Audi Aicon

 Aicon: Audi technology demonstrator

Design study, technology demonstrator, mobility concept: The Audi Aicon exploits every possibility offered by a autonomous luxury sedan of the future with unprecedented consistency. As a design study, the four-door 2+2 boldly leaps ahead to show the exterior and interior design of the next decades. The technology demonstrator combines innovations relating to the drivetrain, suspension, digitalization and sustainability in a visionary manner. And as a mobility concept, the Audi Aicon shows the world of tomorrow, in which the advantages of door-to-door individual transportation are combined with the luxurious ambiance of a first-class airline cabin.
Pure presence – the exterior

Design

The Audi Aicon looks spectacular from any angle. Its sheer size – an exterior length of 5,444 millimeters (17.9 ft), a width of 2,100 millimeters (6.9 ft) and a height of 1,506 millimeters (4.9 ft) – places it in the automotive top tier, the D segment.The designers reduced the front and rear ends to a minimum of lines and focused on large, uninterrupted surfaces. As with the Audi e-tron Sportback concept, the Aicon front features the inverted hexagonal Singleframe, a typical feature of the upcoming generation of electric cars from Audi. The sharply inclined silhouette of the entire front end evokes a sense of forging ahead – this, too, is a typical sports car body line.

 

Emotion and information – the LED lighting technology

Conventional headlights and lighting units are absent from both the front and rear of this car. Instead there are fully digital display surfaces comprising hundreds of triangular pixel segments. They are three-dimensional recreations of the Audi AI symbol. Grouped around the Singleframe are large light fields, in which – as at the rear – more than 600 3D pixels are arranged in space. The large surfaces and high pixel count enable versatile graphics, animations and information visualizations in any color. The Audi Aicon is thus no longer bound to a daytime running lights look, but rather can adapt to the driving situation and even its passengers. The customization is boundless. Horizontally cut lighting segments to the left and right of the Singleframe look like eyes and can be expanded to resemble wide pupils or squinted for an aggressive look. If the car detects passers-by or other road users, it literally makes eye contact with them and follows them with its “eyes.”

Accommodating – operation and communication

The oft-cited paradigm change in the automotive world – it shows in the Audi Aicon. One glance is all it takes to realize that all of the controls and displays are missing. Steering wheel, pedals, groups of buttons and instruments – nothing. Instead just wide, uninterrupted surfaces. The interior quickly comes to life once passengers enter. Illuminated lines of LEDs set colorful accents in the area of the doors. The front display lights up with a welcome message. PIA, the empathetic electronic vehicle assistant, recognizes the passenger by his phone and activates all of his personal settings. There are custom settings for the air conditioning and seating position, interior light color and the layout of the infotainment system. The navigation system awaits entry of a destination, and all accessible channels of communication are ready for use, connected via the fastest available standard.

New are the variably positionable control interfaces in the encircling door rail. Depending on the position of the seats, which can be shifted by up to 50 centimeters (19.7 in), ergonomically perfectly positioned touch and display elements are available in the digitized wrap-around. Your hand instinctively finds its way to the touch-sensitive control panels.

There are multiple input modes available for engaging with the car. Besides the haptic-manual layer, there are also voice control and eye tracking, in which sensors in the front end of the interior track where the passenger is looking.

The full range of services offered by modern communications electronics are available at all times in the Audi Aicon. Travelers can relax and watch a film or surf the web. Video conferences are another option, as is interaction on social media. Depending on the seating position, the passengers can use the large front display as the output surface or a virtual head-up image displayed above it in the windshield.

The glass roof panels can block out the sunlight, if desired. Their transparency level changes upon application of an electric voltage. Integrated OLED lighting elements allow for precise mood lighting or the even illumination of the interior when getting in or out of the car, for instance.

The Audi Aicon opens up a new world of mobility to its passengers. Freed from the tasks of driving, they can choose how to spend their time in the car. Working, communicating or simply just relaxing and even napping: Anything is possible while the car autonomously and safely finds its way.

Power unit

A highly efficient electric drive provides for the dynamics of the Audi Aicon. A total of four electric motors are located in the area of the front and rear axles. The energy storage units are integrated into the area below the floor. The four electric motors produce a total of 260 kW and 550 Newtonmeters (405.7 lb-ft). Each drives one wheel, enabling electronically controlled, variable quattro all-wheel drive. Maximum acceleration played a less important role in the specification than maximum efficiency and thus also range.

This operating strategy is also pursued by the powertrain and electric brake units, which use recuperation to recover energy. Targeted lightweight construction of the multimaterial body and optimized aerodynamics also help the Audi Aicon to achieve ranges between 700 and 800 kilometers (435.0 - 497.1 mi) on a single charge.

Even charging has been reduced to a minimum. Thanks to a high-voltage system with 800 volts, the Aicon’s battery unit can be charged to 80 percent of capacity in less than 30 minutes. The car is also equipped with a unit of inductive, i.e. wireless, charging. The Aicon manages both without a driver. In an AI Zone, it can pull up to a charging station on its own and charge its battery without any human assistance.

As a true quattro, the Audi Aicon offers ample performance and even autonomously always reaches its destination safely regardless of the weather or road surface. The suspension is designed for maximum comfort. Pneumatic spring and damper units smooth out any road surface irregularities.

The Audi Aicon is an all-arounder well prepared for its primary task: to offer a maximum of comfort, communications technology and freedom for its occupants during a long journey. It combines the scopes for autonomous driving in an urban environment and on the highway with an unprecedented range for an electric drive. The Aicon will be followed by further multitalented Audi models, each with their own specialized discipline, ensuring that the vehicle range of the brand with the four rings remains as diverse as it is fascinating.

The Interior

Source: http://www.audi.com/en/models/showcars/aicon.html

Artega Scalo - the all-electric sucessor of the Artega GT

Artega Scalo

In 2015 an electric version of the Artega GT was showcased, powered by two rear-mounted high power electric engines.  Its name was Scalo, after a winning Westphalian stallion with the same name.  This concept car sowed the seed for a further developed model, with much more power, greater performance and even greater range. The target range was 500km.   

The Artega Scalo with a purely electric drive is the direct successor of the Artega GT, which inspired car fans around the world. The new German electric sports car promises pure driving enjoyment with aerospace genes. 

An impressive acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and an electronically limited maximum speed of 155 mph characterise the Artega Scalo. The range of up to 250 mls and the charging time are convincing as well. With a 64 kW DC quick charge, it is possible to charge the battery completely in less than one hour. 

The Artega Scalo has two Voltabox high-performance electrical motors with a total output of 300 kW and a torque of 575 ft-lb - using technology from aerospace. The energy storage is a world novelty: Lithium-ion battery modules, combined with perfectly customized SuperCaps (high-performance capacitors).

 Pursuing the electric power route Artega has dispensed with petroleum engines and wants to promote the switch to electromobility also in the arena of super sports cars. Consequently, Artega has now sold the know-how, the production facilities, and tools for the Artega GT to US company Saleen, which will build the vehicle with a different engines in China under its own brand. 

The focus of Artega is now on producing an exclusive car that embodies great looks, stunning performance, luxury and practicality, for customers with a unique lifestyle. The target is to become the alternative German super sports car maker, offering high performance cars for everyday use, with a car at the very top of its market segment.  

The Interior

 

About Artega and the Artega GT

The Company

 The German Artega GT sports car, which was first launched back in 2007, continues to be a real head-turner – both on the road and among the cognoscenti – with its still-innovative lightweight structural design and its maker’s special attention to the conservation of resources.

Artega GmbH, to give it its full name, has meanwhile returned to the family ownership of the company’s founder, Klaus Frers, who has taken on the mission of developing the Artega brand and putting the firm’s accumulated know-how to work in creating a sustainable corporate approach for carmakers and their suppliers. 

An extra feature was added in 2008 to Artega’s lightweight construction and onboard power-supply architecture: electric traction. Artega can now offer an unequalled range of products, thanks to its programme of cooperation with paragon AG (a supplier of electronics , display and control systems and body kinematics),  and a paragon subsidiary called Voltabox Deutschland GmbH (which produces li-ion battery systems and onboard chargers).

The outcome of all this is Artega already creating the intelligent mobility of the future.

 

Iconic Artega GT

 After a development phase lasting just 20 months, and a successful application for European short-production-run approval, the period from 2009 to 2012 saw the production and delivery of 153 Artega GT. The Artega GT continues even now to delight enthusiasts, and has won a place among the world’s best-known sports cars. 

Some specialist magazines have even earmarked the Artega GT as a “future classic”. Owners from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia and China are all equally fired up by the incredible driving experience that possessing this very special vehicle entails. 

The knowledge and skills gained from this extraordinary project have created a unique worldwide combination of expertise in many areas. The long list includes electronics, electromechanical and mechanical systems, kinematics, on-board network architecture, electric traction, simulation techniques, active and passive safety, innovative materials, lightweight construction, road testing, validation, homologation and type-approval, project management and small-scale series production. 

Source: http://www.artega.de

Toroidion - new electric concept car from Finland

The quest for an innovative electric supercar

 Toroidion was established in 2011 to develop an entirely new electric powertrain that would be competitive at the Le Mans 24-hour race.

The founder Pasi Pennanen has spent the past 20 years in the automotive industry developing and building concept cars and production models.

“There is no such thing as “it cannot be done”. I believe in pushing the boundaries in product development and design.”

The Toroidion engineering team has now produced the first proof-of-concept electric supercar powered by our revolutionary high-performance powertrain. The Toroidion 1MW Concept car is street-legal and has been designed, developed and built entirely in-house in Finland.

As soon as the tests have been performed, we will reveal more about the performance of our innovative patented powertrain and lightweight concept car.

 The Toroidion all-new electric powertrain has been designed to be scalable in power for different applications while remaining safe to use and service.

The high-performance battery of the Toroidion powertrain is as easily replaced in the pit-lane as it is in the home garage.

The Toroidion 1MW Concept car and our revolutionary powertrain were launched on 16 April 2015 at Top Marques Monaco by H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco.

The Interior

Source: http://toroidion.com

New all-electric concept car MG E-motion

Meet the all-electric concept car MG E-motion

MG Motor has unveiled an all-new electric supercar concept at the 17th annual Shanghai International Automotive Show (19 April, 2017) – the MG E-motion. Offering a glimpse of the future, the next-generation vehicle aims to push the boundaries of innovation and technology, while meeting the needs of today’s trend-setting car buyers.

Styling

Perfectly blending style, sophistication and elegance, the E-motion embodies MG’s vision for the future. With a slender sportsback-style design paying tribute to the brand’s hundred-year heritage, starlight matrix front grill and headlights bringing inspiration from the London Eye, and vertical tail lights developed using decades of world-leading design experience, the ground-breaking concept brings MG’s sense of fun and aspiration to the low emission marketplace.

Performance

Below the surface, the MG E-motion sets the standards in plug-in vehicle capability, with the latest pure-electric modular architecture platform developed in-house and delivering 0-100kmph in less than four seconds, despite boasting a range of more than 500km. Equipped with an intelligent infotainment system, the supercar is fully internet-compatible, which MG believes will position it perfectly for the younger market.

 

Interior

 In addition to the E-motion concept, the Shanghai International Automotive Show also saw the brand unveil a fully-customised version of the MG ZS compact SUV. Positioned as the first intelligent SUV, the model is already proving hugely popular with drivers worldwide.
With an 8” super control panel and the most powerful intelligent interconnected system ever developed, the MG ZS pushes the boundaries of innovative vehicle technology. Worldwide, the MG ZS has already experienced unprecedented sales demand, with upwards of 20,000 registrations being reported every month.

About MG plans for the future 

For the MG brand, this has helped to drive a 76% increase in year-on-year sales figures, alongside a 51% increase in sales compared to the previous quarter – easily surpassing the industry average.
Matthew Cheyne, Head of Sales and Marketing at MG Motor UK, commented: “The MG E-motion electric supercar concept demonstrates our global vision for the future. Alongside leading the way in design and capability, the next-generation model is the latest step in achieving the ultimate driving experience.


Source: http://mg.co.uk/media-centre/press-releases/mg-motor-unveils-vision-of-the-future-with-emotion-concept-car/

Vanda Electrics, unveiled the all-electric Dendrobium hypercar

THE DENDROBIUM IS AN ORCHID VARIETY AND MORE, IT IS AN ELECTRIC HYPERCAR DESIGNED FOR ITS TIME

Inspired by nature and rooted in technology, the Dendrobium fuses a respect for the environment with a design-driven approach to engineering. The Dendrobium’s design challenges the visual sense of viewers while drawing out intrigue among discerning ones. The delicate marriage of lines and curves casts dramatic shadows, reflecting the soothing texture of aluminium, carbon fibre and glass.

Impossibility to Endless Possibilities

The Dendrobium has a stand out design, with unique features including an automatic synchronized roof and doors, resembling a fully-opened dendrobium flower, a genus of orchids native to Singapore. The tear drop shape that forms around the cockpit and ends in the tail is a design feature that has remained a key part of Dendrobium from the initial sketches.

Dendrobium hypercar developed in collaboration with Williams F1 Advanced Engineering

Singapore electric mobility experts, Vanda Electrics, unveiled the all-electric Dendrobium hypercar at the Geneva Motor Show, with Williams Advanced Engineering playing an important role as technical partner.

In this partnership, Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology and engineering services division of the Williams Group, has helped take this ground-breaking design to dynamic concept. The Dendrobium was built at Williams’ facility in Grove, utilising its core capabilities in aerodynamics, advanced lightweight structures, electrification, vehicle integration and low volume production.
The fully electric sports car concept, a high performance halo project for Vanda Electrics, targets exceptional performance with a top speed in excess of 200mph and 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds. The vehicle layout focusses on driver experience, with a head-turning design and a synchronised door mechanism inspired by a genus of orchids native to Singapore.

 Speaking about the project, Craig Wilson, Managing Director of Williams Advanced Engineering, said: “We were delighted to be a technical partner for the development of Dendrobium. With this project, Vanda has really pushed the boundaries of automotive design and Electric Vehicle technology. As technical partner we were able to utilise our core capabilities to deliver the concept and look forward to its reception in Geneva.”

 
Larissa Tan, Vanda Electrics CEO added: “Dendrobium is our interpretation and expression of what pushes the boundaries in the development of an electric performance car. We have engaged some expert partners to help us achieve this such as Williams Advanced Engineering. With its skills in electrification, aerodynamics, lightweight structures, vehicle dynamics and integration – and even low-volume build – we could not think of a more appropriate partner.

“We are looking forward to seeing the world’s reaction to Dendrobium. This electric hypercar may just be a concept for now, but we have every intention of putting it into production. It sits at the top of our range and the production version will be a fitting showcase for the best in design and e-technology.”

Performance

The Dendrobium has a top speed “in excess of 200 mph and 0-60 mph acceleration time of 2.7 seconds.”, featuring the latest lithium-ion battery and electric powertrain technology. Vanda expects to hit production in 2020.

 The motorsport theme is continued in the materials used. In order to meet its target weight of 1,750kg, Dendrobium features a composite monocoque chassis, carbonfibre body panels, carbon ceramic brake discs and lightweight alloy calipers inside 20-inch front and 21-inch rear alloy wheels, wrapped in Michelin high performance tyres. 

The Interior

The interior is designed for the driver as the absolute centre of attention. Contrasting with the predominantly black carbon fibre interior. The bright red body-hugging sports seats feature stitching and motifs inspired by muscle fibres.

Sources: http://dendrobiummotors.com/ and  http://vandaelectrics.com/ and http://www.williamsf1.com/advanced-engineering/news/williams-advanced-engineering-supports-vanda-electrics-with-dendrobium-launch-at-geneva