Looking more like a futuristic stretch limo than a bus, the Superbus is a 15-meter long vehicle that provides seating for 23 passengers who can embark and disembark via its 16 gull-wing doors (eight on each side). The electric bus runs on four E2M electric motors powered by rechargeable batteries with its highly streamlined shape and lightweight construction designed to keep energy consumption down as it hurtles along at 155 mph.

Instead of adhering to a fixed schedule the Superbus is designed to be flexible and provide high volume, point to point transport on demand via a central routing optimization system.

Superbus Design

Designed by a team at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands the Superbus is able to alter its ground clearance to suit the road via front and rear lifting aluminum sub-frames. For city driving on existing roads the vehicle has a ground clearance of 40cm to allow it to be driven over speed bumps. Then when the bus hits a dedicated “Supertrack” it can be lowered to a ground clearance of 7cm and can reach speeds of 250 kmh (155 mph). These Supertracks would be built close to existing highways and would allow the bus to drive on autopilot. To prevent icing during winter the surface of these roads would store heat in the summer and release it in the winter.

To keep weight down the chassis, including the cockpit and the rear are completely made of carbon fiber-epoxy composite, while the outer panels of the Superbus are made of IXIS, a composite material consisting of a foam core sandwiched between layers of thermoplastic fiberglass. This material boasts high energy absorption in the case of a collision and is also recyclable. Strong and lightweight Lexan polycarbonate was chosen for the glazing. To ensure low rolling resistance for minimum energy consumption special tires needed to be developed by Vredestein with the dimensions of a truck tire, but with the specifications of a sport-scar tire.

Safety

For improved safety the vehicle includes a fast responding electronic guidance system and obstacle detection systems using radar to detect objects from a few hundred meters away. To improve maneuverability the rear wheels of the bus also steer. The bus boasts 750 onboard sensors to detect such things as whether all passengers have fastened their seat-belts and if there is anyone standing in range of the doors while they are opening and closing.

Interior

The interior of the vehicle is designed to provide comfortable, luxurious and private travel space for the passengers. It is split into two main parts: the passenger compartment and the cockpit. The passenger compartment is then divided into three cabins using two transparent dividing screens. The first cabin offers a single row of forward facing seats with each passenger provided with a personal table, headset and a multimedia screen. The two cabins behind have two rows of seats that face each other with a large foldable conference table in the middle, which also holds multimedia screens.

On Demand Public Transport

Recognizing that flexibility is one of the major strengths of the car the Superbus will pick up passengers near their homes when needed. In order to make the goal of a point to point on demand system a reality the project will look to develop a special ordering system. This ordering system will receive pickup requests from the Internet and SMS and will combine passengers with the same origin and destination as much as possible to minimize the distance traveled and the number of stops needed during the trip. Its developers say fares for the Superbus service would be comparable with present day public transport prices.

Test Drive

To evaluate the Superbus concept the project team built a test mule to do a series of test runs before starting assembly of the demonstrator vehicle. The first test drive of the Superbus mule took place at the RDW test center in Lelystad on October 19, 2008, with three subsequent test-drives culminating in a fourth and final test drive on January 31, 2009.

Satisfied with the results of the Superbus mule test-drives the project has turned to the construction of a full prototype. The chassis has been completed and the glazing and body panels have been attached, giving the Superbus its distinctive shape. Work then moved to the interior with the upholstery finished on January 21, 2010. After the completion and evaluation of the prototype the project will move to the final phase which will see the Superbus enter large scale production with TU Delft hoping to market the vehicle worldwide.

Project Team

The Superbus team boasts some impressive names. It was designed by Dr Antonia Terzi, the former chief aerodynamicist of the BMW-Williams Formula 1 team, while Prof. Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutchman in space, is the project’s General Manager. The project has also garnered sponsorship from a number of sources including the Netherlands government, which has pledged 77 million euro to the project in addition to industry sponsors. Over 45 suppliers, including Bose, Logitech, Hella, E2M technologies and Bosch have also gotten behind the project.

It’s still a few years before we’re likely to see the Superbus taking passengers, but here’s hoping it will one day mean an end to the aging, pollution spewing, less than punctual and even less comfortable mobile boxes I’m forced to endure at the moment.

A boat that flies. Now there’s a vehicle Phileas Fogg could really have used. Zep’lin is a blue-sky concept developed by industrial designer Damien Grossemy during a five month internship at Renault which imagines the use of solar panel sails and electric propulsion to liberate the yacht-like vehicle from terra firma.

Setting out to "explore new design language of electric vehicles," Grossemy has come up with a land anywhere vertical architecture that incorporates a propeller drive, flexible wing and rudder system that would enable the craft to tilt sideways to make the most of the Sun’s rays.

Beautiful, elegant design? Yes. Workable? We live in hope!

Via The Design Blog.

Image Gallery (18 images)

Citroen says it has completely reinterpreted the idea of a small car by producing the Survolt concept – an electric vehicle that fits the size parameters of a small car but not the two-box look of a hatchback. Speaking at the Geneva International Motor Show this week, the company says its supermini is unconventional, aggressive, exciting and vibrant and is what the small car sector has been looking for.

According to Citroen, the Survolt meets the size, environmental and safety requirements of cars in its class but isn’t a boring rehash of existing vehicles.

The Survolt is the continuation of Citroen’s exploration of distinctive and original electric vehicles, starting with the Citroen Revolte concept car revealed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Survolt is a blend of high-fashion glamor and extravagance with motor-racing punch.

Citroen says it has deliberately broken with convention, shaken up the rules and shifted the borders in its continuous and passionate quest to develop innovative objects ahead of their time. Survolt, it says, is one of these. It takes the genetic material of Revolte and adds an extroverted sports dimension to the mix.

The compact Survolt – 3.85m long, 1.87m wide and 1.20m high – has a look and personality of its own embedded in this concept.

A distinctive look …

At the front, the distinctive vehicle badge sits above the large oval-shaped grille, while its slim, horizontal head lamps producing bright LED light.

Low-slung and sleek, the body features strong contrasts between the bonnet and sculpted flanks, highlighted by distinctive wheel arches.

Survolt’s air-slicing, flowing design is heavy on excitement and sensuality. It conveys agility, precision and vitality, barely containing a powerful, well-defined musculature under refined and luxurious wraps. The rear features the elegant light signature of Revolte together with a spoiler in an essential reference to motor sport.

Two-tone paint and materials like chrome and aluminum project an image of luxury and sport. Citroen says the Survolt is a perfect combination between high fashion and car racing, a unique alliance with the same philosophy and the same cues as Revolte, namely performance, cutting-edge technology and excellence.

Inside the Survolt

Survolt’s cockpit was designed to bring the two occupants comfort and refinement, triggering singular pleasure and an outstanding experience.

The car’s generous glazed area brings light and a sensation of space, very different to many of today’s sports cars.

Like Revolte, Survolt is powered by electricity, thus combining sports performance with environmental respect and sustainable development. Driver comfort is enhanced by the silent electric motor.

At first glance it might look a bit like an elongated pedal car for kids, but its designers are convinced the HumanCar Imagine PS NEV is a serious player in the search for cleaner, greener ways to get around. The vehicle converts the rowing motion of the driver and any passengers into rotational thrust to charge a battery and power the vehicle in conjunction with an electric motor. So not only is it healthy for the planet – it is healthy for the occupants too. And as an added bonus the vehicle can also be used store energy and act as a backup power generator to provide electricity to the home.

History

The HumanCar is the brainchild of Chief Scientist/Engineer Charles Samuel Greenwood P.E., who first hit upon the idea for a human powered car some 40 years ago. Sitting in a traffic jam in Silicon Valley in 1968 Greenwood noticed the many overweight commuters sitting in their cars breathing in noxious exhaust fumes. He was inspired to create a modest modification to vehicles that would reduce the need for conventional fuel, while at the same time providing exercise.

Searching for a full-body workout Greenwood eschewed a bicycle-type mechanism in favor of the rowing-like mechanism and developed the forerunner to the Impulse PS, the FM-4 (Fully Manual – 4 people). This was a research “skeleton” car that was built to test the concept of a human powered vehicle and the lessons it provided eventually led to the development of the Impulse PS (Power Station) NEV.

NEV

The innovative vehicle is dubbed an NEV because it falls into the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) classification for low speed vehicles. So although the HumanCar is capable of reaching speeds of around 62 mph (100 km/h) it is limited to 25 mph (around 40 km/h) to comply with the classification.

The car includes seating for four, with rowing handlebars for each passenger. It can be powered by one, two, three or four people, the battery-powered electric motor, or any combination of human and electric power. The battery can also be charged via a standard electrical outlet if you feel you’ve had your quota of exercise for the day.

To make the most out of the power generated the vehicle also incorporates a regenerative braking system and an advanced power system to enhance overall efficiency. Because steering using the rowing handles would be too difficult to control the vehicle is steered by "Body Steering" (read leaning into turns). According to Chuck Greenwood, HumanCar Inc. CEO and son of Charles Greenwood, this is apparently much more intuitive (not to mention more fun) than using a conventional steering wheel.

The vehicle’s custom CPU operates off trigger buttons on the center brake handle to engage functions such as regenerative power, power up and cruise control. Other available features include a human/machine interface (HMI) touch-screen display with GPS and biometric data logging, iPod integrated sound systems, and Bluetooth compatible on-board computing/communications devices. The vehicle is especially suited to generate the power required to operate these devices. An all-weather foldout ragtop roof is also available for commuting in the rain.

Team Building

With much of the interest in the HumanCar focusing on the environmental and physical health advantages of the car, it’s easy to overlook one of the side benefits – the social aspect. According to its developers the car engenders feelings of teamwork and social bonding amongst the occupants. After all, there’s nothing like working together to forge some team spirit. And although that’s no doubt true when trips in the HumanCar are still a novelty, I can’t help imagining arguments emanating from the back seats on family outings with one sibling blaming another for not pulling their weight – but maybe that’s just my family.

Universal Appeal

Key to the HumanCar concept is the chassis itself, which has been designed to adapt as technology evolves. The universal design of the chassis means it can use many different power systems and batteries, controls and motors and all these components can be upgraded without needing to replace the entire vehicle.

In the near future the company also plans to integrate proximity braking systems and multi-stage airbags into production units. And as features such as park assist and crash control become more "off the shelf" they will also be integrated.

Versions that employ “more traditional operator inputs” are also in development.

Electricity Generation

The HumanCar isn’t just a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle either. It can also function as an exercise-based human electric power station, or in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode to feed electricity back into the grid. A report on CNN showed four people rowing for a couple of minutes generated enough electricity to power a PC for well over an hour. So if you don’t need to go anywhere you can jump in the car for some exercise that will generate electricity for your home or to be fed back into the grid.

DUET GEN Home Power Generator

The company is also taking this idea further by planning to release a home power generator product called the DUET GEN. This is a two-person unit that is also modular to fit the chassis system used in the HumanCar vehicle and is small enough to fold up and fit in a large suitcase. The device is perfect for anyone wanting a way to get fit and help the environment but aren’t yet willing or able to take the full plunge on the HumanCar vehicle.

Already the company has received more than 200 orders for the current Imagine, which are currently being produced as pure research/exotics with a price of US$75,000. Full commercial production of the Imagine PS NEV will begin once the break even point of around 800 orders are reached, which looks to be sometime this year. The vehicles will be priced at US$15,500 each.

For the moment the HumanCar is limited to non-highway or ‘neighborhood’ roads, but there are higher performance versions under development that are planned for highway travel.

There’s no doubt that in the race for green power the human body has been overlooked in favor of alternative fuel sources such as biofuels, hydrogen etc. But the human body is a veritable powerhouse that so many of us under utilize – as our expanding waistlines will attest to. With the majority of car trips people make falling into the short, local variety the Impulse PS NEV could well be a viable, reasonably priced alternative that not only helps the planet, but helps the health of its occupants too.

For more info, or to place an order head to HumanCar’s website.