Saturday, November 13, 2010

Extreme Motorsports Action Videos! 50% Commission

Download the greatest video titles from 180production, videos such as Stunts Gone Wild, Judgment Day 1-5, Street Chronicles of Judgment Day, Moving Violation, Masters Of Mayhem, Learn How to Ride and many more. These videos are non stop action! A Must See


Check it out!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Tips For Automotive Design Logo


Most companies believe that logos are the most important weapon they have to promote their services and make people know about them. In fact, a logo design allows us to analize the character of a particular company. Logos are used to represent a business or to allow the business exercise its marketing skills online. Logos can also help a company to develop a large database of clients and customers, towards the products or services it provides. Automotive design logo is a good example.

When designing an automotive logo you should keep in mind 3 things that are of great help to make the logo distinctive and very motivational: motive, latest trends and quality. An automotive logo, as any other kind of business logo, have to be related to the products or services a company provides, in this case they can be related to the basic components of bikes and automobiles. Some examples of automotive logos can be rubber tyres, bicycle handles, car wheels. Components of trucks and Harley Davidson bikes are very popular too.

It is very common that automobile companies get a logo design software or a logo design graphic tool to animate their logos by including some cartoon characters, others prefer to animate the automobile itself. For example, if a company wants the sales of tyres to increase, the tyre and the logo can be included in animated actions like crossing a finish line. A 3d logo designis also a popular choice.

Automotive logos must have some charm and magnetism to have a good impact on clients and make them show interest for their products, so it is necessary to choose the right colors and fonts. The most usual colors are black, green blue and red, because they represent excitement and adventure, also they are very motivational. Besides they provide a feeling of sporstmanship to bikers and sport car drivers in any country. As for the fonts, an automotive design logo focus on freestyle and oversize logos, the most usual fonts that can be found in automotive logos are those that are based in blackletter scripts like Celtic and gothic fonts.

A logo is a key part in contributing an automotive business to become successful and to stay like that, so you must be very careful if you want to design own logo. A good advice is not to include a lot of color and graphics into a single logo because it will make the logo look cheap and will give it a bad design. If you prefer you can look for a logo studio design to get a design logo professional.








You can get free logo design samples at: [http://www.logodesignsamples.org]


Friday, November 5, 2010

Automotive Rapid Prototyping Fail First Paradox


New product development and innovation is much more difficult and time consuming than most other business activities. Automotive rapid prototyping greatly enhances learning speed and reduces the risk of new automotive parts development.

Historically, the automotive industry has been using rapid prototyping as an important tool in the automotive parts design process. The extremely fast-paced automotive design cycles require an extremely fast prototyping system which can produce car parts fast and inexpensively.

The main objective of automotive prototyping is to learn quickly: how a new automotive product behaves in its natural working environment, before transferring the prototype to the production line. Many times, mistakes are learned only after a new automotive part is launched. This is the main explanation for poor automotive parts design, from product mismatch, poor engineering and function or finish, and overpriced production. In order to accelerate the learning curve, before these costly automotive prototyping mistakes are made, one must accelerate and facilitate feedback loops from tests in the lab and market trials.

Automotive Manufacturing Technologies

Working with an assortment of rapid prototyping equipment, automotive prototyping engineers utilize the most advanced 3D printers, in their quest for perfect form, function and utility. Working in advanced manufacturing centers, the automotive engineers use the technology to verify what they are doing, and, equally important, to save tremendous amounts of time, and money.

Automotive Rapid Prototyping Compresses Development Time

The advantages of 3D rapid prototyping model creation versus viewing a cad/cam model on a computer screen is palpable. Automotive parts engineers get together discuss the pros and cons of a rapidly produced automotive parts model and discuss the pros and cons of the design, as they pass it around, twisting and viewing the prototype, and decide if that is what they had in mind. This way, problems get solved up front, before going to the assembly line! Once determined that the automotive prototype design is a go, the model can then be sent to a die maker.

Automotive Prototyping and the Die Maker Process

The die maker cannot use model to make the die, but because they have it in their hand and can look at it and feel it, they can determine where the parting lines will be and exactly how much steel they will need to produce it. The timing of the die process is greatly compressed.

Examples of Automotive Rapid Prototyping Parts

· Engine castings and parts

· Car Engine parts

· Auto Mechanical parts

· Car Dashboards

· Car Handles and Knobs

· Auto Body Components

· Car Trim parts

Fail first Paradox in Automotive Rapid Prototyping

The automotive rapid prototyping paradox is to fail earlier rather than later. By failing earlier, the design engineers surprisingly succeed in accelerating the project; this greatly reduces development cost risk. By considering all automotive prototype failures as learning experiments, the engineer has much less stress, knowing that they are practicing the old adage, that success comes from ninety-nine percent failure and introspection.








Dan Flower is a writer for Objet Geometries Ltd, an automotive prototyping 3D printer manufacturer.


A Career in Automotive Design


Probably every neighborhood from New York to California and Maine to Florida has a kid who likes to draw cars. And maybe those kids will proudly announce that when they grow up they are going to be car designers. For many, that dream will fall by the wayside but for a select few it will become reality. In the early mid-forties, Giorgietto Giugiaro and Marcello Gandini were a couple of Italian kids who like to draw cars. Today, they are Italy's top designers.

The vehicle designer is responsible for creating the exterior and interior appearance of over the road vehicles. Generally, these are automobiles but trucks, vans, coaches, and motorcycles are also included.

The designers usually work in teams. One person does the exterior, another the interior and a third works with colors, materials and trim. The working environment and working conditions are pleasant. It is a risk-free career that does not usually require overtime or weekend work.

A design begins with a set of digital or manual sketches. Once these are approved by management, more detailed drawings follow. Then clay models or digital models are developed. The same procedure is followed for exterior, interior, and color and trim design.

However the road from car sketches to the design studio is paved with hard work beginning in high school. Auto design is one of the most competitive careers in the design industry. Consequently the competition to gain admission to the colleges that offer transportation design classes is fierce.

Prospective designers need to begin in high school with all the two-dimensional drawing classes they can fit into their schedule. But it isn't enough to just be able to draw a car. They also need to understand aerodynamics, engineering concepts and ergonomics. They will be working with figures so knowledge of math and physics is required.

And throughout high school they need to work on building a drawing portfolio. All colleges require a portfolio. And it goes without saying that the better the portfolio, the better the graduate's chances of being accepted by a prestigious institution.

While many schools offer majors in industrial design only a few specialize in transportation design, which is the recommended career path for future vehicle designers.

It is important to make a wise choice of colleges. One needs to examine the credentials of the faculty and the reputation of the courses. Most important, the institution should have a strong industry connection. Part-time faculty members who work in the industry are of immeasurable help, in guiding students' work to meet industry's demands and assisting them in finding employment upon graduation.

Once in college, the students will pursue a four-year design major. During the first years they will study drawing and design theory. In later years they will concentrate on computing and model making. Some schools provide an internship in a design studio during the third or fourth year. These are valuable since internships are often a direct path to an entry-level job upon graduation.

However, the job market is much better for engineers than designers. For every vacant design position, there are twenty engineering jobs. In spite of this, the student with outstanding talent and creativity will always be recognized and find a niche in the industry.








Auto Transport Boston

Boston Car Carrier


Thursday, November 4, 2010

A career in automotive engineering


Would you like to make "I'm a wreck rambling from Georgia Tech and a heck of an engineer" a reality in your life? It has always enjoyed tinkering around with cars and understand what made stuff work? It means to be a team player development of products that are at the forefront of technology appeal to you? Then automotive engineering could be the career for you.

Generally, an automotive engineer is one who works to design or manufacture of automobiles. design of speech is a bit misleading because an automobile designer is a stylist fundamentally concerned with the appearance of the car, while the engineer specializing in performance of the car and its components.

The engineer working on the development of new or improved structural parts, engines, transmissions and suspension systems.The engineer is involved in estimation of cost of production, reducing production costs and implement improvements of quality/cost control engineer. must be sure that the product meets all federal regulations. in the case of new projects, is the engineer who determines the drivability.

According to the u.s. Department of labor dictionary of occupational titles, automotive engineering is sub specialty mechanical engineering.

Although the automotive industry is in a crisis at this time, there is still a demand for engineers due to focus on fuel economy and alternative powered vehicles. The field should grow as fast as average through 2014.

While there are global opportunities for automotive engineers in countries as flung as Malaysia and the United Kingdom, most jobs in the United States are centered in the Midwest, since that is the most important car industry. The three large employers in the United States are Ford, General Motors, Daimler-Chrysler.

The work environment is a combination of Office and on the site. Entry-level salary starts around $ 48,000 annually and a master's degree is required.Besides that, the engineer should have excellent communication skills, strong troubleshooting and ability to work as part of a team.

As with any degree of engineering, choosing a College is crucial.While all the colleges of engineering are selective, better and the best are even more.

One feature that is required to look for in a College is the quality of education.All classes are taught by trained teachers and assistants undergraduates?These teachers have connections industry? is the simulation and hands-on integral part of the program?

The College offer internships or work study opportunities? stage and work-study are very important, as they offer a path for immediate employment upon graduation. the same applies for instructors with industry connections. Not bad even consider a college that offers advanced degrees in case you decide to go beyond a Bachelor's degree.

To guarantee admission to the College of choice, a high school graduate should have a high GPA with a strong background in calculus, advanced mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry and geometry. mechanical automotive vocational Classes are also helpful. you will also need to score high on any College admissions test requires as school admissions Committee will base their decision on either high school record and admissions test scores.








Local car rental

Raleigh rental Cars


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Ultimate Guide To Modifying Fuel Injectors For More Horsepower

This guide teaches car enthusiusts how to modify Ford Fuel Injectors in increase flow and support more horsepower for their Fuel Injected Hotrod Mustang! Includes Bonus: How To Restore A Classic / Hot Rod / Muscle Car.


Check it out!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

RacingIncome.com

Auto Racing How-To Info Products


Check it out!

Race into a Career in Motorsports, With or Without a College Degree

Receive first hand knowledge on how to break into the motorsports industry. Save yourself years of hard work by learning what the hiring managers will be looking for and focus your time and effort on things that really matter to your motorsports career.


Check it out!

Monday, October 18, 2010

What makes a vehicle Crashworthy?


Crashworthiness refers to the ability of a vehicle to protect its occupants during a collision, rollover or other effects. Many aspects of vehicle design contributing to crashworthiness, such as the design of the chassis, engine compartment and other structures. Monta passenger restrictions such as seatbelts and airbags, blocks, suspension, engine, tyres and many other factors also contribute to total structural Crashworthiness vehicle.

Car manufacturers in the world subject their vehicles in the development of extensive testing to determine how safe are for passengers. In the United States, consumers often see television regulations of crash test dummies placed in vehicles that are then placed in crash simulations, such as a frontal collision, lateral or a vehicle rollover.In each of these test scenarios, tools are linked the Dummies that record the kind of impact and its strength. This test automotive engineers to evaluate the nature of the impacts and the severity of injury potential.

For years, plaintiff's lawyers concerned have brought actions against the manufacturers of vehicles when not keep seatbelts or design poor and unsafe inside the vehicle collision injuries done much worse than they should have. This kind of litigation is often called litigation of crashworthiness.

Sometimes in a collision the belt will break or become detached from the anchorage, causing the body of a person to be thrown around so that translates into material injury. had kept the safety belt, the injury was relatively minor. Sometimes, there will be an implosion of the vehicle that causes the vehicle to intrude passenger space, causing massive injuries to passengers or drivers. Attorneys can prove with statistical research that best designed vehicles that such injuries intrusion simply do not occur.

Sport Utility Vehicles, SUVS, have significant defects in Crashworthiness because of their tendency to roll.Their centre of gravity above makes them more likely to roll in rapid maneuvers, such as when the driver is transforming rapidly at a speed of Highway to avoid an accident.Insurance industry statistics show that in all but the SUV heavier, the occupants have highest rates of death in single-car accidents. the main factor is the overturning of the vehicle.

According to statistics National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, SUV involved in fatal accidents rolled over 37 per cent of the time, out of a replacement rate of 15 percent for fatal crashes involving cars. Rollover crashes account for 53% of deaths in single vehicle crashes occupant SUV. Poor Crashworthiness of SUV has led to many causes rollover from survivors and grieving family members.








David s. Casey Jr. is a personal injury attorney in San Diego, California. in its 30 years of legal service accounted for individuals and families whose loved ones were in the car, SUV crash and rollover that has suffered serious injury due to poor Crashworthiness vehicle.


Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Science of Automotive Designs


The automobile industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, specific attention is paid to the design of an automobile and the art of designing automobiles has a lot of science involved to it. Designers need to even look at the ergonomics when they are designing the appearance of a car. The people working on the design of a car are called automotive engineers. Normally, these people hold degrees in industrial design or transportation design.

Developing the visual appearance and the overall aesthetics of the car is the major job criterion. It is further divided into exterior styling, interior styling and color and trim design. The design of the vehicle needs to be in harmony with all its functions and accessories. Exterior styling refers to the exterior shape, surfaces, proportions and the external design of the car. Virtual models are first created before the actual prototypes. The main purpose of interior styling is to provide maximum convenience and comfort to the passenger. The shape, proportion and surfaces are also important here. The instrumental panel, seats, doors, windows, dash board etc are fall under the broad category of interior styling. The color and trim design team is primarily responsible for researching, designing and developing all the colors and materials which will be used in the interior and exterior design of the vehicle. Often, these designs follow a particular theme or concept. With the advent of computers and technology, computer-aided design is used by graphic designers to design 3D models of cars.

Historically, automotive design was not as significant as it is today. In 1924, a turning point occurred when General Motors decided to make annual model changes and urged the customers to develop a need to replace their car each year. Alfred P. Sloan Jr., the head of General Motors, referred to the strategy as dynamic obsolescence whereas critics slammed it as being planned obsolescence. Ford did not adopt this strategy and hence by 1931 General Motors outsold Ford. After that period the design of the car has acquired utmost importance in the eyes of a customer and car manufacturers constantly update models, even if the underlying function and design of the car remain the same.

Along with the physics of the car and a need to be aerodynamically stable, car manufacturers also need to focus their attention on the psychology of the customer. When a powerful car is mentioned, the image of a sleek design with a low and wide base comes to the mind since many of the sports cars manufactured follow that general theme. However, we have internalized these notions and we tend to generalize along these lines. It is difficult for manufactures to go beyond these stereotypes and beyond the psychology of the mass audience to innovate greatly. Car manufactures are constantly looking for major innovation to cater to market differentiation. Concept cars are often produced as prototypes to judge the reaction of people. Many car manufacturers believe that a concept that lacks context is simply confusing so there is great interest in developing stories around concept cars to create popularity.








Auto Transport Company

Auto Shipping Company


How to become a designer of auto-where to start


Before continuing a design career, my first thought was "I want to become a designer of car-but how do I start? To those who are wondering this exact question, here are some tips:

TAKE LESSONS

More specifically, to take drawing classes at the local University. take as many classes needed until you're familiar with drawing objects directly from your head. Take classes as:

-Sketch, Still Life

-Drawing figure (this helps with speed and module development especially with cars).

-Drawing perspective (I can't stress enough how important this is, perspective is important for a designer like phrases are one writer. learn is-learn to love it.)

Additional tips:

-If drawn in pencil, retrace the same drawing on a separate sheet in pen. continue with this exercise until you are confident enough in its pen sketch. most professional sketch entirely in pen.

-Always bring a small sketchbook (use of Moleskine) or folded copy paper and a pen with you at all times.

-Several times a day, driving by tracing the first object you see in front of you.

-Fill the entire page of your sketchbook white space on a page is the enemy.

-For the aspiring designers of cars, buy a scale model of a car, set it before you and draw in various angles. Draw is exactly as you see it-don't cheat by just drawing in side view!

PROGRAMS

Learn to use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or copy.This is the standard renderer for the design industry.It has become more comfortable with these programs, a designer that you will become stronger.

Buy a Wacom Tablet. This is also an essential tool for the design industry. This tool is much more efficient than a mouse to render and it will be less likely to suffer from tunnel of color due to prolonged use.Initially, it will be a bit awkward to use, but becomes more fun as you get used to it, I promise.

PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

A single project within a portfolio illustrates the process of designing and presents how came on your final design. Is essential to have all the correct information leading to the final design.

Note that a "design" is always a solution to some sort of a problem. If the project does not solve a problem-then you Stylize just a product or a vehicle. This is not for good design.

Scour the Internet or libraries and find pictures of inspiration concerning the product that you are designing. for example, I could watch luxury watches when designing the cluster gauging a luxury sports car. can you make a similar connection with the Lamborghini Reventon for hunting Stealth F-22 by observing its shape.I know it can be found inspiration of design worldwide;always trying to pull out of head drawings you will cause empty out.

Creating a corporate purpose:

Many forget to a corporation, designers are a luxury.At the end of the day designer must create revenue for their clients and employers. incorporate a business purpose, the project will demonstrate a very complete and well if designing. the purpose of business maybe as simple as, "I'm planning a compact hybrid vehicle for metropolitan regions of the United States who can afford the 70% of the active population, because the project economics economists to be down for the next four years."Can also be conceptual designing future vehicles by 2025.

ROUND OUT YOUR PORTFOLIO

Your portfolio must be 5 to 8 individual projects with every project that illustrates the process of developing design. each project should include the following:

-The target Designer (why did you design this product or a vehicle?)

-The purpose of business

-Pictures inspiration (more images that have inspired the design final)

-Sketches (shows how the sketches relate to inspirational images)

-Final rendering in multiple views (The final drawings completely colored in Photoshop or marker displayed in three-quarter front and rear views, as well as the side view)

APPLICATION OF A COLLEGE OF DESIGN

When your wallet is ready, you chose to Design research universities and submit your wallet. There are only few designing prestigious universities worldwide and even less for automotive design; then choose wisely.

Tip:

-Always apply for scholarships and grants, although I don't think there is going to get one. Application for scholarships usually require that submitting your portfolio a few weeks before expiry. from my personal experience, I never thought that I would be assigned any scholarship but nevertheless applied. Suddenly I received a letter of allocation of scholarships with my letter of acceptance a few weeks later.

Good luck!








For more information about the design industry, please visit: http://autonomousdesign.com/

Hector Realubit-Transportation Design-design


Saturday, October 16, 2010

The Beginnings of Global Automotive Manufacturing - Gruppo Bertone of Italy


The Italian based "Bertone" or formally named "Gruppo Bertone" has had an outstanding and exceptional influence on the automotive industry far away from its native country of origin of Italy. Bertone's influence on a stable of automotive extended over a whole different geographic and company automotive manufactures across the globe - whether if be Italian cars such as Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini, Fiat or European cars such as Mercedes Benz or the Swedish Volvo vehicles. To some degree there are family similarities in the designs across the mix. This would be expected. On the other side of the coin each Bertone design project is a unique creation from inception to fruition.

With the death of Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone in 1997, at the age of 82 a glorious period of Italian car design came to an end. It can be said that before the end of the Second World War, and the period that followed in 1946, that Italian automotive design was plainly a regional event and nothing more. Even if vehicle designs had been downright brilliant little was ever noted or noticed outside of the immediate area and car community of Italy. The world looked to France for coachwork from 1919 to 1938, and might have continued to do so had Communist influenced governments after the war not punitively withheld raw materials from coachbuilders. Italy's communists it seemed were more interested in jobs primarily. As a result, or as a direct initiative, they directly encouraged and nurtured a luxury car industry, in essence moving Italian automotive design to a center stage.

It can be best said that Bertone was one of the first carozzerie (coachbuilders_ to move into "series" production, with the construction of 200 Bertone MGs for Wacky Arnolt of Chicago starting in 1952. These orders then directly led to the production of some 350 Arnolt-Bristols and put Bertone in a position to manufacture a small series of coupes for Alfa Romeo, which was then in trouble with clients who had been promised a new car , whose release had been delayed by body tooling. That product - the Giulietta Sprint designed by Alfa's Ferruccio Palamidessit, can be said to have put Bertone on the map forever. More than 40,000 of these classic vehicles were produced before replacement by the Bertone-styled Giulia GT.

Nuccio Bertone was not a designer himself, but he served first and foremost to discover, employ and guide some of the very best automotive designers known. An astute businessman, Bertone owned several anonymously titled companies in the Turin area .Thus as a result of splitting the work, and the pie across several enterprises and unconnected enterprises; he was able to persuade different automobile manufacturers across the board to let him produce automotive vehicles in series for them. Fiat 850 spiders and X-1/9s, Opel Cabriolets, Volvo coupes, and many others came from his factories. In addition his design center also created practical shapes for Japanese Mazda, French Citroen as well as Korean Daewoo among others. It could be said that this was the start of the globally integrated car industry. The country of origin of an automotive product no longer was distinct and mattered so much. The car might be designed in one country, engineered in another and yet be manufactured in yet another country and even be marketed from a different area. Where was the car made? Who knew? In the coming future the direct geographical origins of a car would be even less evident and distinct.

Time went on and with impeccable taste Bertone continued to issue audacious show cars, including several Chevrolets, the astonishing Lancia Stratos Zero and the Alfa Romeo Carabo. The production Lancia Stratos and the Lamborghini Miura and Countach brought that audacity to the automotive marketplace.

In the end it can be said that Nuccio Bertone himself was the last of the creators of the Italian automotive renaissance, a group whose names became magical talismans in the automotive world. By his ability to launch so many brilliant design careers as well as so many legendary as well as wonderful cars it can be said that this gentleman had a great influence which has left an impact not only then but even on the automotive market and styling even today.








Shaun Stevens
http://www.mmedsolution.com
http://www.wpgauto.com


Friday, October 15, 2010

Airbag of your vehicle-understand their functioning


One of the main priorities for automakers is to design vehicles that protect the safety of their drivers. In the old days, this protection came in the form of safety belts. A single over-the-shoulder strap prevents motorists of relapse in their steering wheels and windshield during an accident. Over the years, belts design evolved and today we have seat belts that offer security even more.

We are traveling on our roads and highways to speed faster than ever. Consequently, there is no risk of injury in the event of a collision. Responds to a need for greater safety, was adopted in 1998 a law requiring all new passenger cars have installed an air bag. Below, you can explore how they work.You'll learn what triggers their inflation and Discover some of the security issues that have caused during the years of "first". Explain also as a structure in evolution promises greater protection for drivers in the future.

What causes Them To Inflate?

Consider what happens while you're driving. you and your vehicle are proceeding at a certain speed. If something in your route stops abruptly the car, you would continue to travel forward until something stopped her (i.e. volante, windscreens, etc.). The airbags are designed to stop your momentum as quickly and smoothly as possible.

The front air bag (are also installed in doors and seats) is made from nylon.Is bent and stuffed in the central part of your steering wheel.There is a special sensor that monitors breaks your car's momentum. does this by watching a toggle button. The switch is normally kept open, but if the momentum of your vehicle slows abruptly closes and allows an electric signal through the sensor. this signal says the sensor that the car had collided with something in his path. sensor recounts the airbag to swell.

Air bags inflate as result of nitrogen gas is produced by combining sodium azide and potassium nitrate.

Troubleshooting security first

When technology airbags first was integrated into vehicles, little was known about the potential damage that could cause their strength. Pushed by reports of injuries, researchers identified a "safe" zone of ten inches between the driver and the bag. This space is considered sufficient to prevent injuries from distribution of the bag.

Because children are more susceptible to injury than adults, you needed additional guidelines.Children under twelve should guide in the back seat, preferably in a car seat.Children who are riding in a car seat should also ride in the back.

Less energy, less wounds

As a result of security concerns surrounding the airbag deployment force, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) passed two laws the late nineties.The first fact automakers the ability to reduce the power of the system up to 35%.The second law gave dealerships and auto repair shops permission to install an isolator. the switch has essentially the ability to disable driver airbag systems.

Not all drivers have been eligible to have installed the isolator. they had to meet certain criteria, such as an existing medical condition-that their increased risk during deployment. these requirements are still in force today.

Better security through an evolution of design

Airbag technology has evolved considerably over the past decade. the time between the distribution of impact and the bag was reduced to a few milliseconds. Meanwhile, the system of inflation has become much smarter now is decided. distribution from a computer that controls the strength of a collision and the position of the occupants of the car. Bags are distributed with different degrees of power based on the alleged risk of injury.

Automakers continue to develop better designs more flexible positioning for the airbag throughout their respective fleets. Door-mounted, head curtain airbags and promise to provide even more protection for drivers and passengers in the future.








When you try to use parts of car and motors consider the leader in parts, everdrive.com


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Volvo Monitoring & Concept Center: Tandem Vehicle

Volvo's Monitoring & Concept Center (VMCC) in California have produced what they believe is a feasible future transport product based upon an inline occupant configuration. The designers at VMCC envisage a sleek two-seat commuter vehicle which uses very little energy and rarely gets caught in traffic.

"Maybe it sounds over-the-horizon, but consumer trend research together with our conceptual design and engineering work shows we could deliver that vehicle before 2010," says VMCC science officer Ichiro Sugioka. "Our competitors should be wary of the stuff we're doing!"

The Tandem concept reflects the attitude the department have to vehicle design, looking forward to potential new ways to travel. Although much smaller and seemingly more delicate than traditional Volvos, the team at VMCC insist they can factor into the Tandem the level of passenger safety expected from the brand.

As Kolit Mendis, structures and safety engineering manager, explains: "We compensated the Tandem's light weight with new occupant restraint concepts designed to handle frontal collisions with heavier vehicles. Also, the central positioning of Tandem occupants leaves ample room on either side to implement structural features mitigating the severity of side impacts. Our technical evidence is that Volvo would have no problem at all in delivering its traditional levels of driver and passenger safety." 

 Lars Erik Lundin, VMCC general manager, says that for Volvo, meeting the challenge of sustainable mobility is about looking at designs and hybrid technologies (electric drive, alternative fuels, petrol or diesel derivatives) that will provide 'maximized total efficiency of mobility with minimised environmental impact'.
"Our job is exploring the future and doing something really extraordinary," says Lundin. "The Tandem was originally conceived as a vehicle to help solve the specific over-crowding and pollution problems of southern California, but we soon realized it taps into how people work, travel and think almost everywhere in the industrialised world nowadays."

Strategic design chief Doug Frasher believes that the future will involve car buyers changing their thinking from one-car-fits-all to a scenario "where people own different cars for different reasons, just as we have different clothes for different social events, suits for work, and jeans for play".

"We envisage a 'family' matrix of cars, starting with the commuting Tandem, that will spark a new paradigm in mobility, changing the way the world thinks about auto ownership in the same way the Sony Walkman did for the audio industry."
 
Volvo's thinking thinking is the result of 'ethnographic' research begun in 1998 into past and current trends among various consumer and other audiences, using techniques such as workshops, focus groups and customer panels. "We created a timeline stretching from 1900 until 2010 with the aim of profiling future customers and the world they'd be inhabiting by understanding how trends emerge," said Benny Sommerfeld, business development manager. "The timeline pinpointed likely future values, needs, desires and aspirations."
  
The VMCC team believe that this type of design approach will become increasingly relevant in the future, with changes in the way people live and travel. Although very much a concept, the Tandem is not simply a design exercise. According to Geza Loczi, VMCC design director, the Tandem is "a real product still in its infancy that needs a lot of molding and tweaking to grow into a full-fledged finished product."

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Site under construction

Please call back regularly if you have an interest in the technical aspects of that wonder - the motor vehicle!

Here we'll discuss everything from vehicle dynamics to composite bodies; from engine efficiency to ECU development .... and everything in between.

We'll also look at events and people that changed the motor vehicle; people that changed the face of the car forever!

Please return, I'm sure you'll enjoy!!