but rather give you an insight as to what it might be.
You have entered the wonderful realm of the future of cars, where the possibilities are endless and anything is possible. From air-powered cars to battery operated cars, cars have come a long way since their invention in the late 1700's. Inventors then dreamed of a "horseless carriage", a vehicle that could travel under its own power. The cars in 1700 were but mere steam-propelled road vehicles, and were extremely unreliable - they made noise, destroyed roads and even exploded in your face.
Since then cars have made much progress and we now travel in air-conditioned sedans fitted with gadgets and gizmos like car radios, cigarette lighters and such. Cars today are not just a mode of transport, but also a luxury item, one to be ridden in comfort, one in which one can take a nap in.
Cars in the near future? We can only dream of them now, but this site will give you an insight as to what it might be
But then, the future is the future, and we'll know when it comes. This website does not predict what the future of cars is going to be, but rather give you an insight as to what it might be.
Future Cars: The Green Alternative
The cars of the future were once thought to be nice addictions to auto shows or fantastical dreams of some car junkie, but future cars are much more important than ever before. With the environment on everyone's mind, the emergence of Peak Oil, and an economy dependent on foreign oil, future cars are one of the pieces to the puzzle in rescuing society from many of the impending disasters it is facing. From the Prius to the Tesla, future cars have become the hot item in today's public eye, yet even more important they have become the green item as well, helping to revive and inspire a green and alternative consciousness in main stream society.At Future Cars we’re fostering an online community dedicated to providing unbiased information about the future cars and future vehicles —how they will run, how viable they are, and how they will contribute to a cleaner environment and end our international dependence on oil and other fossil fuels. Here you will find news and information on a number of future cars, alternative fuels, and emerging technologies of the future, all in a language that’s easy to understand.
Featured Future Cars
With the aide of British electromagnetic specialists PML Flightlink, Volvo has put together a dynamite powertrain that offers enough mileage on the battery alone to make the gas engine little more than a security blanket—the perfect means of weaning us all off of gasoline and other fossil fuels... For more info on Volvo Recharge visit:
Class: 4-door sports car
Manufacturer: Pininfarina
The Manufacturer says …
“Our source of inspiration [for the Sintesi] was man’s freedom over technology, a car in which technology gives creative freedom back to the designer and allows us to explore new forms and future scenarios.”
The Critics Say...
“Our source of inspiration [for the Sintesi] was man’s freedom over technology, a car in which technology gives creative freedom back to the designer and allows us to explore new forms and future scenarios.”
The Critics Say...
“Pininfarina’s latest work [is] a cutting-edge technology showcase … designed to explore new typologies of mobility, active safety and packaging solutions.”—motorauthority.com
Overview
We try to avoid reviewing concept cars with any regularity here at Futurecars but every so often concepts come along whose technology displays so much great potential and whose design is so fantastic that they demand we spill a little ink on them. The Pininfarina Sintesi is one of those concepts. Famed Italian car design firm Pininfarina—responsible for the breathless designs of Ferrari’s Maserati’s, Alfa Romeo’s and more—typically uses the Geneva Auto Show to unveil her concepts and the 2008 show was no different in that respect, presenting the stunning and stylish Sintesi hydrogen fuel cell car.
What We Like
•The “Liquid” Packaging. This concept doesn’t “consider the car as a form which covers mechanical parts and passengers, but rather to give form to the mechanical parts around the passengers.” It improves weight distribution and lowers the center of gravity, contributing to its driving dynamics. Credit the company’s collaboration with Nuvera, developers of the Quadrivium Fuel Cells system. This system distributes the powertrain, putting the four in-wheel electric motors and four fuel cell stacks on the frame near the wheels.
• The design. The Sintesi’s smooth, stylish lines create, in their words, a “continuous looped surface that, starting from the front wing, stretches along the side of the car, naturally blends into the rear fender and then turns around the side window to dive back under the front wing.”
• The cabin. Unlike any interior we’ve ever seen, the fluid beauty of the Sintesi’s innovative cabin was designed as an integral aspect of the exterior.
• The headlights. Right, the headlights, because with tele-cameras and a proximity radar they are the eyes and ears of the vehicle’s far-reaching and futuristic Transparent Mobility system which envisions a world in which cars communicate with one another and the surrounding environment.
What We Don’t Like
• The concept. Meaning only that we wish she weren’t a concept car. Pininfarina Sintesi SpecificationsPropulsion system: 700hp electric-hydrogen powertrain (four in-wheel motors and four fuel cell stacks)Top Speed: 118 mph (using the fuel cell only)Zero-to-62: 9 secondsMPG: NAVehicle range: NAFuel(s): hydrogen and electricity Battery pack: NA (although possibly something akin to the Bolloré-made lithium metal polymer expected in the Pininfarina Bolloré electric car)Tailpipe emissions: NoConclusionPininfarina has suggested that the Sintesi could go into production in 2015. We sure hope so. In the meantime we’re looking forward to the company’s electric car joint venture with Bolloré, expected to go on sale at the end of 2008.
Moller M400 Skycar
Type: Personal Air Vehicle (PAV)Manufacturer: Moller International
The Manufacturer Says...
“Moller International has developed the first and only feasible, personally affordable, personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle the world has ever seen.”
The Critics Say...
“It would look right at home on the set of Bladerunner or the latest Star Wars film, but the Moller M400 Skycar … is definitely for real.”—gizmag.com “This matter involves a fraudulent, unregistered offering and the filing of a fraudulent Form 10-SB by Moller International, Inc. ("MI" or "the company"), a California company engaged in the development of a personal aircraft known as ‘the Skycar.’”—From Securities and Exchange Commission v. Moller International Inc and Paul S. Moller, Defendants (U.S.D.C., Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division, Civil Action No. 2:03-CV-261)
Overview
So much of the automotive industry runs on the fumes generated by hype; how much air can you blow? And it’s very easy, even for jaded industry veterans, to fall for it, generally because you want to believe. One look at the 4-passenger Moller M400 Skycar and we don’t much care who you are, this is a dynamo—hustler and hooker, the collective futurecars dream. Then we wake. And it’s a mess. Of the manufacturer’s claims quoted above, namely that the M400 is “feasible, personally affordable, personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle”, the one that is hardest to accept—and that almost ruins the dream for us—is the VTOL aspect. This technology requires an extraordinary amount of force and thrust. The manufacture claims it can achieve this with “a patented thrust deflection vane system that redirects thrust.” Could be, but to get an idea of how successful the far-better-funded US Army has been with VTOL, read about the V-22 Osprey. Or better yet, read about the RAF’s Harrier Jump Jet, with which the M400 claims some technological affinity.
What We Like
• The design and the cockpit. In the video on this site, watch Adam Savage from Mythbusters gush when he gets in. He’s gushing for all of us, because that is one killer cockpit, purely because of what it suggests for the future.
• The fuel. Ethanol, with some suggestion that compressed natural gas (CNG) might also be feasible.
• The safety. Emergency parachutes (you won’t likely see that again anytime soon in a car review).
What We Don’t Like
• The efficiency. After gasping at so many of the web site’s proposed specifications, 20 mpg is a bit of a disappointment. Moller M400 Skycar SpecificationsPropulsion system:Eight Rotapower duel-fuel Engines Top Speed: 375 mph Zero-to-60: NA MPG: NA Vehicle range: 750 miles Fuel(s): Ethanol or gasoline Tailpipe emissions: Yes ConclusionUltimately, the M400 kicks off a sweet daydream. Who can’t, after a gasp, imagine themselves cruising at 36,000 feet, zooming along at 360 mph in your own personal flying car, tunes cranking at full blast? Sadly it’s simply too difficult to take it all too, too seriously. Yet.
Lightning GT
Type: 100% electric vehicleClass: Roadster
Manufacturer: Lightning Car Company
The Manufacturer says...
“Combining classic, British sports car design with racing car technology and state of the art NanoSafe™ battery power and Hi-Pa Drive™ electric motor innovation, the Lightning GT has been developed with exhilarating performance front of mind.”
The Critics Say...
“With a purported 700hp, the Lightning GT might be the most powerful all electric vehicle to hit the consumer market.” —gadgetreview.com“For those of you high-performance electric car enthusiasts that were hoping to see this as an alternative to the Tesla Roadster, don't hold your breath to see this one come across the pond any time soon.” —autobloggreen.com
Overview
This sleek, luxury, high-performance 2-door roadster from Peterborough, UK-based Lightning Car Company is heart-stopping. It is expected to go into production in late 2008 for British consumers first. What We Like
• The drive motors. Hi-Pa Drive™ technology means the Lightning has four 120kw power Permanent Magnet brushless motors, one in each wheel. Putting the motors in the wheels increases efficiency and is a brilliant emerging technology in the field.
• The battery system. US-based Altaimano’s NanoSafe™ nanotech batteries are non-toxic, they have a life expectancy of 12 years or more, can be recharged in ten little minutes, retain 85% of their charge capacity after 15,000 charges, and can handle extreme temperatures.
• The design. The lightweight carbon fibre/Kevlar composite technology has been molded into a sexy, sporty roadster that takes your breath away, especially when you realize its all-electric.
• The standard features. Among others, they include anti-lock brakes and regenerative braking, forged alloy wheels, an entertainment system, and the home-based charging system (EVCS). Air-conditioning is listed as an option, but when the vehicle comes stateside, we expect that to change. What We Don’t Like
• The price estimates. They have not posted a sticker price; rather, they are accept reservation deposits in the amount of £15,000. At least one web site claims the price to top £150,000 ($290,000 or so US); we’ll wait to hear from Lightning on the matter, but that price is way beyond the average consumer’s budget. Lightning GT SpecificationsPropulsion system: Four 120kw power Permanent Magnet brushless motorsTop Speed: 130 mphZero-to-60: 4 secondsVehicle range: 250 milesFuel(s): ElectricityBattery pack: NanoSafe™ battery, 36kw power (full charge: 10 minutes)Tailpipe emissions: NoneConclusionIf prices turn out to be that high, the Lightning GT will not stake a reasonable claim as the Tesla Roadster’s chief reason to be concerned—that’s simply too high. Nonetheless, the GT’s battery pack and four in-hub motors—two promising technologies that give us hope—are stellar picks set inside a jaw-dropping automobile.
For information on Future cars and their technologies, visit:
No comments:
Post a Comment