R&D Archives

In Melbourne, two Lexus SUVs ‘talk’ to each other to improve safety

Two units of the Lexus RX450h are now cruising around an area of Melbourne in Australia and they are ‘talking’ to each other as well as the traffic infrastructure. The two hybrid SUVs are provided by Lexus Australia which is the first automotive partner to join the groundbreaking Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem (AIMES). This is a real-world testing environment for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications technology.

AIMES is a collaboration of 50 government, transport and technology partners led by the University of Melbourne, and this real-world trial of advanced Co-operative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) technology will deliver crucial research to provide next-generation road safety solutions.

Lexus Australia’s partnership with AIMES builds upon previous C-ITS trials in partnership with the Victorian and Queensland governments that concluded in 2020. In Victoria, Lexus Australia participated in the Advanced Connected Vehicles for Victoria project. In Queensland, the company worked with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland) Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI) in Brisbane.

Those trials enabled Lexus to develop applications such as warning drivers of red lights ahead, pedestrians about to cross the road at traffic lights, and alerting drivers to the presence of slow or stopped vehicles, road works or road hazards such as water or debris – elements that will continue to be tested in this trial.

Lexus has already successfully demonstrated Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) technology for vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communications in Japan since 2015. This enabled it to prepare the two units with DSRC and cellular network technologies.

The two Lexus RX 450h SUVs can communicate with traffic lights, trams and emergency service vehicles to proactively deliver warnings and alerts of potential danger to the driver of the vehicle before they come into a driver’s line of sight. Lexus aims to use the trial to develop applications such as warning the driver when turning in front of a tram, or warning the driver when a cyclist or pedestrian has pushed the button on traffic lights to cross the road – including at challenging ‘hook-turn’ intersections.

Further applications to be developed include alerts when a driver attempts to enter a one-way street or freeway entry/exit the wrong way, when an emergency vehicle is approaching – or when it might not be safe to enter an intersection.

Trialing this technology targets a reduced risk of vehicles driving through red lights, turning into trams, or being unable to see pedestrians obstructed by traffic lights and other infrastructure before they step onto the road.

In addition to the connected vehicles, the AIMES trial area incorporates a network of smart sensors connecting public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, intersections, and streets into a fully integrated ecosystem.

Bladescan gives Lexus drivers extra advantage at night

Volvo Cars to have full ownership and control of its operations in China

Volvo Cars has signed an agreement with its parent company, Geely Holding, to acquire Geely Holding’s stake in the companies’ joint ventures in China. This development means that the Swedish carmaker, acquired by Geely from Ford in 2010, will take full ownership of its car manufacturing plants and sales operations in the biggest car market in the world

The acquisition of an additional 50% of the shares in Daqing Volvo Car Manufacturing and Shanghai Volvo Car Research & Development will further strengthen Volvo Cars’ position in China, its largest market, and maximize exposure to one of the fastest growing regions globally.

*In 2017, Volvo began sending the S90 sedan to Belgium from its Daqing factory via the China-Europe railway link. The connection to Europe is faster than the traditional sea route from Asian ports.*

Full control over operations in China
Although the two joint venture companies are already fully included in Volvo Car Group’s financial statements, Volvo Cars’ share of their net income and equity will increase following the transaction. “With this agreement, Volvo Cars will become the first major non-Chinese automaker with full control over its Chinese operations,” said Hakan Samuelsson, Chief Executive of Volvo Cars.

“Geely Holding Group and Volvo Cars are continuously evaluating the best way to collaborate and structure operations within the wider Group. These two transactions will create a clearer ownership structure within both Volvo Cars and Geely Holding,” said Geely Holding CEO, Daniel Donghui Li.

Acquisition includes R&D facility
Volvo Cars has grown significantly faster than the average market in China in recent years and will continue to invest in the country to maintain the strong growth trend. Following the transactions, Volvo Cars will have full ownership of its manufacturing plants in Chengdu and Daqing, its national sales company in China and its R&D facility in Shanghai.

The transactions will be completed in two steps, starting in 2022 when the joint venture requirement for auto manufacturing in China will be lifted, and expected to be formally completed in 2023. The transactions will, of course, need regulatory approvals.

Strong growth in China in spite of pandemic
Volvo Cars has seen strong growth in the Chinese market in recent years. In 2020, it sold 166,617 cars in China, an increase of 7.5% over 2019 performance and its eighth consecutive sales record in the market in spite of the pandemic. In the first half of 2021, sales increased 44.9% compared to the same period in 2020, and by 40.1% compared with the same period in 2019.

Geely Holding and Volvo Cars to form joint-venture company producing powertrains

Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and you may not show symptoms but spread the coronavirus. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.

Nissan conducting research on racing drivers’ brains to enhance driving performance

In everyday driving, the brain has to be quick enough to analyse and get a driver to act correctly in any situation – millions of times on a journey. And that’s at a moderate speed too. For racing drivers, the demands are even greater as they travel at far higher speeds so they need quicker reactions and faster abilities to assess situations.

To help its Sebastien Buemi and Oliver Rowland, Nissan’s racing drivers in the all-electric Formula E series, the carmaker has developed an innovative program focused on brain function and anatomy research, training and development in the motorsport field.

Nissan Brain to Performance, as the program is called, uses advanced brain imaging and analysis to determine the anatomical specifics of high performance, professional drivers. The program aims to develop bespoke, optimized training to enhance the brain functions and anatomy related to driving and racing.

“At Nissan, we dare to do what others don’t. With this groundbreaking program, we aim to understand our racing drivers’ brain functions like never before and push the boundaries of on-track performance in Formula E,” said Tommaso Volpe, Nissan’s Global Motorsports Director. “What if, through advanced brain function analysis and training, we could help make our drivers perform better? Every tenth of a second counts in Formula E, so we’re excited to see how our cutting-edge Nissan research team can enhance the drivers’ already high-performing brain functionality.”

Better connection between people and vehicles
The program will be coordinated by Dr. Lucian Gheorghe, a leader in the field of brain analysis and training, and a driving force behind Nissan’s forward-looking research on how to better build the connection between people and Nissan vehicles. The immediate priority of the program is to enhance the performance of Nissan’s Formula E racers.

“Our brains are incredibly powerful. Without us realizing it, they perform a multitude of critical functions every second we drive our cars. Our highly trained and experienced Nissan Formula E drivers perform these functions under intense pressure and at great speed as they constantly search for faster lap times. Our new Nissan Brain to Performance program seeks to understand what it is about their brains’ electrical activity that enables them to do what they do,” said Dr. Gheorghe.

“If we can, we’d like to help them further improve their performance through bespoke brain training. In the future, could our cutting-edge research help improve the driving skills of the average driver, and inform the development of our road-going EVs? We hope so,” he explained.

The first stage of the new program will involve detailed analysis and testing of the Formula E racers’ brain functions, compared against a control group of ‘average’, non- racing drivers. All drivers will perform a range of tasks on state-of-the-art driving simulators while their brain activity is monitored and recorded. Based on the results, a bespoke driver training program involving electrical brain stimulation will be developed with the aim of improving driver performance.

Key research areas
To understanding how a Nissan Formula E drivers’ brain functions and anatomy differ in comparison to average drivers, the program establishes a spectrum of driver brain activity first. Attempts will be made to see if, through the use of electrical brain stimulation, a professional driver’s brain be enhanced to improve on-track performance.

The longer-term goal is related to future Nissan EV product development, with a focus on achieving the highest level of driver excitement and focus. An increased understanding of bio-electricity will further enhance the driving experience and intuitive nature of future EV operation.

Nissan gets experts from the creators of Pac-Man to help develop better in-car sounds

In future, your car may compose unique music for each drive

Having music while motoring began with radio broadcasts and over the decades, new technologies enabled the selection of music to become more varied and then more personalised. Connectivity today gives you access to the enormous music libraries on the internet as well as bring along your own favourites.

In future, when you tire of listening to all the familiar tunes, your car could compose music for you. Science fiction today but it could well be a reality some day and it may be Porsche that is the first. In fact, the sportscar carmaker is already exploring this idea with a prototype system in a Macan. The ‘music’ is created by the SUV’s movements, changing according to the different actions. Welcome to ‘Soundtrack My Life’ …

“This new technology isn’t about playing personalised playlists or simply adjusting the tempo and pitch of existing music to match the car’s speed,” explained Norman Friedenberger, Product Owner at Porsche Digital and the person responsible for ‘Soundtrack My Life’. “It’s about creating an individual sound experience from a construction kit with a variety of sounds and musical structures during a drive. This is created by the driver and their journey in real time. This will then sound different for everyone – as unique as the journey itself.”

Connecting movement and music
Adaptive sound is the technical term, and it gives users of this technology an alternative: a complement to radio and streaming music. “The connection between the movement of the vehicle and the generation of music in the context of driving offers a completely new listening experience,” said Friedenberger. “It’s about becoming one with the driving situation.”

To do this, the driver first selects a basic musical mood, a soundtrack composed specifically for a particular driving situation. The software accesses pre-composed musical elements and, depending on the acceleration, speed and centrifugal forces in the car, changes the complexity of the mix of these individual elements, adding or removing tracks and sounds to rearrange everything again and again.

The technology partner for ‘Soundtrack My Life’ is Boris Salchow, a German film composer based in Los Angeles. He composes the many set pieces from which the car generates the music and he would have liked to have had the technology behind it much earlier. “When I moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago, I almost got out of the habit of listening to music in the car,” he said.

The eternal stop-and-go conditions on the streets of the Californian megacity were to blame. “The music I was listening to in the car just didn’t match what I was actually experiencing. And even back then I thought someone should develop something to compensate for this,” he recalled.

Development of non-linear music
Today, Salchow is one of those responsible for the more difficult part of the development. “Composing the material is sometimes more complex than tuning the algorithms,” said Friedenberger, who is a musician himself and has worked for, among others, the legendary electropop band Kraftwerk. “We’re talking about non-linear music, like in computer games. The temporal sequence of events is never predictable, but the music has to be able to take that into account. With classical linear tracks that have a beginning and an end, that doesn’t work.”

Friedenberger has spent about two years working on ‘Soundtrack My Life’ and it is important to him that the car does not combine the same sounds at every location but instead varies what comes out of the speakers each time – just as the daily drive to the office is never exactly the same.

“That’s what’s so exciting for the driver. They experience a new soundtrack every time. The format promises a long-lasting listening experience, at least three to five times longer than with linear music,” he said.

Prototype exists as smartphone app
A prototype of ‘Soundtrack My Life’ currently exists as a smartphone app. It has not yet been decided whether this will remain the case or whether a version of the app will also function as an integral part of Porsche Communication Management. Both solutions are feasible; both open up attractive possibilities.

‘Soundtrack My Life’ can already be used outside the car. “You can use it anywhere there is movement. It reacts to mobile data,” said Friedenberger. “In the future, the app could also be combined with geofencing – locking or unlocking certain locations, for example. In such cases, special soundtracks would only then be available in Los Angeles or on Alpine passes.”

Porsche is still considering ‘Soundtrack My Life’ and there are no plans to offer it yet. The core algorithm is basically ready. The focus now would be specifically on working with artists. The plan is to further individualise the music, to develop special editions with well-known composers in order to offer them as digital collectors’ items.

“The vision is clearly to produce exclusive material. We would work with artists specifically according to scenic specifications to create soundtracks for situations, scenery or moments: for example, for driving on country roads, at night, in city traffic or in particular regions of the world,” Friedenberger said.

The use of artificial intelligence is deliberately avoided, because the focus should be on people and their creativity. “People love music because it is made by people. The artist tells a story that the audience wants to hear. We give the artist a new format to express themselves and that is an extremely exciting process for both sides,” he added.

Music tuned to the mood
But the story doesn’t end there. As the technology evolves, ‘Soundtrack My Life’ could one day also detect the driver’s mood and tailor the music to it. Friedenberger also dreams of real-time sound development in the cloud and sharing music online. “You could listen to someone who’s on the road in New York or Tokyo right now. The catalogue of ideas and visions of where the journey might go are endless,” he imagines.

From today’s perspective, these ideas are still a long way off from becoming reality. And perhaps there is so much of the human factor in music after all that artificial compositions might never really catch on. But if they do, the car is the ‘predestined place’ for it, according to Salchow, especially with adaptive music. “It really is only when you’re sitting on the sofa,” he said, “that you don’t need adaptive music.”

Prototypes and studies Porsche has never before shown to the public

Russian Cyclocar flying car to use cyclic propellers and hybrid powerplant (w/VIDEO)

Although there have been prototypes of flying cars for many decades, it’s only in the past few years that the idea has become a more serious venture. Even Audi and Porsche have, with aerospace partners, looked into developing vehicles that can fly as well as be driven along roads. In many cases, it appears that the potential usage is not for personal, individual transport but as taxis or transporters.

At the Russian Academy of Sciences, a flying car project is now underway under the framework of the Foundation for Advanced Research ‘Cyclone’. The project, undertaken by the academy’s Siberian branch of the Institute of Thermophysics, is for the development of an aeromobile called the Cyclocar.

Cyclic propellers and hybrid powerplant
The method of lifting the vehicle off the ground uses cyclic propellers which are powered by electric motors from a sequential hybrid powerplant with a petrol combustion engine or a turboshaft engine employing a gas turbine.

The advantages of using cyclical propellers are fast control of the thrust vector through 360 degrees, low noise level, and compactness. A cyclic propulsion device is one of the most complex aerodynamic devices to design but scientists and engineers of the Novosibirsk Institute of Thermophysics have been able to solutions to the inherent problems.

During the first stage of work, ground tests of a cyclic propeller with a diameter of 1.5 metres were carried out. The results obtained during the tests on traction and consumed electric power fully confirmed the viability of the concept for powering the Cyclocar.

As the pictures show, the cyclic propellers will be installed at the side of the body with their frames. Special attention is being given to the design of the propeller frames to prevent people from being close to them while they are spinning as well as to resist damage from foreign objects.

More compact than a helicopter
The dimensions are 6.2 metres in length and 6 metres in width. Besides the compact dimensions in comparison with helicopters, a useful capability is landing on an inclined surface (up to 30 degrees) and docking against vertical surfaces like buildings.

The Cyclocar is expected to be able to take a payload of 600 kgs with 6 persons on board. Its maximum speed will be up to 250 km/h and it will have a flying range of up to 500 kms. The present layout has boarding from both sides as well as the rear where there is a ramp that can be lowered at any angle. The interior configuration can be varied to carry long items or even medical modules for use in disaster areas.

Like driving a modern car
The designers expect that operating the Cyclocar will be no more difficult than driving a modern car. It can be flown by the operator on board or remotely controlled, with the possibility of being used like a drone. The pilot-operator can, if needed, use manual control or automatic control, depending on the situation.

The next phase will see prototypes being built for flight tests and a fully functional Cyclocar is expected to be ready for production in 2024. The vehicle is intended for use by the military rather than the civilian sector.

*The Audi Air Taxi developed in collaboration with ItalDesign and Airbus, was shown in 2018.*

Klein Vision’s AirCar successfully completes flight tests in Slovakia (w/VIDEO)

Even after you recover from COVID-19 infection, your quality of life may be affected and you may suffer for a long period after that. Avoid being infected by taking the necessary measures to protect yourself as well as others, and get vaccinated as well.

Jaguar Land Rover developing fuel cell vehicle to meet zero emissions objective by 2036

Aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2039, in line with the Reimagine strategy announced last month, Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) aim includes zero tailpipe emissions from its vehicles by 2036. This means that internal combustion engines will no longer be used. Electrical power is the most viable solution for future powertrains as they will have zero emissions, and JLR is developing various prototypes.

Fuel cells, spin-offs from the space program, are being considered by a number of manufacturers, some of whom already have commercialised fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). JLR is also looking to use a hydrogen fuel cell and is developing a prototype FCEV based on the latest Land Rover Defender.

Advantages of hydrogen FCEV
FCEVs, which generate electricity from hydrogen to power an electric motor, are complimentary to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the journey to net zero vehicle emissions. Hydrogen-powered FCEVs provide high energy density and rapid refuelling, and minimal loss of range in low temperatures, making the technology ideal for larger, longer-range vehicles, or those operated in hot or cold environments.

Since 2018, the global number of FCEVs on the road has nearly doubled while hydrogen refuelling stations have increased by more than 20%. By 2030, forecasts predict hydrogen-powered FCEV deployment could top 10 million with 10,000 refuelling stations worldwide.

JLR’s advanced engineering project, known as Project Zeus, is partly funded by the government-backed Advanced Propulsion Centre, and will allow engineers to understand how a hydrogen powertrain can be optimised to deliver the performance and capability expected by its customers: from range to refuelling, and towing to off-road ability.

2019 Land Rover Defender — *The Defender’s platform, which can accommodate combustion engines as well as hybrid powertrains, is also being used for the development of a fuel cell electric vehicle.*

The project also has other partners involved such as Delta Motorsport, AVL, Marelli Automotive Systems and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) to research, develop and create the prototype FCEV with testing scheduled to begin this year. The testing, in the UK, will verify key attributes such as off-road capability and fuel consumption.

“We know hydrogen has a role to play in the future powertrain mix across the whole transport industry, and alongside battery electric vehicles, it offers another zero tailpipe emission solution for the specific capabilities and requirements of Jaguar Land Rover’s world class line-up of vehicles. The work done alongside our partners in Project Zeus will help us on our journey to become a net zero carbon business by 2039, as we prepare for the next generation of zero tailpipe emissions vehicles,” said Ralph Clague, Head of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells for Jaguar Land Rover.

Producton facilities are carbon neutral
JLR was the first UK automotive manufacturer to have met the internationally recognised PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality across its vehicle manufacturing assembly operations and product development sites. In January last year, its facilities completed a second consecutive year being certified as carbon-neutral by the Carbon Trust. Together, these sites represent 77% of JLR’S global vehicle production.

The Carbon Trust re-certification is part of the carmaker’s journey to ‘Destination Zero’, after it was originally achieved two years ahead of a commitment to operate carbon-neutral UK manufacturing by 2020.

New Land Rover Defender’s Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle system provides ‘future-proofing’

Nissan gets experts from the creators of Pac-Man to help develop better in-car sounds

While systems like Proton’s GKUI, Ford’s SYNC and the Mercedes-Benz MBUX can intelligently communicate with you and help you with your motoring nowadays, cars have been ‘speaking’ to drivers for a long time. This has been in the form of clicks, beeps, bells or buzzers, with the earliest sound was probably the clicking of the signal lights.

As time went on, other warning sounds were added. For example, if a passenger does not put the seatbelt on, a sound of some sort will provide a reminder. Or when the fuel level gets too low, there will be a warning so the driver will start looking for a petrol station. Japanese cars, from the 1970s, even had a chime that would sound when the speed passed 100 km/h.

*In most cars, there is a seatbelt warning light on the instrument panel and usually a sound to remind the occupants that their seatbelt is not on when the vehicle starts moving.*

Higher quality warning and reminder sounds
The familiarity of the sounds can be important so that virtually any driver will recognise their meaning. At the same time, they need to be ‘right’ so that the driver will respond in the correct way. While most companies use generic sounds, Nissan has teamed up with experts at the Bandai Namco Group to develop in-car sounds for the latest and future Nissan models such as the Rogue, Pathfinder, Note and Qashqai.

The Bandai Namco Group is the entertainment company that developed videogame classics like Pac-Man and Tekken, and also the Gundam sci-fi military hobby items. Their expertise was called upon to help create a higher quality sound that uses pitch, tempo and tone to get information across. Ultimately, Nissan wants the ‘voice’ of its vehicles to have more personality and character.

*Nissan is working with Bandai Namco, the creators of the Gundam characters and toys (and earlier, Pac-Man), to develop better sounds for use in future car models.*

“We wanted to make it easier to understand the information in the car and provide an emotional tone so that people feel the Nissan brand,” said Hiroyuki Suzuki, Nissan’s lead engineer for in-car information sound design. “In game development, Bandai Namco’s sound creators develop sounds that simulate players’ intuitive understanding. We collaborated to create sounds that can help drivers have a similar intuitive understanding, in addition to creating sounds that will become synonymous with Nissan’s global models.”

Developing informational sounds
There is psychology involved in the design of informational sounds. And who knows better than the sound designers of videogames? “There are two types of sound in a game: one creates the world view of the story and express how it develops; the other is functional and absolutely vital for playing the game because they give you feedback or warn you of danger,” said Minamo Takahashi, the sound director at Bandai Namco Research Inc.

Distinctly Nissan and functional
He notes that similar to gaming sounds, vehicle cabin alerts must convey important information without distracting the driver. But despite how realistic videogames have become, Takahashi said there is still a big difference to making sounds that work in the real world. Working with the Nissan team, he developed sounds that are both distinctly Nissan and functional.

“It was a very intense process,” he revealed. “We stayed for days in the studio, had various discussions and went through trial-and-error with Nissan people from the sound engineering, product planning, design, and testing divisions to find out what kind of sound is suitable for the Nissan brand.”

Once the tones were created in line with the brand’s image, the next step was to create variations of the tones according to the urgency and seriousness of the information being conveyed to the driver. As Nissan’s ergonomics test engineer Miwa Nakamura explains: “Research has shown that urgency depends on the frequency of the sound, and that severity depends on the frequency itself. In order to intuitively understand what types of sounds are used, each sound is divided into functional groups and differentiated by tone.”

Besides creating a new signature sound, Nissan engineers also had to consider the devices being used to emit cabin alerts. When they realized that the monotone devices commonly used would not emit the more layered tones that Bandai helped produce, they had to find a solution.

“There is a limit to the expressiveness of those devices, so we developed a new speaker,” said Hato Hiroshi, a Nissan expert of vehicle system design. A new high-quality speaker fits under the dashboard close to the driver and is optimized for the new information soundscape in Nissan cars, making the important warning sounds distinctive from the sound from the audio speakers.

Through the partnership, Nissan engineers were able to get a new perspective from sound creators who make videogames. Meanwhile, the gaming experts enjoyed a new application of sound design.

“When I got in a car and listened to the sound coming out, I felt the same way I felt when first playing a game I worked on,” said Bandai Namco’s Takahashi. “Even if the industry is different, that sense of accomplishment when you reach your goal is the same.”

Click here for other news and articles about Nissan.

eFuel to be used in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

*Visit www.bhpetrol.com.my for more information.*

The new 911 GT3 Cup (992) makes its racing debut in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monaco Grand Prix this weekend and it will be the first time the car’s 4-litre naturally aspirated engine will run on Esso Renewable Racing Fuel. Referred to as ‘eFuel’, this is a blend of fuels mostly made of lower carbon, renewable, bio-based components.

The first racetrack test of the Esso Renewable Racing Fuels was held 2 months ago at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands. As in the entire 2021 season, the first version of Esso Renewable Racing Fuels will be used there. This is mainly based on an advanced biofuel whose raw materials consist of organic waste. On this basis, an ExxonMobil team of scientists and engineers composed a racing fuel that, in initial tests, has shown the potential for significant reductions in CO₂emissions.

Second version to be used next year
In the course of the 2022 season, the two companies plan to use the second version of the Esso Renewable Racing Fuels which, for the most part consists of eFuels. These eFuels are the focus of the collaboration between ExxonMobil and Porsche. eFuels are synthetic fuels that are generated using renewable energy from hydrogen and carbon dioxide from the air.

With the eFuel-based Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 85% if it complies with the current fuel standard according to the necessary blending. The eFuel comes from the Haru Oni pilot plant in Chile that generates hydrogen, which is then combined with captured carbon dioxide drawn from the atmosphere to produce methanol. ExxonMobil is providing a license and support for the proprietary technology to convert the methanol which will result in a lower-carbon fuel.

Future consumer adoption potential
In the pilot phase, over 130,000 litres of eFuels will be produced in 2022. Porsche and ExxonMobil are working together to gain valuable experiences to find pathways toward potential future consumer adoption. The switch to so-called eFuel is planned over the course of the 2022 season. As the main buyer of this fuel, Porsche will use the eFuels from Chile in the Porsche Experience Centres in addition to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in the 2022 season.

“Purely electrically powered vehicles have the highest priority for us,” emphasized Michael Steiner, member of the Board of Management for Research and Development at Porsche. “eFuels complement our drive strategy perfectly. They offer our customers the option of driving cars with combustion engines and plug-in hybrids that are almost CO₂-neutral. By working with ExxonMobil, we can test the eFuels under demanding conditions on the racetrack. We are thus taking another step on the way to a marketable and CO₂-reduced eFuel that can replace conventional fuels.”

New Porsche 911 GT3 offers pure racing technology

Run-flat tyres – an example of technology transfer from motorsports

Run-flat tyres, though seemingly a recent development, have been around since the 1930s although they were not as commercialized like today. From the 1980s onwards, most of the major manufacturers developed tyres that could continue to be used even when the air pressure was lost due to a puncture. This capability was initially required for military vehicles as well as vehicles carrying important people that might be attacked.

Eventually, run-flat tyres entered the market and appealed to carmakers because they not only provided extra safety and convenience but also gave the possibility of leaving out the spare tyre and saving some weight. Of course, due to the technology they have, they are more expensive than normal tyres but are an acceptable extra cost for premium luxury models.

Keeping rallycars running
At Pirelli, development of run-flat tyres began in the 1990s, mainly to provide tyres for rally drivers to continue even with a puncture, rather than being stranded by the side of the road. New technology was tried and tested in rallies by teams associated with the tiremaker. These had a reinforced structure that mad the tyres stronger and able to still run for several minutes after air was lost. In competition, those few minutes made a big difference.

As another example of technology from competition being transferred to road-going cars, Pirelli was able to use the same technology from its first run-flat tyres to offer motorists in 2001. However, as comfort was not a priority when the tyres were used on rallycars, the early run-flat tyres were hard and ride comfort was not so good initially.

*Providing tyres that could keep rallycars running even with punctures helped Pirelli to develop run-flat technology.*

Improvement in comfort for road use
Nevertheless, Pirelli carried out R&D into new materials and processes to improve comfort and also other aspects such as grip and handling. Thanks to new technology in the tyre’s structure as well as advances in the materials used, the way that the tyres absorb bumps in the road has been refined over time, to the point that they can now offer the same levels of comfort as standard tyres. To use run-flat tyres, engineers have to tune the suspension of the cars accordingly.

The key advantage of having a run-flat tyre is that the driver does not have to stop and change to the spare tyre when a puncture occurs. It is possible to continue for some distance, at least to a tyre shop where the puncture can be fixed or the tyre replaced. However, there are speed limitations (around 80 km/h) and the tyre is intended for emergency use and not long-term use.

Pirelli’s Self Supporting system (blue areas) is incorporated in the sidewalls for specific reinforcement which allows a deflated tyre to support lateral and transverse loads of the vehicle even in the absence of air pressure.

Original fitment by many carmakers
Over the last 20 years, Pirelli’s engineers have developed more than 1,000 different types of tyre featuring run-flat technology of different sizes and seasonal applications. To date, the company has supplied more than 70 million run-flat tyres, mostly as original fitment on models by BMW, Mini, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, Audi and others.

Good for EVs
Run-flat tyres are also of interest to manufacturers of electric vehicles, which still need tyres to run on. Being able to leave out the spare tyre or even not have to carry a repair kit can mean less weight on board and that can help in adding to the cruising range. Additionally, the space that is usually allocated for a spare tyre can be utilized for the battery pack.

2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA — *Run-flat tyres are also good for electrically-powered cars which need to be as light as possible, so not having the weight of a spare wheel helps.*

Run-Flat technology will therefore also play an important role in electric vehicles as well as autonomous vehicles, the latter by helping the vehicle remain under control even in an emergency situation.

Some of the Pirelli run-flat tyres include Pirelli Elect and PNCS noise-cancelling technology. The former is dedicated to electric vehicles and is focussed on low rolling resistance, reduced tyre noise, immediate grip, and a structure that can support the weight of a battery-powered vehicle. PNCS is focussed on reducing perceived tyre noise inside the cabin, thanks to the use of special sound-deadening material on the inside of the tyre.

So long as motor vehicles run on wheels, tyres will be needed and run-flat technology will remain an important element. Pirelli continues to improve its run-flat tyre range as new technologies become available and affordable, with a view of future requirements by the industry and motorists.

All-electric Porsche Macan begins real-world testing, launch in 2023

After the Taycan, the next all-electric sportscar from Porsche will be the Macan. Developed with the usual secrecy, prototypes have been running around the proving grounds of the Porsche Development Centre and the next step is to take them into the outside world for road-testing.

Real-world testing on public roads and in a real-life environment are important stages in the development of a new model. In the case of the electric Macan, due to be launched in 2023, the testing will cover at least 3 million kms worldwide in varying conditions. This will add on to the experience gained from countless previous test kilometres – driven in a virtual space.

Digital development preserves resources
Digital development and testing not only saves time and costs but also preserves resources, so it enhances sustainability. Instead of real vehicles, the engineers use digital prototypes – computational models that replicate the properties, systems and power units of a vehicle to a high degree of accuracy.

There are 20 digital prototypes for the purpose of simulation in a number of development categories, such as aerodynamics, energy management, operation and acoustics. “We regularly collate the data from the various departments and use it to build up a complete, virtual vehicle that is as detailed as possible,” explained Andreas Huber, manager for digital prototypes at Porsche. This allows previously undiscovered design conflicts to be swiftly identified and resolved.

The aerodynamics specialists are among the first engineers to work with a digital prototype. “We started with a flow-around model when the project first started about 4 years ago,” explained Thomas Wiegand, Director of aerodynamics development.

Low aerodynamic drag is fundamental to the all-electric Macan with a view to ensuring a long range. Even minor flow enhancements can make a huge difference. The engineers are currently using simulations to fine-tune details such as the cooling air ducts. The calculations not only take into account different arrangements of the components, but they also reflect real-life temperature differences.

*Advanced and powerful simulation software allows almost all aspects of a new model to be viewed and tested before physical prototypes are built, saving time and money.*

Virtual testing
New methods now allow very precise simulation of both aerodynamics and thermodynamics. “The digital world is indispensable to the development of the all-electric Macan,” said Wiegand. ”The electric drive system – from the battery through to the motor – requires a completely separate cooling and temperature control concept, one that is very different from that of a conventionally powered vehicle.”

While a temperature window of 90 to 120 degrees is the target for combustion engines, the electric motor, powertrain electronics and high-voltage battery require a range of between 20 and 70 degrees, depending on the component. The critical scenarios don’t occur on the road but can occur during fast high-power charging at high outside temperatures. However, the Porsche developers are able to precisely calculate and digitally optimise position, flow and temperature.

Virtual prototypes can be combined with real-world scenarios at an early stage. The best example here is the development of a completely new display and operating concept for the next generation of Macan. Using what is known as a seat box to recreate the driver’s environment, the display and operating concept can be brought to life in an early development phase in conjunction with the digital prototype.

“Simulation allows us to assess displays, operating procedures and the changing influences during a journey from the driver’s point of view,” explained Fabian Klausmann of the Driver Experience development department. “Here, the ‘test drivers’ are not just the specialists themselves but also non-experts. This allows all interaction between driver and vehicle to be studied down to the last detail, enabling selective optimisation even before the first physical cockpit has been built.”

To be the sportiest model in the segment
The first physical prototypes of the electric Macan were built using data obtained from the simulations – in some cases elaborately by hand or using special tools. These are then regularly adapted based on the virtual refinement process. By the same token, the findings from road testing are fed directly into digital development.

“Endurance testing on closed-off testing facilities and public roads in real-life conditions is still indispensable to ensure that the vehicle structure, operational stability and reliability of hardware, software and all functions meet our high quality standards,” said Member of the Executive Board Michael Steiner.

*Prototype of all-electric Macan being tested at Porsche’s test track. Some cars, with camouflage over their bodies, are now being tested on public roads in different parts of the world.*

The demanding test programme for the electric Macan, carried out under the extremes of climatic and topographical conditions, includes disciplines such as the charging and conditioning of the high-voltage battery, which has to meet very rigorous standards.

“Like the Taycan, the all-electric Macan, with its 800-volt architecture, will offer typical Porsche E-Performance,” promised Steiner, citing development goals such as long-distance range, high-performance fast charging and reproducible best-in-class performance figures.

Combustion engine will still be offered
While Europe is accelerating into the era of pure electromobility with all-electric vehicles, Porsche understands that the pace of change will vary considerably across the world. In some regions, there will still be demand for vehicles with conventional combustion engines. Therefore, the next Macan will continue to have a variant with a combustion engine for markets which want it.

Entry-level Porsche Taycan available from March, priced from RM605,000

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