Gizmodo: future cars

One Possible Future for the RV

Mark Wilson — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:50:00 EST

With the price of gas, it's tough to imagine the migrant RV lifestyle as being sustainable through retirement or even just a reprise of MTV's classic Road Rules. Here is the RV of tomorrow.

Well, it's the RV of tomorrow as designed by Christian Susana. With its injection molded design, the vehicle is essentially a Tupperware container on wheels. But what's really clever about the design is its detachable cockpit—not so different from a semi or that prostitute's space ship on Firefly—that can cruise around unencumbered when you're not in need of a living room's worth of furniture dragging at your butt. [Tuvie via Jalopnik]

Mercedes Formula Zero Envisions Eco-Friendly Green Racing in 2025

Jack Loftus — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The Formula Zero racecar, pictured above in all its conceptual glory, is the Mercedes-Benz take on racing in the year 2025. Designed by the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center of North America, the car aims to mash together the "the thrill of Formula One, the track dynamics of the bobsled or luge, and the grace and efficiency of yacht racing." As you can see from the obvious sail, there's also a great deal of wind power and energy efficiency present in the design. In 2025, racing teams are allocated a set amount of stored energy, which team and drivers must manage to win the race. Winners are determined not only by elapsed time, but also on their team's energy efficiency factor. An outrageously detailed explainer of this futuristic racing world, complete with clear glass race tracks, lies below.

Mercedes-Benz Formula Zero
Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center of North America
Luxury racing arrives in the Formula Zero Racer by incorporating the thrill of Formula One, the track dynamics of the bobsled or luge, and the grace and efficiency of yacht racing.

Reminiscent of the Mercedes Benz racing heritage of the 1930’s, the Formula Zero Racer is loaded with technology designed to extract the maximum thrust from the electric hub motors, aero-efficient solar skin and high-tech rigid sail.

Each team is allocated the same amount of stored energy and it is left to the teams and drivers to manage the variables to win the race. The winner is determined by total elapsed time combined with the energy efficiency factor.

Spectators at the Mercedes Benz Formula Zero racing Series are treated to a new dimension of racing as the transparent track is visible from all perspectives - even from below!

Designers:
Alan Barrington
George Yoo
Kevin Verduyn

[LA Design Challenge Motorsports 2025]

Peugeot Concept Cars of Tomorrow Have Propellers, Joysticks

Jack Loftus — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT

If Gundam mated with Will Smith's Audi in I, Robot, the offspring would resemble these futuristic concept cars from European brand Peugeot. The ~~cars~~ car-like vehicles were all entries in the 2008 Peugeot Design Contest. Designers were asked by organizers to create vehicles for that ambiguous but tantalizing "city of the future." Areas of focus included environmental awareness, "social harmony," interactive mobility and efficiency. As you can see in the "Blade" vehicle above, efficiency is improved with the wind turbine that designer Ying Hui Choo added to charge an on-board electric battery.

The 888, designed by Oskar Johansen, pivots at the center and reduces its size for "easier parking, maneuverability and increased visibility."

Emre Yazici's "EGO" has two wheels and is controlled Atari-style with a joystick. The windshield doubles as the door. [Telegraph]