Shanghai - By 2030, urban areas
will be home to more than 60 percent of the world's 8 billion
people. This will put tremendous pressure on a public infrastructure
that is already struggling to meet the growing demand for
transportation and basic services.
General Motors and its strategic
partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), share a
common vision for addressing the need for personal mobility through
a radical change in personal urban transportation. They are
exploring several solutions for tomorrow's drivers. Among the most
promising is a new vehicle form called EN-V.
A Promising Solution
EN-V, which is short for Electric
Networked-Vehicle, maintains the core principle of personal mobility
- freedom - while helping remove the motor vehicle from the
environmental debate and redefining design leadership. EN-V is a
two-seat electric vehicle that was designed to alleviate concerns
surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality
and affordability for tomorrow's cities.
Three EN-V models were unveiled
today in Shanghai. They represent three different characteristics
that emphasize the enjoyable nature of future transportation: Jiao
(Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh). The concepts will be
showcased from May 1 through October 31 at the SAIC-GM Pavilion at
World Expo 2010 Shanghai. Shanghai is expected to become one of the
epicenters for the establishment of personal mobility solutions for
the future.
"EN-V reinvents the automobile by
creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of
electrification and connectivity. It provides an ideal solution for
urban mobility that enables future driving to be free from petroleum
and emissions, free from congestion and accidents, and more fun and
fashionable than ever before," said Kevin Wale, President and
Managing Director of the GM China Group.
Breakthrough Technology
EN-V's platform has evolved from
the platform of the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility (P.U.M.A.)
prototype that was developed by Segway and debuted in April 2009.
Segway has worked collaboratively with GM to develop and deliver
multiple copies of the drivetrain platform that seamlessly connect
to and power the various EN-Vs.
EN-V is propelled by electric
motors in each of its two driving-mode wheels. Dynamic stabilization
technology empowers EN-V, giving it the unique ability to carry two
passengers and light cargo in a footprint that's about a third of a
traditional vehicle. It can literally "turn on a dime" within its
own operating envelope. In addition, everything in EN-V is
drive-by-wire, supporting its ability to operate autonomously or
under manual control. The motors not only provide power for
acceleration, but also bring the vehicle to a stop.
Power for the motors is provided by
lithium-ion batteries that produce zero emissions. Recharging can
occur from a conventional wall outlet using standard household
power, allowing EN-V to travel at least 40 kilometers on a single
charge. EN-V can also improve the efficiency of the public electric
infrastructure since the vehicle can communicate with the electric
grid to determine the best time to recharge based on overall usage.
By combining the Global Positioning
System (GPS) with vehicle-to-vehicle communications and
distance-sensing technologies, the EN-V concept can be driven both
manually and autonomously.
Its autonomous operating capability
offers the promise of reducing traffic congestion by allowing EN-V
to automatically select the fastest route based on real-time traffic
information. The concept also leverages wireless communications to
enable a "social network" that can be used by drivers and occupants
to communicate with friends or business associates while on the go.
This combination of sensing
technology, wireless communication and GPS-based navigation
establishes a technology foundation, pieces of which could migrate
from the EN-V concept and potentially lead the way to future
advanced vehicle safety systems.
The ability to communicate with
other vehicles and with the infrastructure could dramatically reduce
the number of vehicle accidents. Using vehicle-based sensor and
camera systems, EN-V can "sense" what's around it, allowing the
vehicle to react quickly to obstacles or changes in driving
conditions. For example, if a pedestrian steps out in front of the
vehicle, EN-V will decelerate to a slower and safer speed and stop
sooner than today's vehicles.
GM has been a leader in developing
autonomous vehicle technology, having worked alongside students and
faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. city of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This collaboration created "The Boss"
Chevrolet Tahoe, which brought autonomous vehicle operation to life
in 2007. EN-V takes the lessons learned in "The Boss" and offers
mobility to people who could not otherwise operate a vehicle.
"The EN-V concept represents a
major breakthrough in the research that GM has been doing to bring
vehicle autonomy to life," said Alan Taub, Global Vice President of
GM Research and Development. "The building blocks that enable the
autonomous capabilities found on the EN-V concept such as lane
departure warning, blind zone detection and adaptive cruise control
are being used in some GM vehicles on the road today."
EN-V has been designed for the
speed and range of today's urban drivers. It weighs less than 500
kilograms and is about 1.5 meters in length. By comparison, today's
typical automobile weighs more than 1,500 kilograms and is three
times as long. In addition, today's automobiles require more than 10
square meters of parking space and are parked more than 90 percent
of the time. EN-V's smaller size and greater maneuverability mean
the same parking lot can accommodate five times as many EN-Vs as
typical automobiles.
Smaller, Smarter Design
While EN-V leads the way in terms
of efficiency and technology, it also sets a new benchmark for
vehicle design. For its debut, GM had design teams around the world
provide their vision of what future mobility will look like. Xiao
(Laugh) was designed by GM Holden's design team in Australia, while
the look of Jiao (Pride) was penned by designers at GM Europe and
Miao (Magic) was designed at the General Motors Advanced Design
Studio in the U.S. state of California.
Each EN-V has a unique design theme
to showcase the flexibility of the propulsion platform. The design
gives each EN-V its own personality, with a unique opening, elegant
interior and innovative color, lighting and seat technology. Xiao
offers a more lighthearted appeal, with its "gumball blue" paint and
nautical-inspired design. Miao takes most of its design cues from
the consumer electronics industry, as evidenced by its sleek,
masculine looks. Designers also used Miao to display innovative
lighting solutions, including extensive use of LED accent lighting.
With its clean lines and bright paintwork, Jiao takes its design
influence from bullet trains and Chinese opera masks.
"EN-V incorporates significant
technology and material innovation, which has given the design team
a whole new world to explore," said Clay Dean, Director of Advanced
Design for GM North America. "Because of the lightweight structures,
materials and integrated controls, we created unique surface forms
not traditionally found in automotive applications."
The body and canopy of EN-V are
constructed from carbon fiber, custom-tinted Lexan and acrylic,
materials that are more commonly used in race cars, military
airplanes and spacecraft because of their strength and lightweight
characteristics. The ability to work with such innovative materials
provided a learning opportunity for GM's design teams to study the
feasibility of future traditional automotive applications.
EN-V's compact size makes it ideal
for use in densely populated cities thanks to its use of advanced
safety and propulsion technologies. But good things come in small
packages, as witnessed by EN-V's innovative interior design, which
provides maximum visibility to the world outside. A simple interface
for activating Wi-Fi-based technologies keeps occupants connected to
the outside world.
"The future of how we move around
in urban areas like Shanghai can combine the best of personal
mobility and public transit. There is a better solution and it is
called EN-V. It demonstrates that we have both the knowledge and the
ability right now to create a way to move people that not only
ensures a ‘better city' but also offers people a ‘better life,'"
said Taub.
