Tesla Model 3

By Nick S.

At the unveiling of the Model 3 at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the car will deliver at least 215 miles of range beginning at just $35,000 - that's a bold claim, and an important one for Tesla to meet. Musk is "fairly confident" that deliveries will begin by the end of 2017, and "you will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, even with no options." And it will be one of the safest cars in the world, according to Musk.

The base car will do 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds, with versions that go "much faster." Range will be at least 215 miles, but Tesla hopes to exceed those numbers in the final car. All Model 3 cars will include support for Tesla's high-speed Supercharging network, because "it's about going where you want to go," according to Musk. By the end of 2017, when the Model 3 launches, Tesla says it will have a total of 7,200 Superchargers, double the number available today.

Like the Model S, the Model 3 will come in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, and there's a 15-inch landscape touchscreen inside - an interesting change from the 17-inch portrait touchscreen in the Model S and X. Autopilot hardware is standard, and all safety features will be active automatically. Five adults will fit comfortably - "comfortably is the important part here," says Musk.

Elon Musk laid it all out in a blog post 10 years ago, and he's held up his end so far:

- Build sports car - The Tesla Roadster

- Use that money to build an affordable car - The Model S

- Use that money to build an even more affordable car - The Model 3

But don't expect to get your hands on one any time soon. The Model 3 isn't expected to begin production until late 2017, more than 18 months from now. Tesla will happily take your preorder for a modest $1,000 down payment. Tesla plans to more than double the size of its dealership and service network by the end of next year, to sell and take care of all these new cars.

Sources

 Golson, Jordan. "This Is the Tesla Model 3, Coming in 2017 for $35,000." The Verge. 31 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2016. 

 King, Alanis. "Tesla Model 3: Everything We've Learned." Jalopnik. 03 Apr. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2016. 

Prompt 5 The mechatronics’ role in automotive

By Ryan

The field of mechatronics in automotive engineering refers to a combinatorial approach to design, with emphasis on contributions from mechanical, electrical, computer, and control engineering groups.

A large share of automotive innovations consists of significant improvements in formerly pure mechanical systems which are made possible using integrated electronics together with complex information processing. Such mechatronic systems require a concurrent design of mechanical, electronical, and information processing sub-systems in order to reach the cost requirements of the automotive industry.

In the recent past and in the foreseeable future, most innovations in automotive systems rely on electronics. Those innovations are rarely pure electronic systems for information processing and communication—like the mobile phones or navigation system—but most of them are closely tied to mechanical parts of the system. The three major mechanical subsystems in a car, the chassis system, the propulsion system and the interior system, all are undergoing a massive change from mainly mechanical systems with some electronic control towards highly integrated mechatronical systems which would not function without electronic control.

Mechatronics can be said to be one of the core competencies of the automotive industry. With mechatronics a better functionality, better use of space, lower number of interfaces and smaller cost for a given performance can be reached. Mechatronics is more than just technology: it requires a function-oriented design approach to solve a problem with the best suited technologies available. For good mechatronic systems, teamwork and use of tools with well-defined interfaces to link the technologies together are the key success factors.

Sources

http://www.qualitymag.com/articles/92182-mechatronics-creates-new-testing-challenges-for-automotive-industry

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967066103002314

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechatronics

   

Images

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Mecha_workaround.svg

         http://www.autoalliance.org/images/dmImage/SourceImage/AdvancedTech-Cobots.png

April Fools Jokes in the Automotive World

By: Grattan R.

If you are like most people, you probably know April fool’s day as one of many jokes, particularly in this article, from automotive companies. From Porsche releasing a cologne that smells of burnt rubber and e85 race gas, Chevrolet bringing back a car from 1914, Mazda claiming to phase out manual transmissions, to Ford making a website where you can date other ford drivers, here’s some of the best April fool’s jokes from the car scene. While these jokes may be to gain publicity, and to make a better joke than the other car companies, it lifts the tension on automotive competitors.

1. Mazda knows the mass of its driver population prefers manual transmission, so they decided to make an “all automatics” ad to get under the skin of manual purists everywhere.

2. Ford date, here at forddate.com, you can join 1 million other Ford owners in finding the love of your life who probably drives the same car as you.

3. My personal favorite along with the next- Lexus’ Velcro seat. If you are a performance minded driver, you may notice from time to time it is difficult to stay planted in your seat. Lexus has noticed this too, so to help you stay put when you are pushing 1.8 G’s of force around a corner, Lexus made a dress suit and car seat Velcro combination so that you stay safely planted.

4. Porsche cologne eau d’essence. If you love getting your hands dirty working on a car or smelling like you just left a race track after swimming in race gasoline, Porsche has got the solution for you!

5. Audi's emoji headlights. Ever wanted to let every other driver on the road know how you feel and not be able to see the road at night at the same time? Audi has got you covered. In addition, you can also let drivers know to pass or thank them for letting you over. 

Picture and Video Sources

https://twitter.com/mazdacanada/status/715891536798564352/photo/1

http://www.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2016/04/Ford-Date-April-Fools.jpg?interpolation=lanczos-none&fit=around%7C660%3A439&crop=660%3A439%3B%2A%2C%2A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxVrkqv2Bc0

https://twitter.com/Porsche/status/715886443449737216/photo/1

http://www.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2016/04/Audi-Emoji-Headlights-April-Fools.jpg?interpolation=lanczos-none&fit=around%7C660%3A439&crop=660%3A439%3B%2A%2C%2A

Magnetic Ride Control

By: Eric B.

Magnetic Ride Control or, MagneRide, is an automotive adaptive suspension with Magnetorheological damper system that utilizes magnetically controlled dampers, or shock absorbser,for a highly adaptive ride. So Magnetic Ride Control uses a fluid filled with magnetized magnetic particles to adjust how hard or soft your suspension is.

The system reads and reacts to every imperfection in the road and instantaneously adjusts the shock absorbers to subdue the impact from the bump, pothole or dip in the road. According to Cadillac, “Magnetic Ride Control reads and reacts to the road surface as many as 1,000 times per second, or ten times faster than the blink of an eye, to keep the vehicle’s chassis composed and to enhance the driving experience.” ()Although Caddlac is not the only ones who use it, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Buick, GMC, ect. all use the system or systems similar to this.

Not only does Magnetic Ride control adjust to deal with impact from bumps, it also delivers more precise body motion control. So when you go around a turn the system can put more presser on one side of the car to make the car stay steady instead of tilting to one side. Another benefit is that opposed to traditional suspension systems, it has no mechanical valves or small moving parts that can wear out. Overall, this Magnetic Ride Control system will make you feel like you are hovering in midair.

Sources

CadillacRussia. "Cadillac - Magnetic Ride Control." YouTube. YouTube, 23 Oct. 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

"GM Corporate Newsroom - United States - Videos." Media.gm.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

"Magnetic Ride Control • /r/cars." Reddit. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

"Understanding Cadillac Magnetic Ride Control." Cavender Cadillac. N.p., 22 Dec. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.

Prompt 6: Evaluating Sources

By: Eric B.

Chris Bangle, an American automobile designer for BMW,  has shared his opinions on the designs of others--and they aren't overly positive. He said that ""There is a real need for a change and that's just not happening," he told Automotive News Europe (subscription required). Bangle feels the car design world is stuck in a rut, and that many designers are stuck with the same "mannerisms" as cars of the past. 

From his design direction at BMW, it's clear what he means--while popular, BMW's range before Bangle consisted of very similar designs simply enlarged or shrunk depending on the market segment, all mere evolution of the generations of cars before." (Chris Bangle, motor authority).

From my experience I think that his opinion and judgment is typically true and I agree with Bangle. Now a day's every car looks the same, they all have that same kind of a "jelly bean" shape to them.  This is partly because of aerodynamics and fuel efficiency that you would get from having that type of shape, but still there isn't any real good styling ques to each car and that many car from different companies look really similar.

let's take a look at that "Jelly bean" shape of cars. The Jelly bean shape is really just how cars are more rounded and bubblier. An early car with that look would be like a ford Tourus. but as you take a look at the newer models they become more and more rounded, which is what Bangle was saying about the evolution of the car generations.

OK lets going back on how there isn't any real good styling cues to each car and that many car from different companies look really similar. So if you stop and take a look at the grille of each car from different companies you will see that all look the same. They all have that pointed notch on them. Starting from top down you have the 2016 Subaru legacy, the 2016 ford Taurus, and the 2016 Kia k900. You can see this with vans too, the 2016 Ford Edge, and the 2016 Subaru outback.   

So I do agree with Bangle on how he feels the car design world is stuck in a rut. I also think that now a day's cars are being made for their performance, instead of style. 

Sources

"Chris Bangle On The Problem With Modern Car Designs." Motor Authority. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

"Is the '86 Ford Taurus Worthy of Classic Car Status?" Automotive News. N.p., 20 May 2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

"Ford Taurus." Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

"2016 Subaru Legacy and Outback: More Starlink, More EyeSight, (Almost Same) Price." – News – Car and Driver. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

"2016 Kia K900 Luxury Sedan | Challenge The Luxury You Know." 2016 Kia K900 Luxury Sedan | Challenge The Luxury You Know. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

"New 2015 / 2016 Ford Edge For Sale Near Houston, TX." New 2015 / 2016 Ford Edge For Sale Houston, TX. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

"2016 SUBARU Outback." Introduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

The new era of hybrid hypercars - Koenigsegg Regera

By Ryan

  Usually hybrid cars give us an impression that they are slowly family cars, however, this idea is changing with the arise of more and more hybrid supercars, especially after Koenigsegg announced its latest flagship model: Regera.

  Regera was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The name Regera is a Swedish verb, meaning "to reign" or "to rule." The Regera was created and designed to be a more “practical”, “luxury” hypercar alternative to the rest of Koenigsegg’s lightweight hypercar lineup, including the Agera RS and the One:1. Koenigsegg states that the Regera will be the most powerful and fastest accelerating production car ever. The production of the Regera will result in Koenigsegg, for the first time ever, simultaneously having two models in production.

  The Regera produces a reported total of 1,822 metric horsepower through a hybrid powertrain. However, because the internal combustion engine (ICE) in the Regera has a fixed gear instead of a gearbox and therefore only delivers peak power at a very high speed while the electrical motors in the Regera deliver their peak power at a lower speed, the power peaks of the ICE and the electrical motors are spread out,

or not simultaneous, leaving a maximum combined mechanical output of 1,500 metric horsepower and 1,475 pound-feet of torque. The ICE is a mid-rear mounted, in-house developed, twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a 5.0-litre capacity. It produces 820 kW (1,100 bhp; 1,115 PS) at 7,800 RPM and 1,280 Nm (944.1 ft-lb) at 4,100 RPM. It works in conjunction with three YASA electric motors with a total capacity of 520 kW (697 bhp) and 900 Nm (663.8 ft-lb) of torque. One 215 bhp (160 kW) electric motor on the crankshaft supplies torque fill while acting as both a generator and a starter motor and two 241 bhp (180 kW) wheel shaft mounted electric motors drive the rear wheels and provide torque vectoring. The electric motors are powered by a 4.5 kWh, 800-volt, 90 kg liquid cooled battery pack developed by Rimac Automobili, making it the first 800 volt production car, Koenigsegg also claims that the battery pack is the most power-dense battery pack ever created for a production car.

  It has to say that Koenigsegg makes an example for high-performance hypercars in the future, since the growing tensions of energy shortage, car manufactures have to do more research on electric power, and Regera proves that electric power is no inferior than combustion engines.

Sources:

http://koenigsegg.com/regera/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg_Regera

Images

http://1hosj01irnixn8onr1zmv5s1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Regera_Airstrip1.jpg

http://1hosj01irnixn8onr1zmv5s1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Regera-Drive-Rendering-1440-930x503.jpg

http://1hosj01irnixn8onr1zmv5s1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Illustration_Direct_Drive_v2-930x529.jpg

How Torpedoes Inspired the Production of Airbags

By: Nick S.

Like plenty of other safety innovations, the automobile industry took quite a while to adopt the idea of an airbag system to be deployed upon collision. It was an expensive tool to create when it came around in the 1950s, and there simply wasn’t much interest; an airbag wasn’t flashy, and it certainly wasn’t something drivers wanted to see.

Pennsylvania man John Hetrick knew that drivers needed to see an airbag in some cases, even if the automobile industry took a while to catch on. Hetrick ran his own car into a ditch over a decade prior to seat belts becoming a mandatory feature in new vehicles, and the abruptness of the impact led him to wonder whether or not a deployable cushion could help to protect drivers and passengers in collisions.

But the cushion idea came with setbacks, some appearing before design work even began. A collision at any speed tends to happen quickly, and Hetrick had to find a way for the cushions to inflate in a fraction of a second.

A solution came in the form of a memory from his time serving in World War II. As a member of the Navy, Hetrick recalled working in a torpedo-maintenance shop when one of the torpedoes accidentally switched on.

The image Hetrick saw next would be the basis for his design; the compressed air that powered the torpedo shot out upon its activation, inflating a canvas that covered it while sitting in the shop. Hetrick recalled the event in American Inventions:

The canvas “shot up into the air, quicker than you could blink an eye,” he later recalled. He wrote to car makers and insurance companies when trying to market his new invention. Only one letter was answered: the company replied that they were not interested because people wanted “fancy radios and fancy cars ... ”

Among those who didn’t respond to Hetrick about his 1953 patent for a “safety cushion assembly for automotive vehicles” were Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. They soon changed their mind when Ralph Nader wrote his book in 1965 titled Unsafe at Any Speed, which called attention to numerous issues within the industry and the “gap between existing design and attainable safety.”

Others then began to pay attention. Seat belts became standard in new cars the very decade Nader’s book came out, but airbags didn’t make the cut that time around; instead, they had to settle for slowly gaining interest. According to History, Ford and General Motors began to install them in the 1970s. Models improved, but the airbags were far from perfect at that time.

The innovations kept coming, and airbags became a U.S. standard in both new cars and trucks by 1998. According to History, researchers estimate airbags to reduce risk of fatality in head-on collisions by 30%. It doesn’t seem like much, but any percentage in favor of not dying can be considered a good one.

Sources

 King, Alanis. "How Torpedoes Inspired The Production Of Airbags ." Jalopnik. 28 Mar. 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. 

 Tullberg, Michael. "How Airbags Work." HowStuffWorks. Web. 28 Mar. 2016. 

Pictures & Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTvPndZOP9g

http://indianautosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Alfa-Romeo-Giulia-steering-wheel-at-the-IAA-2015.jpg

http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1095064_nhtsa-expands-takata-airbag-recall-heres-an-updated-list-of-every-u-s-car-affected