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Volkswagen defines the car as an all-electric two-seat city car that hovers just above the ground and travels along electromagnetic roadways. The Hover Car is the concept that catches our attention the most, if only for the fact that it brings back childhood memories of the hoverboard that Marty McFly used as an escape vessel in Back to the Future II. It developed concept cars around the ideas and is displaying them at the Beijing Motor Show. "We are no longer just building cars for, but also with customers and at the same time initiating a national dialog which gives us a deep insight into the design preferences, needs and requirements of Chinese customers."įrom the initial 119,000 ideas, Volkswagen picked three of its favorites. "The ‘People's Car Project' in China marks the beginning of a new era in automobile design", Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group said. Since debuting the project in China nearly a year ago, Volkswagen has inspired 33 million website visitors and 119,000 unique ideas for possible products and technologies. The Hover Car is one of three top concepts that Volkswagen procured through the crowd-sourced "People's Car Project" (PCP). But a Volkswagen that hovers a few feet over the ground? That channels a mix of Back to the Future and The Jetsons that adds some excitement to the personal mobility segment.
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The Segway was never exactly an enviable ride, and newer concepts like the GM EN-V aren't any better. He rates GM shares the equivalent of Buy, with a $52 price target.The world of personal mobility transporters doesn't bring a whole lot of glamor. “We give GM credit for showing how, in a more electrified world, they can increase their moving into new areas,” RBC analyst Joseph Spak wrote in a Tuesday research note. On the whole, investors appear impressed: GM stock closed up 6.2% at $47.82 on Tuesday, and has gained another 3.4% in premarket trading Wednesday. While flying cars may help alleviate road congestion, executives didn’t give a time frame for making them a reality. “Advances in electric and autonomous make personal air travel possible,” said Michael Simcoe, GM vice president of design. Then there are the flying cars: GM presented a digital version of a personal aircraft flying through a city. The auto giant also said it is planning electric, autonomous vans for taxi and commercial applications. The presentation included two other big announcements-including that Cadillac vehicles will soon feature “suspended particle device smart glass,” allowing occupants to set the level of transparency.
#Gm hover car update#
GM can update Super Cruise with over-the-air software updates, just like Tesla’s autopilot mode.
#Gm hover car driver#
GM also offered an update on its advanced driver assistance system, dubbed Super Cruise: Executives said that more than 20 GM vehicles will feature the program by 2023. “You launch an EV today and don’t have all that, you get killed.”īut De Vos notes that EVs tend to have higher levels of software control and computing power-both of which are needed for autonomous driving to work. (APTV), an auto supplier that integrates autonomous driving sensor data, tells Barron’s. “EV platforms are measured against Tesla,” Glen De Vos, chief technology officer for (TSLA), is a vocal proponent of self-driving technology and its potential to create new opportunities for the car business, such as self-driving taxis. Tying EVs to GM’s other two goals is less obvious: Zero accidents and zero congestion appear to be more about the company’s focus on autonomous driving technology.ĮVs, however, go hand-in-hand with the concept. It’s easy to understand the link between EVs and zero emissions: no carbon dioxide-the greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming-is emitted when EVs are charged with renewably-generated electricity. “The key to is electrification,” Barra said. The auto maker’s virtual CES booth is titled “Exhibit Zero,” reflecting GM’s goals for there to be zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion.
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