Tags: automotive technology / concept vehicles / electric cars / Faraday Future

Faraday Future's Zero1 Concept: the Real-Life Homer

- Sabtu, 23 Januari 2016 No Comments

If you didn't catch the Faraday Future reveal of its ultra-secretive Zero1 Concept vehicle last night, you didn't miss much. I watched it online and immediately wanted that 45 minutes of my life back. The really sad part was I was excited to see what the company had in store, because I'm all for shaking things up and getting more electric cars out there.

When the sheet was pulled off  the car, the first thing I thought was that the whole thing was a joke. Like so many others, I saw the leaked photos of the FFZero1 concept online a little before the reveal, and dismissed them as pure rubbish. But there it was, plain as day, a car so zany-looking and impractical that it was shocking.

It reminded me of something I couldn't quite zero in on. Later, I realized what it was: The Homer, that ill-fated car from the Simpsons that sunk a man's career.

Instead of giving us a vehicle that is made for the everyman, Faraday Future decided to make something only billionaires could possibly afford. It's a bad foot to start off on, despite the company claiming it will quickly debut more practical models for production. Maybe it will, but right now things don't look so good.

Tesla has been struggling to really pump up its sales numbers because most people can't afford the Model S or Model X. The Model 3 will be incredibly important simply for the fact it promises accessibility.

One other thing about the Faraday Future reveal: the company's executives love the sound of their own voices. There was more talk than substance in the presentation, with the phrase "the future of mobility" thrown out at least 30 times. Topping it all off, the car on the stage was a shell, with no electric powertrain, no batteries and no fun. I won't go so far as to call Faraday Future vaporware, but I'm not defending it against people who are.

Tags: automotive technology / autonomous cars / motorcycles

How Popular Will Autonomous Motorcycles Be?

- Rabu, 04 November 2015 No Comments

Image courtesy of Harley Davidson

Most people likely aren't aware that Google and a handful of others are testing out using autonomous drive technology for motorcycles. While that might sound crazy, it would mean a whole host of innovations that bring up some exciting possibilities, as well as some drawbacks.

First off, the technology would mean that a motorcycle could ride around without anyone on it. That might sound like a great trick, but it could have practical applications, like  sending a motorcycle to pick up a rider, or letting someone who isn't experienced enough on two wheels make it through city streets safely.

I'm all for technology, but I'm skeptical about how well autonomous drive will really catch on with motorcycle owners. Think about it: while the safety technologies for cars have advanced in crazy ways during the past few decades, the same can't be said about motorcycles. Some might think that has to do with the relatively sparse layout of bikes, and while it's a factor that's only part of the story.

Despite plenty of studies and common sense telling everyone that wearing a helmet saves lives, plenty of motorcycle owners don't wear them. In fact, they fight legislation that would require it in some areas.

Since at least the 1940s, motorcycles have been associated with rebels, people who want to flout the law and live on the edge. That might sound like some cheesy motorcycle website copy, but it's true. The last thing a guy who wants to be a rebel wants to do is get a bike that's loaded with nanny software, that will keep him from popping wheelies.

As an increasing number of cars are outfitted with autonomous drive technology, I predict that motorcycles will at least continue to be the choice of rebels, and might even become more popular as a result. Sure, some will purchase autonomous motorcycles, but they likely will be a minority.

Tags: automotive technology / DeLorean / movies

It's Back to the Future Day!

- Rabu, 21 Oktober 2015 No Comments

Few movies have affected popular culture and generated so much interest in what would otherwise have been an obscure vehicle quite like the Back to the Future trilogy. A lot of people are celebrating the movie today, from a town in California holding a festival to Toyota releasing some special videos based on the movie.

The whole reason for the celebrations today is that it's the date that Doc and Marty McFly arrive in the future in the second movie. Plenty of Photoshop scam screen captures have tried to claim that many other dates were displayed on the DeLorean's display, but in reality it was October 21, 2015.

Trying to predict the future of technology is difficult. The people who made Back to the Future tried to do just that, even if it was in a lighthearted manner. Other movies have tried to do the same thing as well, guessing at what kinds of vehicles, communication devices and other innovations will be available. Some things they get right, other things not so much.

Today, we do have hoverboard technology, even if it's limited to prototype examples only. Lexus created a functioning hoverboard that works with magnets and uses liquid nitrogen cooling:

While technically there are flying cars today, they're nothing like how the DeLorean in Back to the Future flies around. The simple truth is that flying cars are problematic, because they're far more dangerous in the hands of too many untrained people. Likely flying cars will never be commonplace, but it's difficult to predict the future, so who knows?

We still have fax machines today, but outside of some government agencies it seems that hardly anyone actually uses them. Instead, email is the popular way to communicate in written form. There's also social media. Back to the Future didn't portray people walking around, typing on their phone instead of paying attention to what's going on around them. That would have been far more accurate.

What will the future of cars bring? Purely guessing (even though they're educated guesses) I'm going to say the death of the internal combustion engine will happen, at least some cars will be fully autonomous (meaning nobody will even have to be in them to operate) and projected guides on the windows and other surfaces (like heads-up displays) will be commonplace. We'll have fewer accidents, but likely motorcycles will be even more the choice of rebels who want to get around the autonomous and other "nanny" technologies.

Tags: automotive technology / car safety / electric cars

What a Mysterious Car Fire Reveals About Electric Vehicle Technology

- Senin, 19 Oktober 2015 No Comments

Tesla Model S. Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors.

Just over the weekend, a car at a Ken Garff dealership in Orem, Utah mysterious caught fire. It was given a little mention on the news here, with people wondering if someone was trying to vandalize vehicles on the lot. According to the news, the local police don't think it was a case of arson, and that's where the whole issue gets interesting.

Most people have probably forgotten how a few years ago when the Tesla Model S first launched, people were freaking out because a few of them caught fire. The electric cars were called unsafe and there was a witch hunt to "take down" Tesla Motors over the whole issue.

In case you can't tell, I'm of the opinion the whole thing was ridiculous, because it was. While I don't think that Tesla's shit doesn't stink, (there are too many out there who do) I also don't have an irrational fear or hatred of the company or its technology.

Had this car that mysteriously combusted been an electric vehicle, the news would have been splashing it everywhere and the public would've been in an uproar. Here in Utah, and in a lot of places, (unfortunately) too many people are still highly suspicious of electric cars. Sure, they'll plug in their own electric clothes dryer without a second thought -- they'll even swap out the plug without calling an electrician. But suggest that driving a car that's propelled by electric motors and you're obviously a communist.

What most people have become far too comfortable with is driving around in a vehicle that carries 20 gallons of highly combustible fluid. We humans can be a highly irrational bunch, and many of us fear change for illogical reasons. But this is human nature and it's creating an obstacle to shifting the automotive industry away from internal combustion engines. That shift is and will continue to happen, it's just a question of how quickly it will take place.

Tags: automotive technology / fuel efficiency / turbos

The Marvel That is the Electric Turbocharger

- Rabu, 12 November 2014 No Comments

A Volvo experimental electric turbocharger. Photo courtesy of Volvo.

You're probably not aware of it right now, but electric turbochargers are quietly making ripples in the automotive industry.  In fact, the stage is set now for this new technology to start making big headway, dramatically altering how we get around.

With stricter government regulations in the United States and abroad, automakers are working like crazy to squeeze as much power as possible from small engines. Turbocharging is one way to do this, but it comes with some drawbacks. I've owned a few turbo cars, and each one suffers to one extent or another from turbo lag, so you literally wait for the turbocharger to spool up before you feel the rush of power from it. Granted, this isn't as bad with some setups as others, but even in twin-scroll configurations turbo lag is a factor. Turbos also recycle exhaust gases, cooling them off some before forcing them back into the engine. Because of this arrangement, you really have to stay on top of the oil and coolant levels or you could be dealing with a huge overheating problem. Even if you monitor things closely, you could still suddenly see steam pouring out from under your car's hood. On the flip side, turbo cars always have heaters that work great.

Electric turbos present the benefits of a turbocharger but without the usual drawbacks. Instead of using exhaust gases, the system draws in fresh air, which helps cut down on the heat problems. You could argue that they're really centrifugal superchargers, and you are pretty much correct in that statement.

Turbo lag is literally nonexistent. Since an electric turbocharger is powered by an electric motor and not the exhaust gases produced by the engine, the setup allows for almost immediate power delivery. Not only does that translate into more fun, it also means the engine is using less fuel and so contributes to greater fuel economy.

The setup also takes up less space, which is great news in cars that have a crowded engine bay. There are no downpipes, intercoolers or any other additional piping that is necessary with a traditional turbo.

Right now, electric turbos are still only a concept. Even though they aren't used in any production models, yet, the likelihood they will is rising. So far Audi, Volvo and Ferrari have all publicly revealed they are experimenting with the technology. Expect other automakers are doing so behind closed R&D doors.