Tag Archives: Transportation

Transportation: Cambridge University Builds Ultra-Efficient, 560-Mile Range Electric Car

From a Dezeen.com online review:

On a single charge, Helia can cover a range of 900 kilometres – the distance from London to Edinburgh. Again, compared to the Tesla 3, the Cambridge University team’s car has double the range on a battery a quarter of the size.

Helia Cambridge Electric CarThe ability to cover this distance is aided by Helia’s chassis and body panels made from carbon fibre, which grant it a kerb weight of 550 kilograms.

Students from Cambridge University have built an ultra-efficient electric car that drives using only as much power as it takes to boil a kettle.

The Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) student society built the four-seater car, named Helia, with efficiency as the main goal.

Their achievement has been to produce a car that can travel 80 kilometres-per-hour using only 2500 watts, or as much power as it takes to boil a single kettle, which is equivalent to 31 watt-hours-per-kilometre.

To read more: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/30/cambridge-university-helia-electric-car/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Dezeen&utm_content=Daily%20Dezeen+CID_cac4a0d212b07ca5d52c59f6478666b2&utm_source=Dezeen%20Mail&utm_term=Cambridge%20University%20team%20build%20UKs%20most%20efficient%20electric%20car

New Electric Cars: “2019 Mazda MX-30” Is An “Everyday” Vehicle With “Freestyle” Doors

From a DesignBoom online review:

the mazda MX-30 delivers 141bhp and 195lb ft from an electric motor powered by a 35.5kwh battery, offering a range of 130 miles. it is capable of 6.6kW domestic charging and and 50kW rapid charging via a ccs connection, the latter of which will give 80% charge in 30 to 40 minutes, claimed mazda.

Mazda MX-30 Electric Car doors.JPG

the MX-30’s freestyle doors use custom-designed hinges that allow the front doors to open to 82° and rear doors to open to 80°, giving the car a distinctive and elegant cabin silhouette. this should make loading and unloading cargo easier as well as providing easier access for strollers and wheelchairs.

japanese automaker mazda has unveiled it’s first mass-production electric car. unveiled at the 2019 tokyo motor show, the mazda MX-30 features unique freestyle doors, ecological materials and the automaker’s new fuel-efficient skyactiv-x engine, marking a positive step in mazda’s multi-solution approach to reducing emissions.

To read more: https://www.designboom.com/technology/mazda-mx-30-first-electric-car-rear-hinged-freestyle-doors-10-23-2019/?utm_source=designboom+daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mazda+unveils+first

Technology: Cowboy Electric Bike Is Lightweight, With Integrated Lights & Removable Battery

From a TechCrunch online review:

Cowboy Electric Bike integrated lightsFrom the outside, the Cowboy e-bike is a sleek bike. It features a seamless triangle-shaped aluminum frame, integrated lights and a low-key Cowboy logo near the saddle. The handlebar is perfectly straight like on a mountain bike. The only sign that this is an e-bike is that the frame is much larger below the saddle.

The e-bike is relatively light at 16kg (35lbs). Most of the weight is at the back of the Cowboy e-bike because of the battery. But an investor in the startup told me that it wasn’t a problem and that he was even able to attach a baby seat at the back.

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https://cowboy.com/

The two things you’re going to notice quite quickly is that there’s no gear and there’s a rubber and glass fiber belt. Cowboy has opted for an automatic transmission — motor assistance kicks in automatically when you need it the most, such as when you start pedaling, you accelerate or you go uphill.

To read more: https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/23/a-bike-lovers-take-on-the-cowboy-e-bike/

Future Transportation: Bollinger Motors B1 Electric Trucks Are Built “Off-Road Rugged”

From a Detroit News online article:

B1-REAR-INTERIOR-SMALLThe B1 and B2 are classified as Class 3 trucks weighing between 10,000 and 14,000 pounds – the same class as a Ford F350 Super Duty. The skin is made of aluminum, but most of the mass comes from the huge battery that will give the truck over 200 miles of electric range while offering the capability to tow a claimed 7,500 pounds or carry 5,200 pounds of payload.

Bollinger is the brain-child of industrial designer Robert Bollinger, who largely self-financed his effort with a fortune earned in the cosmetics industry.

The inspiration for the EVs came from “living on a grass-fed farm in the Catskills in upstate New York,” Bollinger said in an interview on Autoline this spring. “I wanted to go back to a childhood dream of starting something automotive. I needed a truck out of necessity, it’s what I wanted to drive.”

Company website: https://bollingermotors.com/

To read more: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2019/09/26/bollinger-motors-premieres-all-electric-suv-and-pickup/3777828002/

Future Mobility: Hyundai Rolls Out Foldable Personal Electric Scooter Which Charges And Stores In Their Cars

From a Dezeen.com online article:

Hyundai Personal Electric Scooter view…this prototype is powered by a 10.5 amp hour (AH) lithium battery, which can reach speeds of just over 12 miles per hour and power the vehicle for around 12 miles on a single charge.

Hyundai has plans to integrate a regenerative braking system in the future, which would convert waste kinetic energy from the scooter’s brakes into electricity used to power it. The company claims this could increase its range by up to seven per cent.

Hyundai has created a prototype scooter that folds down to the size of a backpack and can be charged in a car using the energy created while driving. The scooter has been designed for use with future Hyundai or Kia models, which would come with designated storage and charging compartments.

To read more: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/09/09/hyundai-scooter-design-foldable-electric-vehicle/

Future Mobility: The FLIT – 16 Folding E-Bike’s Great Design Is “Engineered To Perfection”, Great Utility

From a YankoDesign.com online review:

FLIT-16 Folding Electric EBike ProfileThe e-bike surprisingly doesn’t look like one, especially given that the rear-wheel motor is concealed from view, and the Flit’s cylindrical battery was designed to beautifully slide into a hollow space inside the bike’s frame, hiding it from view. The bike has a unique way of also integrating suspension into it that allows the rear wheel to easily absorb any shock brought about by cycling on roads, pavements, or even rocky, gravel-y paths. Engineered to perfection by Dave Henderson, who’s background includes being an engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, the Flit-16 maximizes rigidity within a minimal design that further reduces down thanks to its three main hinges that allow you fold or unfold your e-bike in just 10 seconds. 

Touted as a new generation of foldable e-bikes, and with enough awards to prove just how ground-breaking it is, the FLIT-16 is the good old electrically assisted bicycle in a brand new avatar. Designed to help you ‘flit’ across the city from A to B, the bike comes fitted with a 220W Bafang rear hub motor that boosts your ride for up to 50 kilometers (30 miles) on a single charge. When you’re not riding it, the bike folds down at two separate points to become small enough to store under your table, yet still retaining its ability to be wheeled around wherever you go.

Read more: https://www.yankodesign.com/2019/08/30/the-flit-16-is-a-foldable-electric-bike-that-can-fit-under-your-chair/

Future Of Mobility: Sony And Yamaha Motor Unveil “Entertainment Vehicle”

From a Sony news release:

Sony and Yamaha Motor Partner to Develop SC-1 Sociable CartThe SC-1 is designed to transform what was a mere means of mobility into an all-new opportunity for entertainment. Sony and Yamaha Motor will deploy it to provide fun new diversions at venues such as golf courses, amusement parks, and commercial facilities.

Like its prototypes, the SC-1 features image sensors capable of vision beyond that of human capacity on all sides of the vehicle.

Tokyo, Japan— Sony Corporation announced today the joint development with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., of the SC-1 Sociable Cart, a vehicle that delivers a new mobility experience. Sony and Yamaha Motor plan to launch services using this model in Japan in fiscal 2019. The vehicle was developed solely for the purpose of providing a new mobility experience, and it will not be made available for sale.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201908/19-077E/index.html

Boomers Leisure: Vintage Electric Bikes “Designed In The Grand Tradition Of Open-Air Sportscars”

From a DesignBoom.com online review article:

Vintage Electric Bikes storydesigned in the grand tradition of open-air sportscars, the brand new vintage electric roadster presents riders with an impressively fast 36-mph throttle bike that offers top-shelf performance with eye-catching styling. vintage electric founder and lead designer andrew davidge says, ‘the new vintage electric roadster is our take on applying the thrill of a canyon-carving convertible sportscar to our respective ev bike segment. we set out to combine best-in-industry performance with a grand aesthetic inspired by the simple, yet powerful, european and american sportscars form the 1950s and 1960s eras.’

To read more click on following link: https://www.designboom.com/design/vintage-electric-roadster-throttle-bike-08-07-2019/?utm_source=designboom+news&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=vintage+electric+introduces

Future Trends: Audi Introduces New E-Scooter Skateboard Concept For “Light Mobility City Exploration”

From an Audi Media Center news release:

Audi E-Scooter ConceptWith a new e-scooter concept, Audi is responding to the urban trend towards multi-modal mobility. The Audi e-tronScooter, combining the advantages of the electric scooter and the skateboard, is designed for sporty riders. To be transported by car, bus or train, the twelve-kilogram (26-pound) e-scooter can be folded up and conveniently stored in the back of the car, or if preferred pulled like a trolley. Above all, the Audi e-tron Scooter stands out thanks to its handling, which is like surfing waves. The rider has one hand free, and so is able to look around and give hand signals. Production and sales are planned for late 2020.

 

“With the Audi e-tron Scooter, we appeal to customers who are on the move in cities, sustainably and multi-modally – and for whom style and functionality are important,” says Thorsten Schrader, project manager for micro-mobility at Audi. Although riders keep one hand on the handlebar, they control the scooter like a skateboard with their feet by shifting their weight. The movable axles with four wheels allow unusually tight curves. “Of course the e-tron Scooter also moves straight ahead. But the feeling of flow only comes when you start carving on asphalt – and that is surprisingly easy with our new concept.”

To read more click on the following link: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/audi-combines-e-scooter-with-skateboard-11957

Future Transportation: Optimus Ride Debuted First Public Self-Driving Shuttle In New York City

From a Futurism.com online article:

Optimus Ride - NYC’s First Self-Driving ShuttleThe car did what it was supposed to. The ride was a bit shaky, but it’s unclear whether that was because of the vehicle itself or because its AI system was constantly re-evaluating its surroundings. But it felt safe — we slowed down and swerved around a cyclist without leaving the lane. The cars had the entire route mapped out; each destination was already programmed in.

Self-driving car company Optimus Ride just debuted the first public autonomous vehicles in New York City, which will shuttle visitors around the private streets of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a historic manufacturing hub turned tech incubator. A launch event on Tuesday evening promised rides on the company’s self-driving shuttles, so I stopped by — to kick the tires and, naturally, see if the shuttles did what they were supposed to.

I listened as VP of engineering Ruijie He explained how the shuttles detect and analyze their surroundings. He described how the vehicles combine visual recordings and LIDAR into a single data stream to get more detailed and higher-resolution input from the vehicle’s surroundings.

To read more click on the following link:

https://futurism.com/nyc-self-driving-shuttle?utm_source=The+Future+Is&utm_campaign=bf7701459c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_08_08_05_06&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_03cd0a26cd-bf7701459c-247461173&mc_cid=bf7701459c&mc_eid=27a7c5bde2