4-Focus ROB MARSHALL TAKES A LOOK AT THE LATEST NEW CAR TECH INNOVATIONS
TESLA VISION: TESLA MODEL 3 AND Y Gifting misleading titles to safety equipment risks giving drivers a false sense of invincibility. A worrying trend is people confusing ADAS with driverless technology, many of whom should know better. Indeed, our own government attracted criticism from the AA, Thatcham and the Association of British Insurers in April, when the Department of Transport defined cars with Automated Lane Keeping Systems as 'self-driving', when the system is categorised officially as Level Three ADAS. Tesla has also been found guilty of over-egging ADAS as automated driving. Last year, a German court found its 'Autopilot' claims were misleading, as the system is really Level Two ADAS, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Level Five, incidentally represents full automation. As many readers realise, ADAS relies on the car's ability to 'see' its surroundings and it does so using ultrasonic sensors, radars, cameras and lidar. Interestingly, the new Tesla Vision system ditches radar completely, in favour of eight cameras. According to reports, Elon Musk has reported that the new cameraonly system is likely to be safer than radar, because they are less prone to confusing signals. However, some industry commentators have questioned the wisdom of removing radar, considering the hardware is less vulnerable to low light and poor weather conditions, compared to cameras. While Tesla Vision is available only on North American specification Model 3 and Y cars for now, it will be interesting to see if
removing radar is the right move, especially considering Tesla's ambitions to be at the forefront of automated driving technology.
PEUGEOT E-EXPERT HYDROGEN: PLUG-IN HYDROGEN FUEL CELL ELECTRIC Built on the basic mechanical platform of its BEV e-Expert LCV, Peugeot is one of the first brands to offer hydrogen-power with a plug-in facility. Considering that there are 11 hydrogen filling stations in the UK, at the time of writing, the ability for the van to run on both hydrogen and battery power boosts its appeal.
At start-up and low speeds, the high-voltage battery powers the drive motor. Under cruising conditions, the 45kWh hydrogen fuel cell takes over. During acceleration, overtaking, or when climbing hills, the fuel cell and battery work together. On the overrun, and during braking, the electric motor supplies current to the high-voltage battery. The combination of battery and hydrogen propulsion provides a 245 miles range, a maximum payload of 1,100kgs and a 1,000kgs towing captivity. Interestingly, Peugeot guarantees that the lithium-ion battery will retain 70% of its charge capacity for eight years, or 100,000 miles. As Peugeot and Vauxhall are owned by the same group, the Vivaro-e Hydrogen is a badged-engineered alternative.
NEW CAR TECH
While the e-Expert Hydrogen's 10.5kWh battery can be recharged in fewer than 30 minutes from a 11kW, 32A wall plug, or six hours from a conventional 13 amp home socket, it can be tanked with hydrogen in under three minutes. The hydrogen is stored beneath the main floor and the battery mounts above the cylinders, directly beneath the seats. The e-Expert Hydrogen also boasts revised spring and damper settings over the BEV version.
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