Automotive technology is moving faster than ever. Whether bold or bland, vehicle designs are changing as well, but the basic premise has remainedcar unchanged for decades. A vehicle has four wheels that provide traction on the road with a driver behind the steering wheel. There’s a gas pedal and a brake, and sometimes a clutch.
Every once in a while, concepts are unveiled that turn the automotive world on its head. Some crazy technology has actually been introduced, or at least, it’s been discovered and talked about in a new concept that’s been designed. Often these innovations are shelved and never implemented in anything more than a concept car.
On a very rare occasion, a concept comes out that could change the automotive industry. Here are 5 examples of vehicle concepts that could truly change the future of how we drive.
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This, folks, is a true story. An American company, Terrafugia, has developed an actual flying car design known as the Transition. It’s in its third generation of prototypes right now and could be in the air within the next year. It’s no joke!
The Terrafugia Transition uses wings that fold up alongside the vehicle body when it’s on the ground. The car version of the vehicle is street-legal and looks rather bizarre driving down the road but does so just fine. When it’s time to soar into the stratosphere, the wings unfurl and chopper-style rotors lift the Transition into the air.
The Terrafugia team expects the Transition to cruise at up to 200 miles per hour and maintain a flight distance of 500 miles. It could revolutionize commuting, that’s for sure!
Don’t expect to see many Terrafugia Transitions darting through the clouds in your neighborhood, however. You’ll likely need some form of pilot’s license to operate the Transition and costs are sure to be prohibitive too.
This technology is in its infancy as well, It’s quite likely to disrupt the automotive industry as we know it today, replacing fossil fuels as the primary method of powering our vehicles. To top it all off, it’s the most renewable resource we have!
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) have just begun to hit the market. The 2016 Toyota Mirai uses FCV technology for its hybrid powertrain and it’s completely astounding! The hybrid vehicle uses a combination of hydrogen power and battery power to run its electric motors. It produces absolutely zero harmful emissions into the atmosphere and doesn’t burn a single drop of fossil fuel.
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The Mirai needs to be refueled with hydrogen and can operate up to 650 kilometers or 400 miles before requiring a refuel (which only takes 3 minutes, by the way).
Expect future FCV technologies to be able to separate hydrogen from the atmosphere, essentially eliminating refueling altogether.
It’s the electric car for everyone. The Tesla Model 3 makes so much sense for the auto industry that over 400,000 pre-orders came in for the electric car within less than a month. The Model 3 is a sedan that appeals to every segment – the young innovators, the older generation, the fuel misers, the sports car drivers, and everyone in between.
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The Model 3 seats five people and can travel up to 210 miles on a full charge. It can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in just six seconds, which is enough to make a regular Joe weak in the knees. The Tesla Model 3 can be recharged to 80 percent in just a half hour.
Best of all, the Tesla Model 3 starts out at just $35,000 USD. While many will choose to upgrade their Model 3, this price point makes electric vehicle technology attainable for a much wider swath of the marketplace.
Autonomous cars are a hot topic in today’s automotive industry. Some claim it will be the next best thing since sliced bread while others think it’s destined to be a massive flop. Google is putting all their eggs in the former basket.
The Google-developed driverless car allows you to get where you’re going without actually driving. All you do is sit in the car and wait for it to get you to your destination. It does all the steering, braking, and accelerating once you tell it where you need to be. California, Texas, Washington, and Arizona are current test sites for Google’s autonomous cars which have racked up over 1.5 million miles.
There are plenty of variables to overcome before autonomous cars will be widespread. Questions of responsibility in an accident, insurance, and other legalities are up in the air, and there are always going to be people who don’t trust a “robot” to drive for them.
The brand best known as the Ultimate Driving Machine has issued a bold and visionary take on motoring 100 years from now. While the concept is just that — a concept — it gives us a look at where they see the industry going from here.
The Vision Next 100 project shows a continued focus on the driver. Whether it’s driver comfort with the “Ease” Mode where the occupant can essentially kick back and relax to “Boost” Mode where the driver has an intensely personal driving experience, they’ve maintained a focus on the driver. They talk of the BMW Companion that provides recommendation on driver comfort and controls for “Sheer Driving Pleasure”.
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“Alive Geometry” is also mentioned, giving the impression of shape-shifting abilities for certain parts such as the wheelhouses when you’re turning. It may seem outlandish and sci-fi but if they’ve dreamed it up, they could very well be working on it in the lab.
What do you think of these futuristic vehicle concepts? Where will the automotive world take us in the next few decades? YOU tell US!
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