Interesting Green: Commuting's oh-so-cool future

MY PAPER, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011, PAGE A11, MOTORING
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2011-09-07
Source Website: http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110907-298130.html
By Tony Ng, tonyng@sph.com.sg, Wednesday, Sep 07, 2011, AsiaOne

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Ford Evos
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The notion of commuting is set to change in the future.

For one thing, motorists may soon be able to get the latest status updates from Facebook and Twitter in their cars, as the use of cloud-computing services becomes more common.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Ford Evos
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http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110907-298130.html

Other futuristic traits can be gleaned from the Ford Evos unveiled by the American carmaker last Thursday.

The concept car draws on preferences set by the driver to make his life simpler. It then acts as a personal assistant by handling some of the routines of a daily commute.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Ford Evos
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The Evos can automatically play the same music that was streaming at home, or cool its interior to an ideal temperature before the driver gets in - without being asked.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Ford Evos
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The Evos can also monitor the driver's well-being with a heart-rate monitoring seat. It can simplify the appearance of the instrument panel to display only the information needed for hairy driving situations.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Ford Evos
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Those who cannot keep their hands off their mobile phones while driving would find the devices switched to a "Do Not Disturb" mode to help keep their attention on the road.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Ford Evos
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http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110907-298130.html

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Ford Evos
http://www.asiaone.com/static/motoring/gallery/110907_concept/images/pic7.jpg
http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110907-298130.html

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Volkswagen (VW) Nils
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If that sounds futuristic, Volkswagen (VW) went further by reinventing the idea of personal mobility with a car meant for 2030. Its one-seater Nils is a reflection of the times: in Germany, 90 per cent of commuters who travel by car do it alone.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Volkswagen (VW) Nils
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The electric, zero-emission Nils has a maximum range of 65km, which VW says is sufficient, since 73.9 per cent of all commuters residing near Berlin and Munich cover less than 25km on their way to work.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Volkswagen (VW) Nils
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Another selling point is that the car takes up very little space. It measures only 3.04m long and 1.2m tall. Its wing doors allow easy access in the tightest of parking spaces. Weighing only 460kg, the Nils drives like a go-kart.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Volkswagen (VW) Nils
http://www.asiaone.com/static/motoring/gallery/110907_concept/images/pic11.jpg
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PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Nine-seater Citroen Tubik
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For motorists who have more people to ferry, there is the nine-seater Citroen Tubik. The eye-grabbing multi-purpose vehicle's design is a tribute to the old Citroen Type H van and is based on the idea that commuting should be fun.

At the back is a lounge-style cocoon for comfort and relaxation. Tired executives will appreciate the semi-reclinable modular seats, which can be rearranged in various ways. On-board technology includes a semi-circular screen and high-fidelity surround sound, making it fit for teleconferencing.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Project Flake' concept car leaves competition in the dust
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Then, there is the more abstract Project Flake.

Freelance Britain-based designer Da Feng came up with the Flake for his final-year university project. The animalistic- looking vehicle has 250 body panels controlled by mini solenoids pulling carbon nano-tube wires.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Project Flake' concept car
http://www.asiaone.com/static/motoring/gallery/110816_flake/images/pic14.jpg (Flake-pic14.jpg)
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The body panels can lie flat or stand up to form a flaky appearance, making the car look almost alive.

Said the designer on his blog: "When travelling at speed, the car will contract (by retracting its flakes) to its closed position to help control airflow and, when braking or turning, the flakes will spring open to dynamically adjust downforce."

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Project Flake' concept car
http://www.asiaone.com/static/motoring/gallery/110816_flake/images/pic4.jpg (Flake-pic4.jpg)
http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110816-294732.html

The open flakes will also allow the car to lean into the corner for better handling.

The designer said the car is meant only to be an inspiration for others and is not a "practical solution".

Concept cars rarely go straight into production as they are the manufacturers' showcases of a single technology or body style.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Project Flake' concept car
http://www.asiaone.com/static/motoring/gallery/110816_flake/images/pic42.jpg (Flake-pic42.jpg)
http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110816-294732.html

They add fuel for thought for the masses, and if enough people like a concept, carmakers might just put it into production, just like the Porsche Boxster, which began its life as a concept car in 1993.

By Tony Ng, tonyng@sph.com.sg, Wednesday, Sep 07, 2011, AsiaOne
The writer is a webknowledgist with SPH portal AsiaOne. He edits the motoring section.

PHOTO: Cars from the future
Photos: Project Flake' concept car
http://www.asiaone.com/A1MEDIA/motoring/08Aug11/images/20110816.123017_flake.jpg
http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110816-294732.html

HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Futuristic: 未来的 - wèi lái de
Multi-purpose vehicle: 多用途汽车 - duō yòng tú qì chē
Teleconferencing: 电话会议 - diàn huà huì yì
Showcases: 展示才华的场合 - zhǎn shì cái huá de chǎng hé

Reference