In this seminar, we will look at one interesting vision of the future, General Motors’ remarkable concept car, the Hy-wire. General Motors (GM) may never actually sell the Hy-wire to the public, but it is certainly a good illustration of various ways cars might evolve in the near future.
Instead of an engine, Hy-wire car has a fuel cell stack, which powers an electric motor connected to the wheels. Instead of mechanical and hydraulic linkages, it has a drive by wire system where a computer actually operates the components that move the wheels, activate the brakes and so on, based on input from an electronic controller. By combining fuel cell and drive by wire technology, the Hy-wire car has opened a new world of chassis architectures and customized bodies for individual expression. The development is a significant step towards a new kind of automobile that is substantially friendlier to the environment and provides consumers positive benefits in driving dynamics, and freedom of individual expression.
