Ride into the future (2016) by Tomas Novotny

RIDE INTO THE fUTURE

obsah

When the first portable telephones appeared on the market, many people considered them completely useless – why would I carry a heavy box around when I have a landline at home? Just a few years have passed, and we almost cannot imagine our lives without mobile phones. Even more, we hardly could have imagined just 20 years ago using a phone for any other purpose than making and receiving phone calls. Today it is the other way around. We use smartphones primarily for mobile applications while making fewer phone calls. Life is accelerating, and smartphones are a good example of the new, upcoming era. While production is entering the stage of the socalled Fourth Industrial Revolution in which people and robots are going to cooperate, users of various devices and products, including, of course, cars, are entering the era of digitisation. Digital innovations have been influencing a number of aspects of our lives for several decades now, including in the automotive industry. Like with phones, the role of cars is going to change. Passenger transport will go through revolutionary changes that we probably cannot yet fully imagine, but we already have some rough ideas. We’ve got used to smart devices helping us organise our work and our spare time – basically, we use phones to manage our lives. Let’s have a glimpse of the near future where we are not only going to use smartphones on a routine basis but also drive smart cars on smart roads with smart junctions. What impact will augmented reality, nanomaterials and digital services & applications in cars have on our lives? In this ŠKODA Mobil supplement, let’s take a ride together into the future.

TablE of contEnts

Welcome to a time of big changes!

Editorial Editorial

EDITORIAL

Digital world

Combustion engines are not over

New-generation airbags

Trouble-free parking

Internal Communications Team

ŠKODA Mobil supplement

BEFORE YOU START READINGT…

…check how much you know about the latest trends. When you finish the quiz, see the end for the right answers and a review of your performance.

How many smart mobile devices does the World Economic Forum expect to be online by 2020? A) 2.81 million B) 28.1 billion C) 281 billion

How many public electric car recharge stations are currently available in the Czech Republic? A) 25 B) 250 C) 2,500

How many electric cars and hybrids are expected to be used on our roads in 10 years’ time under the Transport Ministry’s National Action Plan for Clean Mobility? A) 10,000 B) 55,000 C) 95,000

Follow-Me Ghost Car is a function expected to enable (in the future): A) Teleportation of cars B) Prompts given to the driver by a ghost’s voice coming from beyond the grave C) A virtual car image being projected onto the windscreen, in the driver’s field of vision, that would show the exact route through complex junctions

Editor in Chief: Tomáš Novotný

In 2015 the average emission level for all newly produced cars in Europe fell below 130 g/km. Under the latest legislation, this level is supposed to be pushed down to 95 g/km by 2020. What is the limit currently discussed and considered for implementation in 2050? A) 60 g/km B) 35 g/km C) 0 g/km

The WAZE application is: A) Used to find your favourite fast food places on your routes B) A smart navigation system designed to share up-to-the-minute information with other drivers C) An application to help you approach the nearest junction as the traffic lights turn green

Electric cars

The quest for lower emissions

The future lies in digital services

Nanomaterials

Eye feast

Another dimension of reality

A miracle thinner than a human hair

Travel made more efficient

The autonomous age is approaching

Graphic design and production: Technika s.r.o.

V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure) communication enables the sharing of information between the vehicle and its surroundings. The key benefits are: A) Reduced safety and smoothness of traffic B) Increased speeds and timely warnings of police cars C) Possibility to forget about driving and reply to work e-mails instead

Full-fledged world

What is the difference between mild and plug-in hybrids? A) Plug-in hybrids cannot be charged directly from the power network B) Mild hybrids are not fitted with electric accumulators C) Mild hybrids cannot operate exclusively in the electric mode

Augmented reality is: A) Another word for virtual reality B) Bone tissue adaptation during an implant operation C) View of a real-world environment combined with graphic and/or text input

When is the 5G mobile network (offering transmission speeds of as much as 20 Gbit/s) expected to be launched for commercial use? A) In 2020 B) In 2025 C) In 2030

How many airbags does the ŠKODA Superb offer as standard? A) None B) Four C) Seven

Back to the future

Date of release: 29 July, 2016

As part of its autonomousdriving development efforts, the Volkswagen Group has tested one of its models in the autonomous mode on a race circuit. Which model was it? A) Audi S7 B) Volkswagen Golf R Variant C) Seat Leon Cupra

HOW WELL HAVE YOU DONE? 0 – 4 points: Uuuuhhh, this is nothing to write home about... read the following pages as soon as you can and then have another crack at the quiz! 5 – 8 points: Well done! You are reasonably knowledgeable about the latest trends, but you can still learn a lot. Try to find some inspiration in this supplement. 9 – 12 points: Excellent! You know a lot about the latest technologies and trends... yet you will no doubt learn many new things in the articles below, so have a good read!

6c 7b, 8c, 9a, 10c, 11c, 12a Correct answers: 1b, 2b, 3c, 4c, 5b, 6b,

Editors: Martin Šidlák, Michal Žďárský

Smartphones to be followed by smart junctions

Bodywork used as a battery

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

28,1

billion

smart mobile devices worldwide will be online by 2020, according to the World Economic Forum’s forecast. The global economy is going through major changes, and digital transformation is present across all industries. New technologies in areas such as big data, cloud services and Internet services offer new opportunities for companies, but these opportunities come with obstacles, too... For example, how to develop a car whose current life cycle is significantly longer than that of devices based on digital technologies? Another area requiring special attention is the safety and protection of personal data.

dIGITaL

WORLD The digital transformation is present across all spheres of our life, including in the world of automobiles. Smartphone owners expect the same services and apps to be available in their cars, too. The automotive industry of the future is expected to link as much as 50% of its services to mobile services. Moreover, the digital transformation will change the ways in which cars are produced and sold.

FOR EXAMPLE, A CLOTHES MANUFACTURER RECENTLY DIGITISED ITS SYSTEM OF EXCHANGING DESIGN CONCEPTS WITH SUPPLIERS AND THUS SAVED 30% OF ITS SAMPLE TRANSPORTATION COSTS

HIGHER EFFECTIVENESS MIT Sloan recently conducted a digital transformation survey in 15 countries among 150 management-level employees at 50 companies whose annual turnover is over 1 million dollars. The survey showed that companies expect digital transformation to intensify their relationships with their customers, help them better understand the customers’ needs and make it possible for them to offer tailored products and services. Digitisation will increase the effectiveness of production processes and reduce costs – for example, a clothes manufacturer recently digitised its system of exchanging design concepts with suppliers and thus saved 30% of its sample transportation costs.

DIGITISATION WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON PRODUCTION PROCESSES, TOO: WITH DIGITAL TOOLS IN PLACE, QUALITY MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS STAFF SELECTION AND TRAINING WILL GAIN A NEW DIMENSION

ONE OF THE KEY CONCEPTS OF STRATEGY 2025 Digitisation is regarded as one of the key concepts of ŠKODA AUTO’s recently announced Strategy 2025. Digitisation processes will change and improve the company across all levels. Take the (core) product as an example: Customers want to use all the services they know from smartphones in their cars, too – as a result, the role that connectivity, the digital logic of control and infotainment play will become increasingly important. Thanks to its SmartLink interface, ŠKODA is already well-positioned in this respect. In the foreseeable future, smartphones will play the role of car key. Digitisation will have a major impact on production processes, too: With digital tools in place, quality management, as well as staff selection and training will gain a new dimension, and finance will be interlinked completely to be even more effective. Production processes will be increasingly organised around Industry 4.0 patterns, i.e. all steps will be interlinked, and technologies like cooperating robots, data glasses and so forth will improve quality and optimise working conditions. Sales & Marketing will identify the latest trends and customers’ wishes by means of digital measurement methods with an even higher degree of accuracy, and virtual showrooms will offer customers a brand-new experience.

BERNHARD MAIER ŠKODA AUTO Board Chairman

CLEARLY DEFINED DIRECTION The Volkswagen Group has pledged to strongly support digitisation across all areas of its activity in its programme called “TOGETHER – Strategy 2025”. The Group’s strong focus on digital technologies is apparent, including from measures taken to reinforce its top management. Last year, the post of Head of Digital Transformation was taken over by Johann Jungwirth of Apple, a man with experience of autonomous vehicle projects at Mercedes-Benz. Taking the same direction, ŠKODA AUTO has made digital transformation one of the key concepts of Strategy 2025. With the goal of conducting this transformation successfully, the company is building a new division called Digitisation – more details on the next two pages. “Digital technology innovations have been setting trends in many areas of our life for decades, including in our industry, and the speed at which these technologies are developing now is unprecedented. Cars are only one of the parts of this revolutionary change. Thanks to innovative technologies, our customers’ ‘mobile life’ will be easier, more effective and more exciting.”

DIGITISATION

AUTOMOTIVE & IT COOPERATION One of the aspects of digitisation is that car manufacturers and IT companies need to cooperate more closely than ever before. That makes perfect sense: IT companies cannot produce cars (or it would simply be too expensive for them), but they are experts in various computer solutions. There are many examples of cooperation – primarily, joint ventures in the development of autonomous cars, but also projects in other areas. For example, Baidu, an Internet company from China, cooperates with BMW on the development and testing of an autonomous car. Ford has teamed up with Amazon to work on a system that makes it possible for the driver to instruct their car to warm up to a required temperature, start the engine and get out of the garage at a required time while the driver is having breakfast. General Motors has invested in Lyft, a short-term car rental application.

THE FUT Lies In Digital In response to the latest trends, ŠKODA AUTO is extending its organisational structure with a new division, Digitisation, whose role is to come up with new projects and new mobility services and prepare the entire company for digital transformation. Thus, in the future the company’s focus will be on producing cars as well as providing new services.

REVOLUTION IN PRACTICE Obviously, besides customer services, digitisation will have a major impact on production processes. Offering a possible glimpse of the future, Siemens is testing completely new patterns at its plant in Amberg: Workers have been trained to become operators, the line is fully automated, and individual components communicate with each other during the production process. Most of the employees just supervise the production process. Each production line operation can be tracked online immediately. The plant manufactures Simatic PLCs, small computers used in the automotive industry. About 75 percent of the work is done by robots that communicate with each other by means of data networks and QR codes. The number of staff members has not decreased; they just do different, safer work as they supervise quality, the production process and the process of packaging products ready to be shipped to customers.

ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF THE WORK IS DONE BY ROBOTS THAT COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH DATA NETWORKS AND QR CODES

ŠKODA WILL BE PREPARED To develop new digital business areas, ŠKODA has established a new division, Digitisation, whose role is to come up with new connectivity services and develop mobility concepts such as Transport-on-Demand, Robotaxi, etc. In this regard, one of the key roles is to be played by ŠKODA Digital Lab, a creative workshop that – after the pilot stage ends in the second half of 2016 – will start operation in Prague in early 2017 with the goal of generating, testing and implementing new concepts and business models.

TURE Services IN ŠKODA’S DIGITAL TOOLMAKING SHOP, VIRTUAL REALITY IS PRESENT ACROSS ALL PROCESSES

DIGITAL TOOLMAKING SHOP ŠKODA AUTO’s toolmaking shop is a good example of digitisation in production. “We have been a member of the Digital Toolmaking Shop team for several years – the team is responsible for projects of digitising the VW Group’s toolmaking shops”, says Head of Metallurgical Tools Production Filip Koliáš. “In ŠKODA’s digital toolmaking shop, virtual reality is present across all processes. It is involved in all stages of press-tool production (from virtual simulations of sheet drawing to end-to-end simulations of pressings going through the press line), as well as welding-tool production (from virtual simulations of robotised welding and crimping operations to virtual simulations of the entire welding line). In metallurgical tool production, virtual reality is used for simulations of filling moulds with liquid aluminium.”

TO DEVELOP NEW DIGITAL BUSINESS AREAS, ŠKODA HAS ESTABLISHED A NEW DIVISION – DIGITISATION

GERMANY’S SILICON VALLEY Volkswagen is getting ready for the future in two innovative laboratories. The VW Data Lab in Munich was established in cooperation with local universities with the aim to produce new IT solutions for big data processing operations. These processes are important, for example in assessing the quality of parts or data used in communications between vehicles and their surroundings. By contrast, the VW Digital Lab in Berlin builds a digital platform to develop new applications and services for owners of VW Group vehicles. Using Silicon Valley companies as a model, Volkswagen is establishing a brand-new area of its business: Besides being a car manufacturer, the company is becoming a software producer, too.

CO2 TARGETS

Strategy

2025 THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP HAS SET SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY TARGETS FOR THE COMING YEARS

The Volkswagen Group Board has set sustainable mobility targets for the coming years in its programme called “TOGETHER – Strategy 2025”. This programme will be extended with individual brand strategies to be gradually produced in the coming months. Special focus will be placed on electric mobility. The Group is planning a strong offensive in this area, intending to launch over 30 types of purely electric, battery-powered vehicles (BEV). The Group estimates that the global share of this type of drivetrain in

THE QUEST

for lower emissions A GLIMPSE OF HISTORY

THE FIRST “EURO” EMISSION STANDARD CAME AS LATE AS 1992

The first-ever exhaust emission standard was established in California in 1968. Europe’s first standard of this kind, EHK 15, was enacted in 1971. The first “EURO” emission standard came as late as 1992. Since then, this standard has been getting stricter approximately every four years. The current one is EURO 6 from 2014. Not everybody knows that the EURO standard limits the quantity of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and solid particles, and not the CO2 emissions, which are generally are the most closely monitored parameter..

MOST ECONOMICAL CARS ARE SOLD IN THE NETHERLANDS According to the European Environmental Agency (EEA), last year the least economical cars were sold in Estonia and Latvia (137 g of CO2/km) and in Bulgaria (130 g of CO2/km). In all of the other EU member states, the average emission levels were below 130 g of CO2/km. The most economical cars were sold in the Netherlands (101.2 g of CO2/km), Portugal and Denmark (106 g of CO2/km). The EU average is 119.6 g of CO2/km.

95 EUR

passenger vehicles will reach 25 percent. The Volkswagen Group’s sales forecast for 2025 is between 2 and 3 million BEV vehicles of VW Group brands, a figure corresponding to a 20–25 percent share in the total sales. As for the reduction of CO2 emissions, the VW Group has been setting highly ambitious targets for quite some time now. More than 50 models are available in versions with emission levels below 100 g and over 300 models with emission levels of less than 120 g/km.

STARTING IN 2020, A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE CO2 LIMITS IN THE YEAR CONCERNED WILL MEAN A PAINFUL PENALTY FOR THE CAR MANUFACTURER: EUR 95 FOR EACH GRAMME ABOVE THE LIMIT PER VEHICLE SOLD

STRICT EUROPEAN UNION C02 emission reduction plan TARGET 130 g CO2 /km

TARGET 95 g

The reduction of CO2 emissions is a strategic decision by the EU that car manufacturers have to comply with. In 2015, the average emission level for all newly produced cars in Europe fell below 130 g/km. Under the latest legislation, this level is supposed to be pushed down to 95 g/km by 2020, and the limit currently discussed and considered for implementation in 2050 is just 35 g/km. How can that be achieved?

CO2 /km

WHITE PAPER FOR TRANSPORT 35 g CO2 /km

2012

EUROPE, SPECIFICALLY THE EU, HAS SOME OF THE STRICTEST CO2 LIMITS IN THE WORLD

SUBJECT TO DISCUSSIONS 68-80 g

2020

2025

2050

Europe has some of the strictest CO2 limits in the world. In 2015, the average CO2 emission limit for all new passenger vehicles sold in Europe was 130 g/km, which is equivalent to a fuel consumption of 5.6 l/100 (petrol) and 4.9 l/100 km (diesel). The level required for 2020 is 95 g of CO2/km or a fuel consumption of 4.1 l/100 km (petrol) and 3.6 l/100 km (diesel), and the limit is expected to be reduced even further in the future.

TECHNOLOGIES TYPES OF ELECTRICALLY POWERED VEHICLES MHEV (Mild Hybrid) The drivetrain system includes an electric motor generator powered by an independent battery. This motor supports the combustion engine’s performance, but the vehicle cannot operate in the electric mode alone. PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid) A combination of a combustion engine and an electric motor. The vehicle’s battery can be recharged directly from the electricity grid to save fuel on short trips, mainly in city traffic. BEV (čistý elektromobil) The vehicle is fitted with an electric motor and powered by energy supplied from the electric grid. Modern electric cars come with a quick-charge socket designed to recharge the battery in 10–30 minutes (DC charging).

electric

CARS All of the Volkswagen Group’s 12 brands pay special attention to electric mobility. The Group’s ambition is to launch more than 30 types of electric vehicles over the next decade. The company estimates that the global share of this type of drivetrain in passenger vehicles will reach approximately 25 percent. The Volkswagen Group’s sales forecast for 2025 is 2 to 3 million electric vehicles of VW Group brands. Which technological options are available?

UNDER THIS PLAN, THE CZECH REPUBLIC EXPECTS TO SEE 95,000 ELECTRIC CARS AND HYBRIDS ON THE ROAD IN 10 YEARS’ TIME

250,000 ELECTRIC CARS The Czech Republic’s ambition is to reduce transport-related environmental impacts and support alternative drive systems. To this end, the government and the Ministry of Transport have produced a strategy that the Ministry has summarised in a document titled “National Action Plan for Clean Mobility”. Under this plan, the Czech Republic expects to see 95,000 electric cars and hybrids on the road in 10 years’ time, and 250,000 electric cars and the same number of CNG vehicles by 2030.

THE OFFENSIVE IS STARTING The first model to herald the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming electric offensive will be a new-generation electric up!, which is scheduled to be launched this summer. The next one will be a facelifted e-Golf. Both these models are purely electric vehicles (BEVs). Other currently offered models, such as the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, fall under the plug-in hybrid (P-HEV) category. Using the new Modular Electric Drive Kit platform, the Group will produce a number of new models whose range will be longer than that offered by current electric cars.

HEAT LIGHTNING... The Czech Republic currently has about 250 electric car charge stations, but the infrastructure for environmentally friendly cars is growing dynamically, with tens of new stations expected to be built by the end of this year. The situation is also improving in terms of the availability of quick-charge stations. The largest quickcharge network is operated by Elektromobilita ČEZ: The company opened four new quick-charge stations in June, thus increasing the total number of its stations to 14. The stations are designed to recharge the battery to 80 percent of its capacity in 20–30 minutes.

THE FIRST MODEL TO HERALD THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP’S UPCOMING ELECTRIC OFFENSIVE WILL BE A NEW-GENERATION ELECTRIC UP!

TRAINING IS THE KEY TO CORRECT ERGONOMICS BEFORE LAUNCHING PRODUCTION OF NEW COMPONENTS, A NUMBER OF TESTS NEED TO BE DONE TO ENSURE OPTIMAL CONDITIONS

All of the aforementioned projects require new staff training, and ŠKODA AUTO is making extensive preparations in this respect. The goal of this training is to make the staff familiar with the new product, individual parts and components and correct installation processes. “We are at the stage of preparing a new training-centre concept, the objective being to achieve a quality level comparable to those at wellestablished training centres, for

example in Assembly, the Welding Shop and the Paint Shop”, says Petr Vokoun of the PSI-P ŠKODA Production System. Each training programme involves ergonomics. “Correct ergonomics is important because the process will include a number of manual connections of electric cables. These operations need to be practised not only to ensure appropriate quality but also because correct ergonomics minimises physical strain”, adds Petr Vokoun.

SUPERCHARGER

Tesla electric cars have a unique market position. The manufacturer is building an independent network of high-power charge stations for its cars. At 135 kW, the Tesla Supercharger is the world’s most powerful charger, and the manufacturer’s ambition is to push this figure even higher. Moreover, charging in this network is free. There are plans to build two charge stations of this type in the Czech Republic in the near future.

CHARGING IN THIS NETWORK IS FREE

WIRELESS ALTERNATIVES Inductive charging, a technology of the future that is currently being tested by a number of energy companies, including E.ON, Endesa and Qualcomm, appears to be an attractive option. The system is based on electromagnetic induction – the energy is transferred using two coils, one under the surface of the parking space and another one in the vehicle. Possible future scenarios include wireless charging while the vehicle is in motion. Solutions of this kind are being tested, for example in the UK, using special “electric motorways”.

TECHNOLOGIES

FIGHT AMONG TECHNOLOGIES The future of electric cars and the speed of their spread depend on the increase in battery capacities. Battery suppliers invest considerable amounts of money in developing new technologies. It is already clear that lithium-ion accumulators will quickly replace nickel-metal-hydride batteries (NiMH). The capacity of lithium-ion batteries has grown by 25 percent since 2002, and another 25 percent increase is expected by 2024. Higher capacity goes hand in hand with higher reliability and improved thermal stability. Moreover, experts are exploring and testing a number of other options, such as lithiumsulphur and sodium-ion batteries, but these are innovations that still need some time to “mature”.

Combustion Engines Are NOT OVER Combustion engines still have a long, bright future ahead of them. We will continue seeing them under the bonnets of new cars, and their efficiency and performance parameters will continue to improve.

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

THE PROCESS OF OPTIMISING MODERN COMBUSTION ENGINES WILL INCLUDE REDUCING FRICTION LOSSES AND WEAR

The process of optimising modern combustion engines will include reducing friction losses and wear. That can be achieved by reducing the piston ring pressure, improving the design of individual components and using new-generation seals on rotary parts. There are also areas of potential improvement in gearboxes, e.g. changing the amount of oil, using light-running oils, etc. One of the recent innovations to support consumption reduction efforts is a new gearbox property: When the driver removes their foot from the pedal, the gearbox is disconnected faster and the vehicle “sails” with reduced friction. “Thermo-management” is becoming an important area of focus: Using new-generation oils, the vehicle reaches the desired operating temperature faster to reduce friction and, as a result, fuel consumption.

OPTIMISATION OF CONVENTIONAL DRIVETRAINS

CHANGES AIMED AT ACHIEVING HIGHER ENERGY EFFICIENCY ARE GOING TO BE MADE TO THE COMBUSTION CYCLE, AND THE INJECTION PRESSURE LEVELS WILL GROW, TOO.

The key to the successful development of modern combustion engines is to increase their efficiency and employ sophisticated engine management systems. This process will be supported, in particular, by a high degree of supercharging and the trend known as downsizing, i.e. reducing the engine displacement and, in some cases, the number of cylinders. We are likely to see more threecylinder models on the road. Changes aimed at achieving higher energy efficiency are going to be made to the combustion cycle, and the injection pressure levels will grow, too. Enhancement efforts will also involve the current start-stop technology (new generations designed to switch the engine off at speeds of below 7 km/h) and cylinder deactivation in the partial-load mode (ACT technology).

WITH A DISPLACEMENT OF 999 CM3, THE NEW ENGINE PROVIDES 85 KW OF POWER AND 200 NM OF TORQUE. MODERN THREE-CYLINDER ŠKODA recently launched a new 1.0 TSI engine in the Octavia. The new engine is replacing a more powerful four-cylinder 1.2-litre unit. With a displacement of 999 cm3, the new engine provides 85 kW of power and 200 Nm of torque. The liftback Octavia with this engine accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds, and its top speed is 202 km/h. The biggest improvement has been achieved on the fuel consumption side – the fuel consumption of the new three-cylinder TSI is 8 percent lower than under its predecessor. The combined fuel consumption of the liftback stands at 4.5 litres of petrol/100 km.

TECHNOLOGIES Never take your eyes off the road is one of the golden rules of traffic safety. This rule, however, comes with a “but” – for example, at 130 km/h, the vehicle covers 36 metres every second while providing loads of information in multiple dashboard locations. But what if all the important data were shown in the driver’s field of vision or directly on the windscreen? That is exactly the direction taken in the development of head-up displays.

EYE feast

HEAD-UP DISPLAYS ARE JUST THE START The principle of current head-displays is, in fact, rather simple: A projector casts transparent images reflected by a set of specially shaped mirrors onto the windscreen. The drivers’ impression is that the image is about two metres ahead, so their eyes do not need to keep refocusing. While the current systems primarily display navigation and driving data, systems of the future are expected to add information from social networks, information about callers, etc. Gesture and voice control will be another step to simplify the use of the entire solution.

A UK-BASED CAR MANUFACTURER RECENTLY PRESENTED AN INTERESTING INNOVATION CALLED 360 VIRTUAL URBAN WINDSCREEN

FOLLOW A VIRTUAL CAR Like with many other systems, the future of head-up displays lies in 3D projection. Newgeneration displays will combine projected images with views of real-world environments. The projection will be geometrically adjusted, and the images will be placed appropriately. For example, navigation arrows will be shown directly in the lane the vehicle is supposed to use. In this connection, a car manufacturer recently presented its brand-new concept called Follow-Me Ghost Car Navigation. The system casts an image of a virtual car onto the windscreen, in the driver’s field of vision, showing the best way through complex junctions, the lanes the driver should use, etc.

INTERACTIVE FRONT PILLAR A UK-based car manufacturer recently presented an interesting innovation called 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen. The system is based on a technology that allows drivers to get a complete, unhindered view of the road. A camera system projects images from the outside onto the inner part of the front pillars to eliminate the view limitations the driver has in some directions. The manufacturer believes that after going online the system could also provide some useful information on the pillars, e.g. the availability of nearby parking spaces, the price of fuel at the nearest petrol stations, etc.

NANOSPYDER The Audi design team comprising Patrick Faulwetter, Daniel Simon and Ian Hunter presented a car based completely on nanotechnologies, the Volkswagen Nanospyder, in 2006 at the L.A. Design Challenge. Their concept was based on the assumption that by 2015 all cars would have to be completely recyclable. A car powered by a combination of fuel cells and solar panels would be made up of billions of miniature “machines” whose size is about 0.5 mm. These nanoparticles would reshuffle as necessary. For example, they would reinforce some particular part of the body in the event of a collision threat. What sounds like science fiction today may become a reality in the near future.

-14

°C

Researchers at Rice University in the US recently created a surface-defrosting nanomaterial based on graphene. This material is primarily designed for airplanes and high-voltage wires but can also be used for cars. As long as the temperature does not drop below –14°C, no ice forms on the surface. The technology is based on nanoparticles of fluoride that is waterrepellent. And what happens when the temperature drops lower? All that the electrically conductive graphene nanostripes need to dissolve the ice is an electric current of at least 12V.

1 000 000 000 A NANOMETRE IS ONE-BILLIONTH OF A METRE

NANO

mate

A MIRACLE THINNER THAN A HUMAN HAIR

rials

Even in the 90s of the last century in the automotive industry used primarily materials from steel, aluminum, magnesium and their alloys. But the future belongs to nanomaterials. The technology works with objects thousandth of the thickness of a human hair promise must be self-healing coatings resistant to scratches or car windscreens that will repel water.

NANO FROM LIBEREC

DIFFERENT BODY COLOUR EVERY DAY In a fairly distant future, nanomaterials will be used not only to improve the properties of surfaces but also to change the way cars look. As for the latter, they seem to offer nearly miraculous possibilities. For example, the seats might change their shape according to who sits in them, nanoparticles might alter the car’s colour in line with the owner’s mood, damaged parts made of nanoparticles might be able to repair themselves, etc.

One of the sites to explore exciting nanotechnologies is the Technical University in Liberec. ŠKODA AUTO closely cooperates with this university. For example, the Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovations has developed patented bodywork care products resistant to minor scratches. Several millimetres thick, the nanoparticle layer is hard but also elastic and resistant to abrasion, water and UV radiation. The protective effect lasts about six months. The Liberec site is now developing a similar protective layer for seats to make them resistant to spilt coffee and other liquids.

TECHNOLOGIES

another dimension of

REALITY Virtual reality may be approaching its end to be replaced by augmented reality, an innovation that is a few years old and no doubt has a bright future ahead of it. Basically, augmented reality is a combination of views of real-world environments combined with graphic and/or text input.

HOW DOES IT WORK? The use of augmented reality is very simple and goes in hand in hand with the dawn of new technologies, depending on whether we use a mobile device (smartphone, AR glasses, etc.) or a static one (PC). One way or the other, the base is always a camera shooting realworld images. Equally important is an app to identify the scenes that have been shot and the camera location, if necessary. Having reviewed this information, the camera can display relevant, realtime information.

CUSTOMER BENEFIT USING AUGMENTED REALITY, THE CUSTOMER CAN GET INSTANT ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT ALL OF THE CONTROLS IN THE INTERIOR AND ABOUT BASIC MAINTENANCE PROCESSES (SUCH AS TOPPING UP THE WINDSCREEN WASHER FLUID OR THE ENGINE OIL)

AUGMENTED REALITY IN ADVERTISING Augmented reality offers a high potential in the advertising world, and car manufacturers are well aware of that. Well-used formats can be freshened up to provide information to customers in new, innovative ways. Augmented reality can arouse people’s interest, as well as amuse them, and many manufacturers have already taken advantage of this potential. Using a smartphone, you can watch a new-car advert while getting a touch of off-road vibrations and hearing the engine sound, or select videos according to your preferences. The Volkswagen Group has used augmented reality in the new-generation Beetle campaign.

PRODUCTION APPLICATIONS Augmented reality is increasingly used in production and, in particular, logistics. The biggest potential lies in warehouse check-in and check-out processes. For example, last year’s ŠKODA AUTO Innovation Workshop organised by Production & Logistics featured a presentation of smart glasses that warehouse staff can use to view check-in and check-out requirements, using augmented reality.

New-generation

AIRBAGS Airbag technology is one of the most important passive safety solutions. Since its seriesproduction launch, the number of airbags in vehicles and the degree of their sophistication have been growing. Manufacturers seem to have no limits to their inventiveness, though, so we may live to see a car wrapped in a single big airbag one day.

SOME MANUFACTURES ARE COMING UP WITH AIRBAGS FOR PEDESTRIANS NOT ONLY FOR CAR OCCUPANTS While the number of airbags is growing (knee airbags, airbags in safety belts, airbags in seats, between passengers, behind the rear window, etc.), some manufacturers are coming up with airbags for pedestrians. This special type of airbag is designed to protect pedestrians in the event they collide with the front part of the car. As the airbag blows up, the bonnet rises to help the airbag reduce the force of impact on the pedestrianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body.

BIG BUBBLE Car manufacturers keep testing and preparing new solutions. CitroĂŤn has fitted its C4 Cactus with special bubble panels to protect its doors against scratches and minor impacts. Even airbags might get outside the interior one day. One of the solutions already tested is an airbag located under the body. Bags resistant to friction would blow up in the event of a collision threat, helping to slow down the vehicle. ZF TWR comes up with outsideairbag solutions designed to enlarge or replace the existing deformation zones. A car manufacturer recently presented the concept of a big, balloonlike airbag designed to wrap the whole car in the event of a collision to mitigate its consequences.

SOME MANUFACTURERS ARE ALREADY TRYING TO REPLACE THE USUAL TEXTILE BAG WITH A PLASTIC ONE. PLASTICS INSTEAD OF TEXTILES Every airbag consists of a polyamide-fabric bag, an inflator and a control unit with acceleration sensors. The control unit activates the particular airbags based on signals received from the acceleration sensors. At the moment of impact, the control unit sends a signal to the airbags, which, in response, get filled with gas within a few milliseconds. Technology development efforts now promise some new solutions and materials. Some manufacturers are already trying to replace the usual textile bag with a plastic one that is two-thirds lighter and has a shorter inflation time.

TECHNOLOGIES

bodywork used as a

UNEXPECTEDLY NEAR FUTURE New-generation, ultra-thin supercondensers are based on nanotechnologies. Researchers have placed supercondensers into an ultra-thin but firm film with a high density of energy. The film can be coated onto the bodywork surface, i.e. the roof, doors, bonnet, floor, etc. Although the capacity of supercondensers is not as high as that of li-ion batteries (in terms of energy per volume and weight calculations), they can be charged and discharged very quickly. That is not enough to power entire cars, but this technology may significantly support the main battery and thus extend the range of electric cars.

BATTERY The dimensions, weight and price of accumulators are the biggest problems in the development of hybrid and electric cars. Car manufacturers come up with new technologies aimed at solving this problem. One of the latest solutions is the concept of using the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body to store electric energy.

DESPITE EVER-IMPROVING RESULTS, ENERGY FROM SOLAR PANELS STILL CANNOT PROPEL AN ORDINARY VEHICLE, EVEN AT PEAKPERFORMANCE TIMES

HELP FROM THE SUN SSolar energy is used in many areas, so whether it can be used effectively in cars is an obvious question. The truth is, however, that although quite a few car manufacturers have tried to produce vehicles powered by solar energy, most of those initiatives were in fact just tests of solar technology as such and were standalone projects. Despite ever-improving results, energy from solar panels still cannot propel an ordinary vehicle, even at peakperformance times. Moreover, the cost of producing photovoltaic cells is far too high. Solutions of this kind can, therefore, be seen in selected, usually hybrid models where solar energy is used to power the air-conditioning system or dashboard devices, for example.

THE BODYWORK STRUCTURE IS TO BE BASED ON SPECIAL COMPOSITE COMPONENTS WITH BUILT-IN ENERGY ACCUMULATORS ELECTRICITY FROM FABRIC The first electricity-from-fabric tests have been done by Volvo under an EU-funded project on which the brand cooperates with the Royal University of London and other partners in Belgium, Germany, Greece and Sweden. The bodywork structure is to be based on special composite components with built-in energy accumulators. The whole body consists of several layers of fabric that are pressed into the desired shape and hardened in a furnace. The final product is then fitted with batteries and supercondensers (electrolyte placed between carbon electrolytes). Calculations show that, besides solving the energy storage problem, a consistent application of this technology will reduce the weight of electric cars by 15 percent.

SMART MOBILITY

V2V and V2I communication Smartphones to be followed by smart

JUNCTIONS BEND SPEED WARNING Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication can do more than just prevent collisions between cars. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the University of Michigan have teamed up to check other communication possibilities, e.g. traffic lights changing their colour in response to the traffic situation and vehicles warning the driver that their speed before the coming bend is too high and poses a risk of skidding.

The past 50 years have seen numerous efforts from car manufacturers aimed at increasing cars’ safety in order to save their occupants’ lives in the event of an accident. The next step is to develop systems able to prevent collisions entirely. One of the options is vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication.

VEHICLE-TO-INFRASTRUCTURE COMMUNICATION CAN DO MORE THAN JUST PREVENT COLLISIONS BETWEEN CARS

30 000

people die on US roads every year – one-fifth at junctions. Smartphones are a thing we take for granted, so how about smart junctions? When will they arrive? Since 2011, Ford has been testing a smart junction at its Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The main goal of this communication system is to prevent accidents. If a car is approaching the junction, the traffic lights are red and the driver does not slow down, the junction will send a warning signal to the vehicle. In response, the vehicle will give the driver an audio and visual alert and send a warning message to the other vehicles in its surroundings.

ICE AND FOG WARNING FOR EXAMPLE, THE DRIVER COULD SEE THE TIME UNTIL THE NEXT TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGE RIGHT INSIDE THEIR VEHICLE

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication is just one of the areas where this technology could be deployed. For example, the driver could see the time until the next traffic light change right inside the vehicle. C2X technology is designed to warn the driver of ice, poor weather conditions (fog), an accident that has happened ahead but is not yet visible, a road closure, a rescue vehicle approaching, a traffic jam, etc. Obviously, in all such situations, all the assistance systems would be activated to help prevent accidents.

THE FIRST SWALLOWS OF SUMMER Some cities already have smart roads in place, although not yet directly connected with vehicles. For example, motorways in Dallas, Minneapolis, San Diego and Seattle are fitted with sensors that, according to the traffic density, help control electronic signs in each lane and change the number of lanes in the respective directions. In 2013, Los Angeles became the world’s first city to have synchronised all of its traffic lights (nearly 4,500). Six European cities were involved in C2X, a 42-month project of producing the standards for intelligent and cooperative traffic systems meant to be used throughout Europe.

SMART MOBILITY

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FORECASTS, THE INTERNET OF THINGS WILL CONTAIN 22 BILLION DEVICES IN 2018

BRIGHT FUTURE Applications of all kinds are developing rapidly and have a very promising future ahead of them, particularly in the next two years. We can look forward to apps from both car manufacturers and third parties. According to the IDC’s latest forecasts, the Internet of Things will contain 22 billion devices in 2018, with at least 200,000 new apps and services designed for such devices.

full-fledged

WORLD Smartphone and tablet users used to services provided by various apps do not want to give up such benefits in their cars. When it became possible to connect cars to the Internet, the situation changed dramatically – cars became companions connected to the “rest of the world”, providing their occupants with up-to-the-minute information of all kinds.

5G AND 6G SUPERNETWORKS FEWER ACCIDENTS The world’s annual road death toll is 1.25 million. In prosperous countries, the blame for many accidents is put on mobile phones distracting people from driving. With an ambition to change this, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have come up with DriveWell, an application whose objective is to use mobile phones to improve drivers’ driving skills. The app is present in the phone but does not require any control while the user is driving. Using sensors, the phone monitors the way the vehicle moves and is driven, offering improvement tips to the driver. In Southern Africa, this app has already been used by over 65,000 people and became the second-most popular iPhone app in this region in 2014.

THANKS TO NEW APPLICATIONS AND TELEMATICS, VEHICLES WILL BECOME ACTIVE CITY GUIDES ABLE TO FILTER INFORMATION BASED ON DRIVERS’ PREFERENCES

FULL-FLEDGED SYSTEM Thanks to new applications and telematics, vehicles will become active city guides able to filter information based on drivers’ preferences. If the car occupants show interest in some particular attraction, the vehicle will provide up-to-date information, and the user can buy tickets online, either from their phone or from the vehicle’s infotainment system. Payment card providers are developing special apps, too, such as MasterPass by MasterCard, Token by VISA, etc. Using these services, drivers can safely pay for fuel, food, parking, etc. Fuel App Concept is an application designed to warn the driver that their car needs refuelling and navigate them to the nearest petrol station. As soon as the car stops at the fuel pump, the app identifies the amount of fuel that needs to be topped up and calculates its price.

The success of digital transformation depends on proper mobile signal coverage and, in particular, sufficiently high transmission speeds within the data network. As far as cars are concerned, perfect coverage of all roads is an even more important factor. The 4G network is becoming widely available in the Czech Republic, but Europe and the rest of the world are already talking about 5G. This data network of the future will provide full-fledged services, from mobile entertainment to virtual reality, smart cities and various industrial applications. The downlink transmission speed is expected to be around 20 Gbit/s, and the new 5G network is supposed to be able to serve over 1 million online devices per square kilometre. The first 5G networks for commercial use are expected to be launched in 2020, but experts are already working on 6G, a network that is even more sophisticated and faster. The UK government has already invested 15 million pounds in 6G-related development efforts.

SMART MOBILITY

Trouble-free

PARKING

AUTOMATICALLY PARKING CHAIRS A parking assistant designed to help the driver with parallel parking has become a fairly common optional accessory, but not many drivers actually use such systems. A survey done last year in the US market showed that although automatic parking systems can park vehicles 10 percent faster and 37 percent closer to the pavement than human drivers and that the probability of driving onto the pavement is 81 percent lower, 80 percent of drivers still prefer manual parking. So how to persuade drivers that such systems make sense? Nissan took an inventive approach: This February, the company presented an automatically parking office chair! The system is based on cooperation between four cameras located in a room, a set of sensors and an electric motor in each chair. When the room is empty, a single clap of the hands is enough to make the chairs automatically get back to their places at the desk. Using this “joke”, Nissan promotes its intelligent parking assistant. Check out the parking chair video at Youtu.be/O1D07dTILH0

The first step towards fully autonomous vehicles will be automatic parking. New systems will offer more than just steering-wheel-turning assistance known from today’s cars. The vehicle will enter and exit the parking space on its own and at the driver’s command. IN 2013, AUDI PRESENTED ITS VISION OF A SYSTEM THAT NOT ONLY PARKS THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY BUT ALSO TAKES THE CAR TO THE PARKING SPACE.

TELEPHONE-AIDED PARKING SELF-PARKING TO REDUCE TRAFFIC LOAD Somerville, Massachusetts, is a city that is certainly not afraid of modern technologies. Late last year, the local city hall signed an agreement with Audi regarding a project of urban infrastructure of the future. Cars that park automatically are supposed to be part of this project. Instead of desperately looking for parking spaces in the centre of the city, drivers will simply send their cars to multi-storey car parks. Self-parking comes with three key benefits – multistorey car parks can be built outside city centres, in locations that are less traffic-intensive; the area required for parking one driverless vehicle is reduced because there is no need for aisles, lifts or other service areas, i.e. the same built-up area can be used by as many as 60 percent more cars; and last but not least, sled-parking systems will reduce traffic in city centres.

Automatic parking is another opportunity to connect the worlds of cars and smartphones. Some car manufacturers are already offering automatic driverless parking systems: The vehicle enters the parking space on its own, and the driver controls the manoeuvre via remote control. The VW Group is preparing this innovation for some of its vehicles while developing a system able to do such parking manoeuvres even with a trailer. That is not the end, though. In 2013, Audi presented its vision of a system that not only parks the car automatically but also takes the car to the parking space. The driver does not sit in the car; they just control the whole operation via a smartphone app. The Audi Piloted Parking app finds the nearest suitable parking space and then navigates the vehicle there. When the driver wants to leave, they use their smartphone to “call” the car back.

2,2 km

1,3 km 467 m

1,7 km

Travel made more

EFFICIENT Telematics add a new dimension to ordinary travelling. Using the vehicle’s exact GPS locations and a data transmission & processing system, telematics systems offer a variety of application options. For example, a telematics system can optimise your route according to the traffic situation, supervise the movement of your car or, by using an Internet connection, provide you with an up-to-the-minute weather forecast for your final destination as soon as you take a seat in your car.

COMMUNICATING VEHICLES Telematics opens up huge opportunities and makes it possible for vehicles to remotely communicate with their owners and with other vehicles and elements of the transport infrastructure. When online, your vehicle can inform you that you are approaching an outlet of your favourite fast food chain or that some interesting event is taking place near your route. By communicating with other drivers, you can avoid traffic jams, like with the WAZE application that is already on the market. Using a connection to local networks, you can check the availability of nearby parking areas or change your speed to reach the nearest junction at exactly the moment the traffic lights turn green.

E-CALL IS A ROAD EMERGENCY SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ROAD ACCIDENTS WITH RAPID ASSISTANCE

REMOTE ACCESS Keyless vehicle access systems are becoming increasingly common, although each car manufacturer gives them a slightly different name and makes them slightly brand-specific. The KESSY system that ŠKODA uses made its debut in the previousgeneration Superb, and it has become very popular. Moving the boundaries, telematics is soon likely to make it possible to lock your car using a smartphone app. Moreover, in the future, you will be able to access your car’s profile to check its current location, the inside temperature or complete vehicle diagnostics – and perhaps make an appointment at your garage right away. Using a special app on your home PC, it will be possible to check the fuel level and the remaining range.

ROAD ASSISTANCE In addition to a number of comfort functions, telematics may increase safety, too. To this end, in the future, every new car should be fitted with an e-Call device. e-Call is a road emergency system designed to provide people involved in road accidents with rapid assistance. In the event of an accident, the “black box” data are sent immediately to emergency services through the 112 emergency line. The system can report the exact GPS coordinates and provide impact sensor and airbag activation data.

SMART MOBILITY

The autonomous age is

APPROACHING Reading a newspaper, relaxing with a cup of coffee or replying to emails in the comfort of their car? Most drivers would probably prefer that to driving in busy traffic. Camera- and sensor-based systems that help us park our car or even turn the steering wheel for us as we enter a parking space are no longer a scifi concept. And the time when cars will take over completely may be closer than you think.

SAFER ROADS Systems that in fact are the first steps on the road to autonomous driving, e.g. adaptive cruise control and parking assistants, are already available in today’s cars, and their further upgrades to the autonomous-driving level is a matter of the near future. Rather than technological feasibility, further progress is about adequate legislation. Although machines will not get tired, cannot fall asleep and their reactions are always faster than those of humans, there are situations where they would have to violate the first law of robotics: “No robot may harm a human being.” This “machine dilemma” may occur in real situations. Just imagine: You are driving your car. Suddenly, you see several people standing beyond a bend in the road. Stopping in time is impossible, and there are concrete walls on both sides of the road, so you will either hit those people or slam into the wall and kill yourself. While the human reaction in a situation like that is instinctive, the machine has to act emotionlessly, as programmed.

JUNCTIONS WITH NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS... THAT’S WHAT THE ROADS OF THE FUTURE WILL BE ABOUT

ROADS WILL CHANGE, TOO Investments will have to be made not only in cars but also in roads. Today’s road shoulder lines are likely to be replaced by electronic boundaries to mark out the direction. A similar principle applies to automatic lawnmowers. Cars will also communicate with smart traffic lights designed to analyse the traffic density and change their colours accordingly to make the traffic smoother.

ACROSS THE CONTINENT

A FEW YEARS FROM NOW... Autonomous driving and artificial intelligence are some of the key priorities of the Volkswagen Group’s Strategy 2025. The objective is to homologise a competitive, in-house developed SDS (self-driving system). However, other manufacturers endeavour to enhance their cars, too, and not only automotive companies. For example, one company that has started developing its own autonomous car is the Internet giant Google: Its test cars have already completed more than 200,000 miles (over 320,000 km) on public roads in Nevada and California.

Autonomous driving is one of the Volkswagen Group’s key strategic focus areas, and tests of functional prototypes have been underway since 2009. For example, a driverless Audi S7 has already done several rides on race circuits, and last year a Delphi Autonomous Audi Q5 made it from San Francisco to New York City, with 99 percent of the distance covered in fully automated mode (approx. 5,500 km). Check out this Audi Q5 Delhi video at youtu.be/qeJVFavHVJM.

AN AUTONOMOUS CAR DOES NOT NEED A DRIVER, AS THE DIRECTION OF ITS MOVEMENT IS COMPLETELY CONTROLLED BY COMPUTER SYSTEMS THAT DETECT THE VEHICLE’S SURROUNDINGS AND SET ITS ROUTE

INTERIORS AS WE DON’T KNOW THEM The interiors of autonomous cars will be different, too. While these days the occupants sit in a fixed position facing the direction of travel, the position of each autonomous car occupant will be more variable. Some concept studies feature rotary seats where even the driver can turn in the opposite direction to talk with the passengers. The steering wheel is not likely to disappear completely because it will still be possible to take control of the vehicle, but it does not necessarily have to stay permanently in its place: When the driver wants to have a rest, they can put it inside the dashboard, for example.

PLANNING THE FUTURE

THE SKYWAY’S JAMMED hat’s what Doc Brown said after checking a traffic information board in Back to the Future, the famous film trilogy directed by Robert Zemeckis 30 years ago. Brown takes his friend Marty McFly to the future, to 21 October 2015 – the filmmakers believed that by then even the skies would be crowded with flying cars.

back to the

FUTURE The objective of this ŠKODA Mobil supplement was to offer a glimpse of the near future of the automotive industry, i.e. the next 10 to 20 years. In conclusion, let us look at how people in the past imagined the future of cars and compare that with today’s reality. The selected items confirm that predicting anything is difficult, but there is no doubt that it pays off to be prepared.

FLYING CARS Flying cars, electric trains and airships were expected to be a standard part of public transport systems in the year 2000, at least by Frenchman Maximilian Villemard, who drew a series of postcards depicting his visions of the future world in 1910.

THE “DECLINE” OF SUVs Considering that the SUV is currently one of the fastest-growing segments of the automotive market, it is rather interesting that just a few years ago experts did not really believe in its potential. For example, in 2007, only three percent of executives approached in a KPMG LLP survey expected SUV sales to grow. With the then high prices of oil, most of the respondents thought that customers would start preferring smaller, more economical vehicles.

JULES VERNE WAS POSSIBLY THE GREATEST “TRANSPORT VISIONARY”

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO VERNE In Paris in the Twentieth Century (written in 1863 but only published in 1994), Jules Verne describes not only cars filling city streets but also the related infrastructure. Although in his vision the cars were propelled by compressed air, his network of gas stations was a correct prediction.

CLOSE MISS

To conclude this supplement, we are offering you a few historical predictions that have NOT come true and, considering today’s reality, are quite amusing. “Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” Dr Dionysius Lardner (1793–1859) “X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society (1883) “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” Lord Kelvin (1895) “Radio has no future.” Lord Kelvin (1897) “Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” H. M. Warner, co-founder of Warner Brothers (1927) “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” Albert Einstein (1932) “A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.” New York Times (1936)

IN 1981, VOLKSWAGEN PRESENTED THE “AUTO 2000”, A CONCEPT CAR FEATURING AN AERODYNAMICALLY OPTIMISED DESIGN. THE VEHICLE’S AIR RESISTANCE COEFFICIENT, 0.25, WOULD BE IMPRESSIVE EVEN TODAY.

VOLKSWAGEN

AUTO 2000

In the 1970s, the German Ministry for Research and Technology launched an extensive project focused on cars of the future, the main objective being to find effective solutions to reduce fuel consumption. The car manufacturers participating in that project presented their ideas and concepts at the 1981 Frankfurt Motor Show. Volkswagen showcased its “Auto 2000”, a concept car featuring an aerodynamically optimised design. The vehicle’s air resistance coefficient, 0.25, would be impressive even today.

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” Thomas Watson, IBM (1943) “Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box.” Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox (1946) “Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality within 10 years.” Alex Lewyt, president of the Lewyt vacuum company (1955) “Who wants it, anyway?” IBM’s Robert Lloyd about the microprocessor (1968) “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” Ken Olson, DEC (1977) Source: VTM.E15.cz