Showing posts with label Electric. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electric. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Concept Car : MAZDA KAAN E1 RACE CAR

Unlike some of the other entrants in this year’s LA competition, Mazda hasn’t forgotten to pen its concept with childlike awe; the Kaan features a sweeping, aerodynamic shape constructed with plenty of carbon. The centre-less wheels look strangely like beer bottle openers from the side - though not many bottle openers have light beams running across their centres.



Also unique among all the entrants is the idea that Kaans don’t compete alone, but rather in a peloton - a close knit pack of cars in formation like cyclists in a race. According to Mazda, the closer the pack sticks together, the more aerodynamic and thus faster it becomes. A lightning bolt inspired all that, allegedly.

Early Retirement or Podium Finish: Finishes just outside the top three when one of the peloton gets too close and clips another during the final lap, causing a multiple comedy tankslapper among the entire pack.



The MAZDA KAAN is an electric race car designed to compete in the E1 races, the pinnacle of international motorsports in terms of technology and popularity. In 2025, California freeways have been resurfaced with a sub-level electro-conductive polymer that powers the electric cars of the modern world. MAZDA’s patented electronic tire system uses this technology to power the KAAN to reach 250 mph with no harmful emissions!

The vehicles are piloted by individual drivers but teams are made up of thirty cars, all on the track together. Using strategies similar to those in cycling peletons, the tighter the group sticks together, the more aerodynamic and powerful it becomes.



Inspiration for the KAAN comes from electric fields and textures seen in nature, particularly those in a lightning bolt. The car is uniquely designed around its powerful electric wheels while the cockpit acts as a capsule to safely house the driver, allowing for tighter peloton formations and a team victory.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Concept Car : Peugeot Stylight


Another entry from the Peugeot Design Competition is the Stylight, a 3-seater city hybrid car with a small 1.6-liter engine and an electric motor placed above the rear wheels. Ognyan Bozhilov, the designer, said that this arrangement “improves weight distribution, gets rid of the complex, heavy mechanics for power transmission and makes the unique, aerodynamic body possible.” The Stylelight also offers unique safety features: an expansive windscreen for maximum visibility, and LED tail lights designed so the harder you press, the more lights turn on.

Concept Car : BamGoo Electric Bamboo


The body of the BamGoo is made out of bamboo. Designers from Kyoto University, and the City of Kyoto (home to the famous environmental protocols), demonstrated how organic material like bamboo—which is light, very strong and grows very fast—might be incorporated into car design. The single-seat all-electric car weighs on 130 pounds and can travel 30 miles on a charge.