Phoenix Roadster- The world’s first biodegradable car (Special Cars)

phoenix-concept-car

Filipino product designer Kenneth Cobonpue and Albrecht Birkner have devised a truly unique solution, introducing the world's first biodegradable car, the Phoenix, billed as the world’s first bamboo and rattan biodegradable car, dubbed the Phoenix.
The Phoenix was built in 10 days, comprised of bamboo, rattan, steel, and nylon. The length of the biodegradable car measures 153 inches long and is a small solution to a big problem; the waste created  by old cars that outlive their purpose. 

According to Mr. Cobonpue, “this project attempts to unveil the future of green vehicles using woven skins from organic fibers mates to composite materials and powered by green technology.”
On average, a person keeps a car for 5 years in industrialized countries, 10-20 elsewhere, and with that in the mind the Phoenix’s biodegradable skin is designed to meet those needs while not outliving its purpose. Interestingly, the skin of the vehicle can be replaced inexpensively if the owner wishes to keep their car longer, and the frame of the Phoenix can be easily customized to meet the needs of its customers. As of now there is no word on exactly what will power the Phoenix, but an all-electric setup would seemingly be small enough to power this little work of art.

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Autonomo - designed for the year 2030 (future cars)

Charles Rattray's vision of what the automotive industry will be capable of by the year 2030 is far more feasible that it may seem at first glance.

Autonomo 2030 Concept by Charles Rattray (Image: Charles Rattray)

Autonomous transport is central to the whole idea. Drawing heavily on the principles of swarm robotics, the self-driving autonomos travel in tight clusters that shift their configurations to maintain an uninterrupted flow of traffic while allowing particular vehicles to reach their respective destinations. This so called "platoon mode" allows to vastly reduce energy consumption through reducing the aerodynamic impact on the vehicles further back down the platoon. Thanks to microwave sensors, the spaces between vehicles are reduced to mere 20cm (7.8 inches), as keeping a safe distance from cars ahead is no longer required. Another type of microwave detectors scan the road surface ahead to prime the suspension accordingly and provide a smoother ride.

Needless to say, the whole operation is run by computers. Each drive-by-wire autonomo has an onboard computer that crunches the data received from an array of sensors (e.g. radar, microwave, lidar, optical and infrared sensors) as well as from external feedback systems. This enables monitoring the road 200m (656 feet) in front and behind the vehicle, or a whole platoon of vehicles, regardless of weather conditions. The cars understand their surroundings well enough to anticipate any changes in the road environment and react to them much quicker that even the most experienced humans. Even the acute senses of the homo sapiens are no match to a set of hi-definition cameras coupled with object recognition technologies capable of interpreting human gestures and predicting the path of other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians or any other potentially hazardous objects.

This local level of awareness is augmented by data streamed from a constantly updated centralized database responsible for the real-time balancing of mobility demands across the entire network. Such a database would be controlled by intelligent algorithms that learn from the information that is fed to them. Historical data and the data collected in real time would be used to efficiently match the infrastructure real estate with the changing demands of ever fluctuating traffic.

All this would be achieved without overhauling the existing road infrastructure. Instead of making roads wider to accommodate new lanes, Rattray chose to make his concept car a 1.15m (3.77 feet) wide two-seater. This doubles the throughput of our roads, with two autonomos fitting abreast in a single lane. Maneuverability is additionally improved by a tilting design and by wheels that allow movement in all directions

The aerodynamic body shares the length and the the wheelbase of a 2009 Mini Cooper, but - unlike the Mini - it is covered with two transparent photovoltaic layers that harvest electric energy to be stored in ultra-efficient lightweight batteries and passed on to the in-wheel motors. Since the passengers are not busy driving, they can enjoy the views through opaque, one-way vision windows or amuse themselves by playing around with the on-board augmented reality screen. Charging the vehicle through electrodynamic induction or energy transfer lasers is done wirelessly and can be performed on the go, via charging pads embedded in the road surface. Energy can also be shared within a platoon.

(via Gizmag)

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Aston Martin Bulldog GT(Special Cars)

Aston-Martin-Bulldog-GT

Aston Martin Bulldog GT, a stylish and powerful rear mounted V12 engine supercar by Danish firm HBH.
Recently the proverbial well has run a little dry with traditional GT and super cars entering the fray — what with the Tokyo Motor Show just around the corner and all the quirky pint-sized EV’s and plug-ins that the far-east show has become known for gearing up to take center stage. Who better than Aston Martin to get our engines revving again as talk of miles per gallon and charging times gives way to horsepower and lb-ft of torque? Where the number next to the V in cars specs refers to the arrangement of cylinders and not the voltage needed to charge the car.

Danish firm HBH latest project the Aston Martin Bulldog GT is  beautiful car that any auto-enthusiast would love to have parked comfortably in their garage. Adorned with two superchargers and a 6.0-liter V12 lifted from the Aston Martin Vantage. The Bulldog GT is capable of outputting a devilish 666 horsepower and 548 lb-ft of torque that enables sprint speeds of 0-62 in 3.9 seconds and top speed of 186 mph. The body style of the Aston Martin Bulldog GT is a unique aluminum and helps ensure the engine sits comfortable behind the sporty cabin.

The Aston Martin Bulldog GT hasn’t been made official yet, but test drives are tentatively scheduled for 2013 with pricing estimated to exceed $181k, the cost of stock V12 Vantage.

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Eco-friendly futuristic fold-out camper van

ECCO

Despite the state of the art design, the driver must give up the most important human freedom: driving without pants. The 4.62-meter-long electric vehicle, which is set to go on sale as early as 2014, can sleep up to five people and sports a quaint little kitchen, bathroom and lounge area.
Soon the trailer park will no longer connotate beer cans and shot guns. Round up a couple of these bad boys and you've got a neighbourhood fit for The Jetsons.

ECCO-ii

Inspired by the most famous Swiss compact design -- the Swiss Army knife -- Swiss design company NAU is creating an eco-friendly egg-shaped camper van that folds out into a comfortable living space.
The camper van -- called ECCO -- gives off zero emissions, but that doesn't mean other cars won't be eating its dust--the aerodynamic van can reach a top speed of 145 kph, not bad for a portable home.
The vehicle can be quickly charged at a standard 240V station. It is topped with a solar panel roof to charge a battery. Just eight hours of charging can provide 24 hours of use.
The NAU website explains,"When used for extended living purposes, even where no electricity is available, it has a built-in photovoltaic panels and solar sail roof, meaning it can cut out the middleman and charge directly from the sun."

ECCO-iii

The 4.62-meter-long electric vehicle, which is set to go on sale as early as 2014, can sleep up to five people and sports a quaint little kitchen, bathroom and lounge area.
A NAU spokesman says that the ECCO was inspired by the VW and the Airstream caravan.
The company hopes the futuristic vehicle will prove as iconic as the VW camper van (without the suggestion that a questionable cloud of smoke shall emit from the door during a music festival).
Passengers enter the ECCO via a convenient stairway that folds into the ceiling.
While a bit wider than its Volkswagen predecessor, the ECCO’s form is more aerodynamic, and rides closer to the ground.  NAU says it has not yet decided on a price for the vehicle.

NAU

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VW Hovercraft Bring Us One Step Closer to the Jetsons

volkswagen aqua hovercraft

Zhang Yuan, a 21-year-old Chinese designer, has plans for a vehicle called the Volkswagen Aqua that can hover and thereby negotiate all kinds of terrain, including road, sand, ice, snow and water! The design for the invention has been shortlisted in the annual Car Design Awards competition, sponsored in part by Volkswagen.

Yuan's design calls for four powerful fans in conjunction with airbags to give the vehicle its hover power. The ultra smooth and futuristic design also includes an expansive panoramic windshield and a hatch entrance from the back.

Yuan wanted the machine to be futuristic through and through and so she has designed it to run on two motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The first motor controls the hovering action of the vehicle while the second one directs its motion. Fuel cell technology, which is already available, will ensure that the vehicle has no carbon emissions.

The vehicle was designed in response to Volkswagen’s call for a ‘Chinese off-road vehicle,’ but it's obvious that it could have a very widespread appeal. Yuan describes her aspirations for the hovercraft to the The Nation: ‘I hope Aqua will become an affordable supercar that is available to the general public one day.’

The current design will allow the vehicle to travel at speeds of up to 62 mph and to transition seamlessly between different surfaces. The combination of the futuristic design, high-tech hovercraft system and low environmental impact of the Aqua is sure to gain a lot of attention and could could pave the way for the personal vehicle of the future.

Credit: Zhan Yuan/Volkwagen, Car Design Awards

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