Tata Motors will soon offer EVs (electric vehicles) with its own state-of-the-art technology which will be launched during 2020. Known as ‘ZIPTRON’, the EV powertrain technology is a building block towards the Indian carmaker’s strive for commonality so as to drive economies of scale. Pursuing this strategy will help to make new technologies affordable for Indian consumers.
While full details have not been released, the new technology embodies important characteristics such as an efficient high voltage system, zippy performance, long range, fast charging capability, a battery pack with warranty of 8 years, and adherence to IP67 standard which relates to protection from water.
In-house development
Speaking at the announcement recently, Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD of Tata Motors said: “We are proud to present this state-of-art technology brand – ZIPTRON – which has been designed in-house while utilizing our global engineering network. At the heart of our future EV line-up, this technology will deliver a thrilling driving experience to our customers aspiring to go-green. Rigorously tested across 1 million kms, ZIPTRON technology is well proven, advanced and reliable. With this technology, we hope to usher in a new wave of eMobility in India and accelerate faster adoption of EVs, supporting the government’s vision.”
ZIPTRON battery pack
The ZIPTRON powertrain has a highly efficient permanent magnet AC motor providing superior performance on demand. It is claimed to have best-in-industry protection against dust and water, an important requirement for Indian motoring conditions. Furthermore, ZIPTRON technology has smart regenerative braking to charge the battery while on the drive, enhancing the range.
The Tata Motors’ Electric Vehicle Business Unit has also been supporting the IIT Bombay Racing Team for the past 4 years as a key sponsor to help a team of 70 budding engineers fulfill their aspirations of developing an electrically-powered racing car.
In the coming months, Tata Motors will be starting a campaign to introduce ZIPTRON technology as well as educate consumers on EVs.
Racelogic, established in 1992, originally began producing GPS data loggers for vehicle testing but over time, its devices have also become popular in the motorsports community. This led to the development of its first VBOX (Velocity Box) in 2001 that gave racers extensive real-time insights into how their cars was running. 7 years later, videocameras were added to give visual information with a graphic overlay.
Racelogic’s VBOX hardware is used widely in the auto industry for recording test data.The motorsports community also found the VBOX to be a useful tool for racing as it could help improve driving performance with real-time insights into what the car was doing.
The company continues to develop more advanced devices and the latest is the VBOX Touch. This is the first in a new generation of highly flexible, enhanced accuracy GNSS data-loggers using the very latest technology available.
The hardware can be used in many types of diverse automotive tests such as acceleration, braking, speed verification, tyre temperature monitoring, lap-timing and durability, to name a few. The VBOX Touch comes preloaded with a sophisticated Performance application which covers many common use cases and other applications (available free of charge from the company’s online library). Racelogic can also write custom scripts based on customer requirements.
Class-leading accuracy
The VBOX Touch has a daylight-readable 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, 10Hz GNSS engine, wifi, Bluetooth, twin CAN ports, serial port, digital input and four multi-colour LEDs. A high accuracy 2-cm RTK GPS version is available, which uses the very latest dual frequency GPS, GLONASS and Galileo signals to deliver class-leading accuracy even under difficult conditions. These new signals significantly increase the RTK resilience near trees and tall buildings, providing very precise lap-timing, position triggers and trajectory maps in places where 2-cm GPS has never been available before.
In the development of the VBOX Touch, Racelogic has worked closely with end-users to create a powerful tool to help them deliver results faster and more accurately on the track or open road.
The all-new Land Rover Defender will have its world premiere later this year. In the past, when Land Rover was developing its new models, it would do most of the real-world testing on its own, using its own experienced personnel. Perhaps that was partly to keep details of the new model under wraps till launch.
These days, however, the carmaker must find it also useful to let outside parties check out prototypes. This is especially so if the outside parties operate in extreme conditions and have specific requirements for the transport vehicles.
One such organisation is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) which was visited by the team carrying out the latest stage of its global testing programme of the new Defender.
IFRC fleet experts put new Defender to the test
A prototype vehicle visited the IFRC global fleet base in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Land Rover engineers demonstrated the vehicle’s breadth of capability to their IFRC counterparts both on and off road. Then the IFRC fleet experts took to the wheel to test the vehicle for themselves on the region’s desert sand dunes and the twisty tarmac of Jebel Jais highway in temperatures over 40 degrees C. The Defender also climbed the tallest mounting in the UAE and reached an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres.
The dunes around Dubai were the perfect place to confirm that this is the most capable Land Rover ever made. It sits on tyres with an overall diameter of up to 815 mm, resulting in a very large contact patch. Coupled with a bespoke traction control system, which monitors and adjusts for a large variety of terrain, this makes the new Defender highly capable on sand and incredibly smooth on road as well.
Global partnership since 1954
The test in Dubai coincides with the renewal of Land Rover’s global partnership with the IFRC – a relationship that dates back 65 years, to 1954, when the first specially adapted Land Rover entered service in the region as a mobile dispensary.
This year marks the humanitarian organisation’s centenary as it celebrates ‘100 Years of Hope’. Over the next three years, Land Rover will support disaster preparedness and response initiatives in locations including India, Mexico and Australia.
“The Red Cross supports millions of people in crisis every year, working in almost every country in the world. We operate in some of the most hard-to-reach places on earth, often working in very difficult terrain, so our teams have to be able to cope with anything. That’s why we’re proud to have partnered with Land Rover since 1954, and to be putting their new Defender to the test, as together they help us reach vulnerable communities in crisis, whoever and wherever in the world they are,” said Ilir Caushaj, the IFRC’s Team Lead For Global Fleets And Logistics.
The session with the IFRC fleet experts complements the global testing programme which has seen prototypes covering more than 1.2 million kilometres in all kinds of conditions. Various activities have also been arranged to give the public a sneak preview of the vehicle, including a dynamic appearance at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.
Airbags have been in cars since the early 1980s, initially being installed at the front to give additional protection to the passenger and driver. Then airbags were installed at the sides (usually in the seats), giving protection against side collisions. Today, there can be up to 7 airbags on the front and sides of a cabin – curtain airbags over the window openings and a small airbag under the steering column to protect the driver’s knees (the seventh airbag).
Airbags for the rear occupants have been under study for a long time but there have been some issues which are still hard to resolve, preventing them from being offered. For example, the positioning of the passenger is critical and if this cannot be sufficiently controlled, then an airbag could cause injury instead. The mounting point of the airbag would also have to be optimised, especially with the greater area between the passenger and the seat. There are, however, airbags integrated in rear seatbelts available as options in some Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Ford models.
New dangers from side collisions
While research continues to find new and better solutions in passenger restraint systems, much attention is now also focussed on side-on collisions on the opposite side of the passenger. If the impact is severe enough, it can throw the passenger’s body toward the middle of the vehicle. The latest results from crash tests have shown this, referred to as the far side in professional circles, and it’s dangerous.
In certain crash events, the test dummies show that the passenger’s torso could bend over the centre console while the seat belt hold the pelvis back in the seat. As a result, the thoracic spine twists and the cervical spine can be overstretched. The dummy data readings indicate that serious injuries could result.
Far-side safety countermeasures present an untapped area for injury reduction and as far back as 2015, ZF showcased a far-side airbag concept for the first time. Installed in the inward-facing side of the driver’s seat, the airbag can help to provide better protection to both the driver and front-seat passenger.
A new Euro NCAP test requirement
Euro NCAP has now become the first safety organization in the world to react to the far-side problem. The new test requirements that will be introduced in 2020 will expand the scope of the investigations into side-on collisions on the side of the vehicle opposite to the passengers. A total of 16 points within the Euro NCAP are awarded to side-on collisions; in future, 4 of these points will focus solely on the topic of far-side collisions. A car can achieve a maximum of 38 points in all four categories for the protection of adult passengers.
Recent evaluations of the national accident data, collected by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2004 to 2013, present a detailed picture of the serious injuries that an be caused by far-side collisions: 43% of the injuries suffered were to the chest and abdomen and 23% were head injuries. Around 53% of the chest injuries were caused by contact with the centre console or the backrest, while 21% were caused by the passenger colliding with external structural elements, such as the metal parts of the door.
Different from other airbags The design of the ZF far-side airbag therefore focuses on two chambers that are arranged in a specific way to complement each other. “This special design was developed based on the fact that we want to support the head in the upper area as early as possible. The shoulders of the passenger are usually held in place between the two chambers. The entire upper body is therefore better supported on both sides,” explained Dominique Acker, an engineer involved in the preliminary development of side airbags in the Passive Safety Systems Division.
The considerably larger far-side airbag is integrated in the driver’s seat in a similar fashion to a side airbag. In the event of a side-on collision, the airbag control unit can trigger the far-side airbag shortly after the standard side airbag. In order to stabilize the far-side airbag, it is either fixed in place on the seat frame with a strap or supported by the centre console.
It can also be triggered when a collision takes place on the driver’s side. This is due to the fact that if there are people sitting in both of the car’s front seats, lateral acceleration can cause the two car occupants to collide with one another. In this instance, the far-side airbag can help prevent this exact scenario from taking place.
The airbag therefore differs from the front and side airbags: the function of these airbags is to help reduce the body’s momentum by ‘enveloping’ the passenger, while the far-side airbag provides the passenger’s body with more support. “The pressure in the chambers is therefore higher than in most other airbags,” explained Acker, revealing that the airbag will be offered in a compact-class vehicle in 2020.
A modern car contains, on average, around 5 square metres of glass and that’s almost twice as much what a typical car had 30 years ago. While many components – from the inside mirror with a built-in sensor to the 3D speedometer – already function as high-tech, digitally connected components, car windows are large surfaces that are usually free from any kind of digital equipment, although they have tremendous potential.
This is the potential that Continental is increasingly looking to exploit. The technology company is enhancing and refining its Intelligent Glass Control solution, opening up whole new possibilities for greater comfort, safety and energy efficiency.
Thanks to new film technologies, panoramic sunroofs can already be dimmed on command more effectively than ever before. Sections of the windscreen can be tinted when the sun is low in the sky and the windows behind the B-pillar can be dimmed to provide more privacy on the rear seats. Windows can also be heated automatically without heating wires – and even be used as display surfaces.
Active and smart components
“Windows are becoming an increasingly active, smart component of the vehicle,” said Johann Hiebl, Head of the Body & Security and Infotainment & Connectivity business units at Continental. “Intelligent Glass Control is an innovative solution that we are currently developing so that windows can be integrated even more effectively into the car’s user interface. This will make driving more comfortable and safer – and, thanks to new dimming and heating functions, they will also enable significant energy savings. This development work represents an important step on the road toward electromobility and autonomous driving.”
Intelligent Glass Control uses special films that are integrated into the glass and change their degree of translucency on the basis of electrical control signals. A range of technologies are available for this purpose, although they present benefits and drawbacks in terms of visual quality and the speed with which a glass pane can be dimmed.
Smart windows have traditionally been used for panoramic sunroofs. Now, Continental is using – among other things – an innovative technology that is suitable for all the vehicle’s windows and significantly increases the potential of glass control: LC (liquid crystal) technology offers unprecedented quality for switchable glass in vehicles.
Greater privacy and fewer CO2 emissions
In an LC car window mold, liquid crystals mix with tiny paint particles in a special suspension that is, in turn, integrated into a fine film between two thin glass panes. Under the influence of a low AC voltage, the liquid crystals and paint particles align to either dim or lighten the windows.
“This LC-based technology has the potential to enable the ultimate in modern, smart glass pane systems,” explained Tobias Frischmuth, Technical Project Leader in Intelligent Glass Control at Continental. “The transparency or opacity of a window can be adjusted within milliseconds. It is crucial that the windows do not exhibit any visible residual turbidity when they are transparent. This technology is also available in different colours.”
The overall benefits of switchable glazing technologies: each individual car window can be dimmed separately on command. However, regulations in some countries mean that this is not currently allowed on all vehicle windows. If the rear windows are dimmed to provide greater privacy in the rear, for example, this will also have a noticeably positive impact on the interior climate. This means that the air-conditioning unit will not have to be used as much and CO2 emissions can be reduced.
If the tinting function in the windscreen is linked with the on-board power supply and cloud connection, specific sections of windows can be dimmed or brightened automatically in advance depending on the weather conditions or position of the sun. Not only will this technology mean that drivers will no longer have to reach for the sun visor – itself a risky move – it will ultimately render mechanical sun visors completely redundant.
Windows can also be heated automatically without heating wires – and even be used as display surfaces.
Helpful for cameras too
The effectiveness of adaptive camera systems can also be improved, thanks to Intelligent Glass Control. Adaptive camera systems are vital components for a wide range of autonomous driving functions and, if they are positioned close to the inside mirror, their function can be impaired when the sun is low in the sky.
With Intelligent Glass Control, smart car windscreens will also play a role in human–machine interaction, for example by displaying information output by the advanced driver assistance and infotainment systems. Windows could also be transformed into smart displays featuring a range of touchscreen elements. Continental possesses both the electronics know-how and systems expertise in the integration of innovative technology solutions necessary to make these visions a reality in the near future.
Teams from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) recently took the track for the pre-season ‘Prologue’ at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. This event is a prelude to the start of a new championship season and this year, the public test session saw the return of Goodyear to international motorsport competition.
The tyre company has announced its global racing comeback earlier, confirming that it will develop tyres for the 2019/2020 WEC season which begins at Silverstone on September 1. Goodyear has a proud history in motorsport. In addition to 14 wins in the Le Mans 24 hours, Goodyear tyres were on the racing cars that won 368 Formula One GPs – a record that stands unbeaten.
Goodyear was involved in F1 as a tyre supplier up till 1997.
New tyres for Le Mans Prototypes
Goodyear has been developing a new range of tyres for Le Mans Prototypes for over a year at their innovation centres in Germany) and Luxembourg. The first phase of this development plan is to introduce 5 new specifications of tyre for the highly-competitive LMP2 class in WEC.
This class, for 600-bhp prototypes, is one of the most demanding in WEC as it features a battle between tyre manufacturers. At the Prologue, the Jota Sport, Jackie Chan DC Racing, High Class Racing and TDS teams will try Goodyear’s latest development tyres. The WEC regulations allow tyre manufacturers to supply a range of 3 dry weather, one intermediate and one wet weather tyre to racing teams.
Goodyear will use the Prologue, followed by a 3-day private test session, to evaluate different tyre options. They will then reveal their 2019/2020 WEC tyre range at the Silverstone season-opener.
“The nature of the races (varying from 4 hours to 24 hours) mean tyre choice and strategy are critical and it provides a motivating challenge for our technology team in our European innovation centres ahead of exploring other racing opportunities for the brand.”
Ben Crawley – Director Goodyear Racing EMEA
To deliver high performance to teams
“For the Goodyear comeback, we are aiming high to deliver performance for our teams. The 2018/2019 WEC season featured an intense battle between the tyre manufacturers. Our priority has been to offer driveability and consistency that provides the teams with a significant step forward. These test sessions will allow us to evaluate the all-new range options against the competition before we define our range at Silverstone,” said Ben Crawley, Director Goodyear Racing EMEA, explaining the objectives.
“For the forthcoming season, Goodyear will focus on delivering success in LMP2 whilst evaluating other racing options for 2020 and beyond. These could be in other WEC classes or in other international racing categories,” he added.
The 2019/20 WEC season will feature 8 races on circuits of varying lengths, concluding at Le Mans in June 2020. The season also includes two 4-hour races (Silverstone and Shanghai), three 6-Hour races (Fuji, Sao Paulo and Spa-Francorchamps) and two 8-hour races (Bahrain and Sebring). The Toyota GAZOO Racing team won the 2018/2019 season.
The Toyota GAZOO Racing team won the 2018/2019 season and will contest again in the new championship season.
Our older readers will remember the dynamo which was a small device rotated by the bicycle wheel. As it rotated, sufficient electricity was generated to light up the lamp. That simple idea of using the tyres to indirectly generate electricity is being revived with a new technology being developed by engineers in Japan.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, together with Professor Hiroshi Tani of Kansai University, have developed the ‘Energy Harvester’ that takes advantage of the build-up of static electricity. Known as ‘frictional charging’, it can produce power efficiently as the tyre turns. However, where the dynamo used a magnet and coil to generate electricity, the Energy Harvester has a much more sophisticated approach.
Inside are two layers of rubber each covered in an electrode, along with a negatively-charged film that interfaces with a positively-charged film. When fixed to the inside of a conventional tyre carcass, it generates electricity as the tyre deforms during each rotation.
Eliminate reliance on car’s battery
The engineers believe the Energy Harvester could lead to practical applications as a power source for sensors used in Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems and other small automotive devices without drawing on electricity from the vehicle’s battery or electrical system.
The Energy Harvester is being developed as part of Sumitomo’s R&D programme to come up with technologies that target improvements in safety and environmental performance. The research project has now been selected by the Japan Science and Technology Agency as a Type FS Seed Project under A-STEP (Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-Driven R&D). Sumitomo Rubber Industries will now advance this research with support from the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
The idea that going for a drive is a pleasurable experience isn’t always true. Much of the time, traffic conditions cause frustration and instead create stress. An unexpected jam due to roadworks or an accident can completely change the cheerful mood of a relaxing Sunday drive. One study suggests that 74% of us admit to feeling stressed or overwhelmed every day.
Understanding that this is not just unhealthy (bad for the heart) but can also have an effect on safety, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is researching new artificial intelligence (AI) technology to understand our state of mind while driving – and adjust cabin settings to improve driver wellbeing.
Monitoring the driver’s mood
The technology uses a driver-facing camera and biometric sensing to monitor and evaluate the driver’s mood and adapt a host of cabin features, including the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, media and ambient lighting. The settings will be altered in response to the driver’s facial expressions to help tackle stress.
The mood-detection system will use the latest AI techniques to continually adapt to nuances in the driver’s facial expressions and implement appropriate settings automatically. In time, the system will learn a driver’s preference and make increasingly tailored adjustments.
Personalisation settings could include changing the ambient lighting to calming colours if the system detects the driver is under stress, selecting a favourite playlist if signs of weariness are identified, and lowering the temperature in response to yawning or other signs of tiring.
Rear passengers can benefit too
JLR is also evaluating similar technology for rear passengers, with a camera mounted in the headrest. If the system detects signs of tiredness, it could dim the lights, tint the windows and raise the temperature in the back, to help an occupant get to sleep.
The new mood–detection system is one of a suite of technologies that JLR is exploring as part of its ‘tranquil sanctuary’ vision to improve the driving experience. Designed to create a sanctuary inside each of its luxury vehicles, the company is exploring a wide range of driver and passenger wellbeing features, to ensure occupants are as comfortable as possible whilst ensuring the driver remains mindful, alert and in control.
Mood-detection software is the next-generation of Jaguar Land Rover’s existing driver tracking technology. The Driver Condition Monitor, which is capable of detecting if a driver is starting to feel drowsy and will give an early warning to take a break, is already available on all Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.
Having a mid-engine layout was always part of Corvette’s destiny.
The all-new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray unveiled recently is the culmination of 60 years of mid-engine experimentation. While the eighth generation of the iconic sportscar marks a radical leap forward in terms of capability from the seventh generation, it also incorporates lessons learned from past engineering exercises such as the Chevrolet Experimental Research Vehicles (CERVs) I-III, the Aerovette and others.
Zora Arkus-Duntov, considered the ‘father of the Corvette’, first encountered early mid-engine vehicles in his youth, including the Auto Union Types C and D Grand Prix racing vehicles. Duntov had a wealth of propulsion knowledge and thrived as an auto racer and engineering consultant in automotive and aeronautics. He was attracted to GM by the original Corvette concept, which he saw at the 1953 Motorama in New York City.
CERV I
Pursuit of mid-engine from the start
Duntov started working at GM in May 1953 and helped Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole turn his proposed Small Block V8 into a viable technology for Corvette later that decade. He became Corvette’s first true chief engineer and pursued the mid-engine layout through various concepts, including the CERV I, which debuted in 1960.
CERV I was outfitted with seven different engine combinations in its working lifespan, but its original engine, a Chevrolet Small Block V8, and its lightweight aluminium core are both modernized on the latest Corvette Stingray. Duntov described it as ‘a design without limit’ and an ‘admirable tool’ to instruct Chevy on ‘what to put in Corvette’.
In 1964, Duntov’s team debuted CERV II, which was envisioned as a challenger at Sebring, Le Mans and other races. With torque converters in the front and rear, CERV II employed the first-ever mid-engine 4WD system, for which Duntov held the patent.
CERV II
The most recent attempt at a mid-engine vehicle was the 1990 CERV III concept, built in conjunction with Lotus Engineering to explore future levels of performance. CERV III, more of a road car than a track performer, was intended as a development vehicle to evaluate mid-engine structures. CERV III was powered by a 5.7-litre, 32-valve dual overhead cam Small Block V8 with twin turbochargers. It produced 650 bhp and 888 Nm of torque.
CERV III
Drawbacks of a mid-engine layout
Duntov, who retired from GM in 1975, saw the mid-engine layout with the engine located ahead of the rear axle as the optimal configuration for weight distribution, excellent handling and forward visibility. Despite the layout’s innate performance benefits, its implementation in the scheme of mass manufacturing proved problematic.
The previous mid-engine Corvettes were relegated to concept status by issues including engine cooling difficulties, limited passenger and luggage space, loudness and the inability to produce a convertible variant.
The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray finally has a mid-engine layout.
Advances in development, aided by computer-assisted engineering and virtual reality, helped the current Corvette team carefully plot out the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray’s architecture. The engineers worked closely with designers to ensure that the vehicle’s form met all of the necessary performance benchmarks, while preserving the Corvette legacy. Having a mid-engine layout was always part of Corvette’s destiny.
The beginning of the computer age in the 1980s saw the rapid development of electronic systems for management of many different functions in cars. This led to significant leaps in performance and efficiency as computers could calculate at thousands of times a second, making adjustments to match operating conditions precisely.
One area where such lightning-fast management was valuable was in the automatic transmission. The transmission control unit (TCU) worked with the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to coordinate gearshifts and as technology advanced, to eliminate the parasitic power losses.
Optimizing transmission efficiency
Now the Hyundai Motor Group has developed the world’s first Active Shift Control (ASC) transmission technology for future Kia and Hyundai hybrid models. The innovation optimizes transmission efficiency by monitoring the rotational speed of transmission with a sensor installed inside the electric motor at 500 times per second to quickly synchronize the rotational speed with that of engine.
ASC applies new control logic software to the Hybrid Control Unit (HCU), which then controls the electric motor to align the rotational speeds of the engine and transmission to reduce gearshift time by 30%. With the synchronization, shift time is reduced from 500 ms to 350 ms, increasing smoothness.
“The development of world’s first ASC technology is a remarkable innovation which incorporates precise motor control to automatic transmission,” said KyoungJoon Chang, Vice-President and Head of Powertrain Control System Group of Hyundai Motor Group, “It will not only save fuel but also provide a more fun driving experience for our customers.”
Development of the ASC technology is completed and is ready to be used in future Kia and Hyundai hybrid models.
Independently developed control logic software
Conventional hybrid vehicles do not have torque converters to further improve fuel economy as torque converters lose energy during the process of transmission. Although fuel efficient, such a system also requires longer shift times to ensure smoother gear changes.
ASC technology allows the hybrid’s electric motor to also take control of gearshifts by applying new software logic to the Hybrid Control Unit (HCU) to mitigate issues with slower shift time. This not only improves a hybrid vehicle’s acceleration performance and fuel economy, but also durability of the transmission by minimising friction during gearshift.
