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C OVER STORY
Innovative Vehicle Concepts 16
Platform for Urban and Automated Electric Vehicles Gerhard Gumpoltsberger, Stephan Pollmeyer, Alexander Neu, Guido Hirzmann [ZF]
“Future car designs must also 22 take emotions into account” Interview with Lutz Eckstein [ika]
as a Real Driving 26 Coasting Function Antonio Arcati, Tobias Huber, Thomas Knorr, Thomas Vöhringer-Kuhnt [Continental]
Digitisation and autonomous driving, hybrid drives and electric cars are resulting in the development of a wide variety of concept cars that use a range of different technologies. The Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) is the event where technical innovations are presented to the public, while by contrast the Geneva Motor Show is well-known for eye-catching designs and exotic prototypes. The 87th show in Geneva will be opening its doors from 9 to 19 March 2017 to allow car manufacturers and designers from all over the world to present their latest creations. Since the exhibition was first staged in 1905, it has hosted a large number of premieres. These include, for example, in 1929 the Mercedes SSK, which helped racing drivers such as Rudolf Caracciola to numerous victories, and the Borgward Hansa in 1949, which had an automatic gearbox that dispensed with the need for a clutch and gear changing. BMW launched the 502 in Geneva in 1954 with its lightweight V8 engine that produced 100 hp. Pininfarina presented the breathtakingly beautiful Peugeot 504 Cabriolet in 1969 and in 1980 Fiat introduced the Panda designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Alongside all these production models, in Geneva car manufacturers also present innovative vehicle concepts to an audience from all over the world, such as the Mercedes-Benz A 93 concept car with a sandwich floor (1994), the predecessor of the A Class, Pininfarina’s Sintesi, a four-door four-seater with four fuel cell units (2008), the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid concept car (2010) and the stunning green Škoda VisionC with hand-made Bohemian glasswork in the interior (2014). The Swiss automotive visionary Frank M. Rinderknecht made his first appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in 1979. As a trendsetter in vehicle design, he has been responsible for a large number of innovations, including the introduction of the turbocharger as early as 1977, the creation of a steering wheel with an integral keypad in 1985 and the invention of the HMI (driver assistance systems) in 2005. Rinderknecht will be presenting his 26th concept car, the Oasis, in Geneva this year. As a self-driving electric car for use in cities and suburbs, with a herb garden on the dashboard, it cleverly combines the trends for autonomous driving, electric mobility and urban gardening. “With a twinkle in its eye, it goes against the deeply ingrained notion of the urban jungle, where massive SUVs are needed in the daily struggle for survival”. Michael Reichenbach
ATZ worldwide
03|2017
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