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Thursday, May 5, 2011

EDAG Light Car Concept, 2009

EDAG Light Car Concept, 2009

 

For the body concept of the EDAG Light Car Open Source, EDAG has broken new ground, and for the first time ever in automotive engineering, used ASA.TEC's innovative basalt fibre, a lightweight, stable and - above all - 100% recyclable material. Propulsion is taken care of by intelligent, electric drive systems in the wheels, which not only feature a high degree of efficiency to get the power of the lithium-ion batteries onto the road, but will also provide considerably greater creative scope for the vehicle package. In addition, with its innovative light concept, the EDAG Light Car Open Source will be one of the first vehicles to utilise (O)LED technology as an individually adaptable design and communication element.

As a design engineering company, the EDAG Group would like to apply its experience to contributing to the development of new vehicle concepts and processes. Rising energy prices, the CO2 discussion and the increase in demands for reasonably priced cars are all pressing questions which now, more than ever, call for innovative concepts. Since 1999, EDAG has, with its concept cars, been producing pragmatic ideas for the evolution of the automobile. Motivated by the current discussions about the cars of tomorrow and future direction of the automotive industry, EDAG has risked taking a visionary and courageous look towards the future. With the Light Car Open Source, EDAG gives possible answers to the question of how new materials, new body concepts and alternative drive systems can be implemented in the future, while conserving resources and keeping costs down for the manufacturer and customer alike.

The body: an individually adaptable desktop
With its innovative light concept and minimalised lighting technology, the EDAG Light Car Open Source is one of the first vehicles to use (O)LED technology as a variable design and communication element.

Not until it is started up does the EDAG Light Car Open Source, with a body that looks as though it is made of glass, come to life and reveal its true looks. In the glass panes, (O)LED lamps mark out the outlines of the headlights and rear lights on the "Light Car - Open Source". The driver can design the outlines of the lights to his individual taste to give the car a unique appearance, something he is already used to doing, from setting up his PC desktop. The driver also has a free hand when it comes to arranging his "workplace" in the cockpit. Whether he wants the tachometer in the middle or the climate control gauge on the right-hand side, the driver can individually configure his cockpit as far as size, position and style of the instruments is concerned.

With the aid of state-of-the-art (O)LED technology, EDAG uses the transparent tailgate as a projection screen, making car-to-car communication visible and usable to all motorists. For instance, the braking force can be communicated to the next vehicle by means of an illuminated scale on the back of the car. Other information, such as a distance reading or if there is the tail end of a traffic jam ahead, can be clearly displayed on the back of the car, even if the vehicle behind does not have a car-to-car communication system of its own. Further, the driver of the car behind can see the information straight away, without needing to take his eyes off the road!

Innovative basalt fibre as material - rolling chassis as platform

With the choice of materials for EDAG Light Car Open Source, the emphasis is also on innovative solutions. Apart from the glass surfaces or alternatively Makrolon, the material of the future, the structure of the vehicle is predominantly of an innovative, industrially standardised basalt fibre (ASA.TEC fibre). This 100% recyclable and almost infinitely available raw material is not just lighter and less costly than aluminium or carbon, but also has practically the same strength properties as conventional materials. This new quality of basalt fibre, which is to be utilised in the construction of rotors for large-scale wind power plants in the future, can now be put to systematic use in the automotive industry. This type of basalt fibre therefore has the potential for becoming a main structural element and thus being used as a future lightweight material in cars for the high volume market.

The body concept of the EDAG Light Car Open Source is based on a rolling chassis - a genuine, universal platform to which the modules for various bodies can be added. This enables vehicle derivatives to be developed more quickly and at lower cost.

One hundred percent monovalent!
The drive concept of the light car is based on an all-electric, monovalent drive system with a range of up to 150 kilometres, making it eminently suitable for everyday use. The matter of propulsion is taken care of by intelligent, electric drive systems in the wheels, which not only feature a high degree of efficiency to get the power of the lithium-ion batteries in the rolling chassis onto the road, but will also provide considerably greater creative scope for the vehicle package. This is made possible by a system integrated in the wheels, which consolidates a number of functions: steering, brakes, drive and suspension.

The light car's exterior dimensions - 4 metres long and 1.70 metres wide - put it in the compact car size range, and as both engine and gearbox have been eliminated, the wheelbase - 2.90 metres - has been brought up to luxury class level, with enough space to seat five passengers in comfort.

Open source
The new lightweight material, standardised basalt fibre, an electric drive system, rolling chassis and - last but not least - the innovative lighting concept offer great potential for a new vehicle concept. Many of the technologies shown today are still in the early stages of their development. For this reason, EDAG regards this as an open source project, and approaches other companies with which it can then work on the development of the EDAG Light Car. The company has made a deliberate decision to address itself to a wide circle, thus enabling new notions to be absorbed in the car of the future. Computer and software developers are to apply their new technologies in exactly the same way as ASA.TEC basalt fibre, (O)LED technology or electric drive specialists do.

With EDAG's expertise in vehicle and production plant development, and the integration of system suppliers in complex complete development projects, the Fulda company will be playing the leading role in the development of the open source project. The company's all-round understanding of product and production will help EDAG to develop pragmatic solutions, particularly regarding savings potential when it comes to product costs.

With Light Car Open Source, the EDAG Group intends not only to substantiate its claims to being an innovative engineering partner to the automotive industry, but also to stimulate the discussion of ways and means of satisfying future consumer demands - ecological and economical - on the next generation of cars.

EDAG Biwak Concept, 2006

EDAG Biwak Concept, 2006

 

For this new EDAG concept car, the classic, half-rounded beetle shape has been converted into an estate silhouette, creating extra room for various new professional and leisure applications. As well as offering the advantages of a marked increase in storage space and greater headroom for the back seat passengers, the the SUV light concept also provides more ground clearance, to enable the driver to take the vehicle off the road or race track. Practical and stylish: the rear door provides easy access to the luggage section. The new body design drawn up by the EDAG stylists and developed by the EDAG engineers has the potential for use in vehicles for volume production. The EDAG Biwak would be the ideal second car for a family, though it could just as easily prove popular as a stylish leisure vehicle for surfers or divers, or even do service as a delivery truck for crafts or tradesmen. The concept combines a multitude of requirements, making it attractive to a broad spectrum of customers. To demonstrate the industrial feasibility of the concept, EDAG's development and production specialists have also worked out different manufacturing concepts for various quantities.

Trim + Colour as Marketing Instruments
Geneva Version: "Patina instead of High Gloss"
To increase its appeal to the intended target groups, the EDAG design team have created a sophisticated concept for individual equipment and features. Johannes Barckmann explains: "By utilising clearly worked out colour and trim concepts, we can adapt the look of the EDAG Biwak to appeal to the various target groups - high gloss finish and chrome elements for the bank clerk; crinkle finish, steel rims and denim for the young rebel. By offering numerous alternative versions of the extras, we can satisfy the customers' constant calls for individualisation."

With the version for the Geneva Show, EDAG deliberately set out to produce a provocative exterior - the EDAG Biwak look was inspired by the spirit of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, and takes up a successful trend in the fashion branch.
A matt crinkle finish on the ourtside combined with natural leather and denim on the inside create a direct counterpoint to the usual high-gloss look of other new cars.

The crinkle finish lends the EDAG Biwak a used look, which brings the direct utility value of the vehicle very much to the fore. "We are giving the customer the freedom to make full use of the vehicle, dispelling his or her worries about that first, inevitable scratch in the paintwork," is how Johannes accounts for the provocative trim colour concept.
In this case, the motto "patina instead of high gloss" is directed at a target group intent upon breaking with convention. Just one example of how colour and trim can be employed as marketing instruments.

EDAG Gen-X Concept, 2004

EDAG Gen-X Concept, 2004

 
 
 
 

EDAG Gen-X Concept, 2004

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