MEPC25 Automobile Engineering

Assignment

Submitted by:
M K Jaiganesh
111118068
1. Explain the layout and working of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Electric vehicles:
An electric vehicle (EV) is one that uses one or more electric
motors or traction motors for propulsion. It may be powered through a collector
system by electricity from off-vehicle sources, or may be self-contained with
a battery, solar panels, fuel cells or an electric generator to convert fuel to
electricity. It gives more fuel efficiency than gasoline because it does not produce
emission like Internal combustion engines.
Major components of an electric vehicle:
 Traction Battery Pack:
The function of the battery in an electric car is as an electrical energy
storage system in the form of direct-current electricity (DC). If it gets a signal from
the controller, the battery will flow DC electrical energy to the inverter to then be
used to drive the motor. The type of battery used is a rechargeable battery that is
arranged in such a way as to form what is called a traction battery pack.
 Power Inverter:
The inverter functions to change the direct current (DC) on the battery into
an alternating current (AC) and then this alternating current is used by an electric
motor. In addition, the inverter on an electric car also has a function to change
the AC current when regenerative braking to DC current and then used to
recharge the battery. The type of inverter used in some electric car models is the
bi-directional inverter category.
 Controller:
The main function of the controller is as a regulator of electrical energy
from batteries and inverters that will be distributed to electric motors. While the
controller itself gets the main input from the car pedal (which is set by the driver).
This pedal setting will determine the frequency variation or voltage variation that
will enter the motor, and at the same time determine the car’s speed. In brief,
this unit manages the flow of electrical energy delivered by the traction battery,
controlling the speed of the electric traction motor and the torque it produces.
This component will determine how electric car work.
 Electric Traction Motor:

Because the controller provides electrical power from the traction battery,
the electric traction motors will work turning the transmission and wheels. Some
hybrid electric cars use a type of generator-motor that performs the functions of
propulsion and regeneration. In general, the type of electric motor used is the
BLDC (brushless DC) motor.

 Charger:
It is a battery charging device. Chargers get electricity from outside sources,
such as the utility grid or solar power plants. AC electricity is converted into DC
electricity and then stored in the battery. There are 2 types of electric car
chargers:
On-board charger: the charger is located and installed in the car
Off-board charger: the charger is not located or not installed in the car.
 Transmission:
The transmission transfers mechanical power from the electric traction
motor to drive the wheels.
  DC/DC Converter:
This one of electric car parts that to converts higher-voltage DC power from
the traction battery pack to the lower-voltage DC power needed to run vehicle
accessories and recharge the auxiliary battery.
 Battery:
In an electric drive vehicle, the auxiliary battery provides electricity to
power vehicle accessories.
 Thermal System – Cooling:
This system maintains a proper operating temperature range of the engine,
electric motor, power electronics, and other components.
 Charge Port:
The charge port allows the vehicle to connect to an external power supply
in order to charge the traction battery pack.

TYPES OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE:

There are three type of electric vehicle;
a) Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
b) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
c) Range Extended Electric Vehicle

Battery Electric Vehicle:

A battery electric vehicle (BEV) is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that
exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no
secondary source of propulsion (e.g. hydrogen fuel cell, internal combustion
engine, etc.). BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal
combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion. They derive all power from battery
packs and thus have no internal combustion engine, fuel cell, or fuel tank. BEVs
include – but are not limited to[1][2] – motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, skateboards,
railcars, watercraft, forklifts, buses, trucks, and cars. All energy to run the vehicle
comes from the battery pack which is recharged from the grid. BEVs are zero
emissions vehicles, as they do not generate any harmful tailpipe emissions or air
pollution hazards caused by traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.
When depleted, the batteries are recharged using grid electricity, either from a
wall socket or a dedicated charging unit. Since they don’t run on gasoline or diesel
and are powered entirely by electricity, battery electric cars and trucks are
considered “all-electric” vehicles. Not using gasoline or diesel also means that
battery electric cars are significantly cheaper to fuel than conventional vehicles.
Exact comparisons depend on the vehicle model and fuel prices, but driving a BEV
can save drivers over Rs.70,000 annually in gasoline money.

Hybrid electric vehicle:

Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine and
an electric motor, which uses energy stored in batteries. A hybrid electric vehicle
cannot be plugged in to charge the battery. Instead, the battery is charged
through regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine. The extra
power provided by the electric motor can potentially allow for a smaller engine.
The battery can also power auxiliary loads and reduce engine idling when
stopped. Together, these features result in better fuel economy without
sacrificing performance.
Battery (auxiliary): In an electric drive vehicle, the auxiliary battery provides
electricity to start the car before the traction battery is engaged and also powers
vehicle accessories.
DC/DC converter: This device converts higher-voltage DC power from the traction
battery pack to the lower-voltage DC power needed to run vehicle accessories
and recharge the auxiliary battery.
Electric generator: Generates electricity from the rotating wheels while braking,
transferring that energy back to the traction battery pack. Some vehicles use
motor generators that perform both the drive and regeneration functions.
Electric traction motor: Using power from the traction battery pack, this motor
drives the vehicle's wheels. Some vehicles use motor generators that perform
both the drive and regeneration functions.
Exhaust system: The exhaust system channels the exhaust gases from the engine
out through the tailpipe. A three-way catalyst is designed to reduce engine-out
emissions within the exhaust system.
Fuel filler: A nozzle from a fuel dispenser attaches to the receptacle on the vehicle
to fill the tank.
Fuel tank (gasoline): This tank stores gasoline on board the vehicle until it's
needed by the engine.
Internal combustion engine (spark-ignited): In this configuration, fuel is injected
into either the intake manifold or the combustion chamber, where it is combined
with air, and the air/fuel mixture is ignited by the spark from a spark plug.
Power electronics controller: This unit manages the flow of electrical energy
delivered by the traction battery, controlling the speed of the electric traction
motor and the torque it produces.
Thermal system (cooling): This system maintains a proper operating temperature
range of the engine, electric motor, power electronics, and other components.
Traction battery pack: Stores electricity for use by the electric traction motor.
Transmission: The transmission transfers mechanical power from the engine
and/or electric traction motor to drive the wheels.
2.Compare the transmission system of IC Engine powered vehicles
with electric vehicles.
Hybrid vehicles in general seek fuel-efficiency over powertrain performance.
Conventional automatic transmissions use a torque converter (transmits engine
torque via fluid) to mitigate shift shock. Torque converters help mitigate shock
and are relatively fast in transmitting power. Torque converters have some
disadvantages.
Torque converters convey power through a fluid inside the converter, so there
is energy loss. Furthermore, torque converters are heavy components and
disadvantageous to fuel economy. This means that torque converters are
counterproductive to fuel-efficiency seeking HEVs. That is why most HEVs no
longer have torque converters now, decreasing power loss and heft.
However, this is not an ideal solution, because shift shock can damage the
transmission. One solution to mitigate shift shock and allow smooth transmission
shifting is artificially extended transmission time. This allows sufficient time for
the hydraulics to absorb shift shock. It allows for smoother shifting, but the
downsides include sluggish or inconsistent transmission. The sluggish
acceleration, feeling like the pedal had not been pushed in far enough, was
because of that transmission system. It was a necessary tradeoff for the improved
fuel economy, the main advantage of HEVs.
Conventional combustion-engine vehicles have the engine, automatic
transmission, and wheels in series, where the power from the engine is
transmitted directly to the wheels. The role of the automatic transmission in that
case is to control engine power to the wheels depending on travel speed, vehicle
weight, and road conditions. Automatic transmissions select lower gears for
starting from a standstill and higher gears for less power-demanding situations
such as high-speed constant speed operation.
In the case of HEVs, a hybrid drive motor is positioned between the engine and
the automatic transmission, engaging in power transmission. In other words, the
power of the engine and the power of the driving motor generate combined
power, transmitted to the wheels through the transmission. As the electric motor
the engine's power, fuel economy is boosted and positively impacts acceleration.
 In IC type vehicles the differential mainly used is limited slip differential
whereas in electric vehicles the differential is open differential. In electric vehicles
we used open instead of limited slip because of the regenerative braking the
traction control can be obtained. One more thing we can observe is that IC engine
type vehicles use gear box for the speed control whereas in electric vehicles there
is nothing kind of gear box there is just a single gear that is used to control the
speed of the vehicle.
In electric vehicles just one pedal that is accelerating pedal is used to
control the pedal and bread pedal to completely stop the vehicle. Now when we
discuss about the power generated or the torque produced is greater for electric
vehicles when compared to IC engine type vehicles. In electric vehicles the
maximum RPM will be nearly 20,000 whereas in the IC engine type vehicle the
maximum RPM that can be attained is 7000. There is one special that is not
present in the IC engine type vehicles is that the heat generated in this vehicle is
used to charge the batteries in which the motor used to rotate the wheels acts as
a generator in charging the vehicle which in turn slows down the vehicle and the
power is flowed in opposite direction
Some possible solutions:
Active Shift Control:
This idea was proposed by Hyundai motors. ASC overcomes all the
shortcomings and necessary compromises in HEVs as discussed above. The
sluggish and uneven shifting is overcome in this system, and the transmission
occurs much faster in a responsive manner, and with greater durability. All of this
was made possible by utilizing the drive motor present in all HEVs, in an
innovative way. The ASC was possible due to a new interpretation of what an
electric motor can do in HEVs. Specifically, the proprietary transmission control
logic algorithm was applied to the HCU, which controls an HEV's overall power
output. The algorithm affects the hybrid drive motor, its internal sensors adjusting
up to 500 times per second, the speed of the engine input into the box to the
output of the box, rapidly synchronizing the transmission rotation speeds to the
engine's. Simply put, the box synchronizes engine-transmission using the drive
motor, and not the hydraulics as was seen in conventional HEVs. In the past,
transmission speeds were static, as it could not account for real-time road
conditions, transmission box oil temperatures, and other variables. For example,
with a static value, driving up a steep hill would raise the temperature inside the
transmission box, creating bubbles in the automatic transmission fluid (ATF),
which can hinder smooth transmission. This results in sluggish transmission and
lowered driving performance.

The ASC prevents any of that from happening. In fact, it prevents such events
from happening in the first place. The sensor inside the driving motor makes
calculated estimations of road conditions, oil temperature change within the
transmission box, and provides optimized transmission control. ASC can reduce
shifting time by about 30% over conventional systems. Accounting for external
conditions for quick responses improves shifting consistency (deviation in shifting
time) by up to 50%.
3) Explain the steering, brake and suspension system of an
automobile.

Steering system:
The steering system converts the rotation of the steering wheel into a
swiveling movement of the road wheels in such a way that the steering-wheel rim
turns a long way to move the road wheels a short way. The steering effort passes to
the wheels through a system of pivoted joints. These are designed to allow the
wheels to move up and down with the suspension without changing the steering
angle.

They also ensure that when cornering, the inner front wheel - which has to travel
round a tighter curve than the outer one - becomes more sharply angled. The joints
must be adjusted very precisely, and even a little looseness in them makes the
steering dangerously sloppy and inaccurate. There are two steering systems in
common use - the rack and pinion and the steering box. On large cars, either
system may be power assisted to reduce further the effort needed to move it,
especially when the car is moving slowly.

The rack-and-pinion system:

At the base of the steering column there is a small pinion (gear wheel) inside

a housing. Its teeth mesh with a straight row of teeth on a rack - a long transverse
bar. Turning the pinion makes the rack move from side to side. The ends of the rack
are coupled to the road wheels by track rods.

This system is simple, with few moving parts to become worn or displaced, so its
action is precise. A universal joint in the steering column allows it to connect with
the rack without angling the steering wheel awkwardly sideways.

Steering Box system:

At the base of the steering column there is a worm gear inside a box. A worm is a
threaded cylinder like a short bolt. Imagine turning a bolt which holding a nut on it;
the nut would move along the bolt. In the same way, turning the worm moves
anything fitted into its thread.

Depending on the design, the moving part may be a sector (like a slice of a gear
wheel), a peg or a roller connected to a fork, or a large nut.

The nut system has hardened balls running inside the thread between the worm
and the nut. As the nut moves, the balls roll out into a tube that takes them back to
the start; it is called a recirculating-ball system.

The worm moves a drop arm linked by a track rod to a steering arm that moves the
nearest front wheel. A central track rod reaches to the other side of the car, where
it is linked to the other front wheel by another track rod and steering arm. A
pivoted idler arm holds the far end of the central track rod level. Arm layouts vary.
The steering-box system has many moving parts, so is less precise than the rack
system, there being more room for wear and displacement .
Suspension system:
Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock
absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative
motion between the two. Suspension systems must support both road
holding/handling and ride quality, which are at odds with each other. The tuning
of suspensions involves finding the right compromise. It is important for the
suspension to keep the road wheel in contact with the road surface as much as
possible, because all the road or ground forces acting on the vehicle do so
through the contact patches of the tires. The suspension also protects the vehicle
itself and any cargo or luggage from damage and wear.
 Any four-wheel-drive vehicle needs suspension for both the front wheels
and rear wheels, but in two-wheel-drive vehicles, there can be a very different
configuration. For front-wheel drive cars, rear suspension has few constraints,
and a variety of beam axles and independent suspensions are used. For rear-
wheel drive cars, rear suspension has many constraints, and the development of
the superior, but more expensive independent suspension layout has been
difficult. Four-wheel drive often has suspensions that are similar for both the front
and rear wheels.

A suspension works on the principle of force dissipation which involves

converting force into heat thus removing the impact that force would have made.
It uses springs, dampers and struts to achieve this. A spring will hold the energy
while a damper will convert it into heat.

Spring:

The job of a spring in a suspension system is to store the energy that is

generated when the car goes through a bump. A spring or a coil stores energy by
compressing its size thus making any type of force into energy. The amount of
energy spring can hold depends on a multitude of factors. Including and not
limited to the length, the material of the spring and the coefficient of spring. The
material is included because some springs might be able to hold more energy but
with a non-durable material, the spring might falter. 

There are two types of springs used for suspension a coil spring and a leaf spring.
A coil spring is a common one which most you might have seen. A leaf spring is
used on a solid axle so basically in trucks and has very high energy storing capacity
compared to a coil spring. 

Dampers:

The energy stored by the springs need to go somewhere else it will be

released by the springs again with some minor transfer loss and your car will keep
on jumping around at every crack in the road. After the spring stores the energy,
the dampers or shock absorbers start working. Inside a damper is a piston with
small holes in it and some pressurized oil. When the spring transfers the energy to
the damper the piston moves through the pressurized oil by using the energy of
the spring. Passing through the oil generates heat, successfully converting the
energy of the bump in the road into heat energy and negating any energy left
which would have caused the car to jump.

The car is called a sprung weight as it is supported by the suspension. There

are some components that are not in between the car and the suspension thus
they are not supported by the suspension. These unsprung components include
axles, hubs bearings and any part of the suspension. Tires can also be considered
unsprung weight however the rubber they have as some sort of cushioning so we
will not consider it. If the front right-side tire goes into a porthole this will cause
the spring on that tire to store the energy that would have caused the car to
bounce. This energy is taken by a damper and converted into heat. If there was no
damper present the spring will bounce the car on the right side which will cause
the left spring to absorb the force and the car will just keep on bouncing till the
force dies of normal loss. 

Braking system:

A brake system is designed to slow and halt the motion of vehicle. To do

this, various components within the brake system must convert vehicle’s moving
energy into heat. This is done by using friction.

Basic working:

As the brakes on a moving automobile are put into motion, rough-textures

brake pads or brake shoes are pressed against the rotating parts of vehicle, be it
disc or drum. The kinetic energy or momentum of the vehicle is then converted
into heat energy by kinetic friction of the rubbing surfaces and the car or truck
slows down.

When vehicle comes to stop, it is held in place by static friction. The friction
between surfaces of brakes as well as the friction between tires and roads resist
any movement. To overcome the static friction that holds the car motionless,
brakes are released. The heat energy of combustion of in engine is converted into
kinetic energy by transmission and drive train, and the vehicle moves.

Types of brakes
There are basically three types of brakes used in automobiles
1. Mechanical brakes
2. Hydraulic brakes
3. Air Brakes and related type of brakes

Mechanical brakes:
Mechanical brakes are used in Hand brakes (or parking brakes). Here, a lever is
provided near the driver seat and through steel wire connections it is connected
to brakes at the rear of the vehicle.
When the hand brake is engaged, tension is created at the brakes and the brake
shoe holds the drum from rotating and hence the movement of the vehicle is
restricted, even if parked in a slightly inclined surface.

Hydraulic brakes:
The hydraulic brake system uses brake fluid to transfer pressure from the brake
pedal to the pads or shoe. By exercising the pedal, brake fluid transfers this
pressure to the brake pads. This transfer of pressure is reliable and consistent
because liquids are not compressible, i.e., pressure applied to liquid in a closed
system is transmitted by the liquid equally to every other part of system. A
hydraulic brake system apart from liquid pipes mainly consists of Brake pedal,
Master cylinder, wheel cylinder and brake pads/shoe connected at the wheel. The
function of the Master cylinder is to distribute pressure to lines leading to front or
rear wheels as required. At the wheel cylinder, a small piston is provided which is
operated due to pressure application through brake fluid. The operation of the
piston is converted to movement of brake liners.

Power Brakes:
Power brakes are nothing more than a standard hydraulic brake system with a
booster located between the brake pedal and master cylinder to help activate the
brakes. This could be in case the fluid pressure required would be too high.
There are two basic types of power assisted mechanisms used, vacuum assisted
and hydraulic assisted.
Vacuum assisted system use engine vacuum pressure to help apply the brakes.
Hydraulic assist is largely found on heavy vehicles. This system uses hydraulic
pressure developed by the power steering pump or other external pump to help
apply the brakes.

Air brakes:
Air brake system consist of components like air compressor, air reserve tank,
check valves, safety valves etc. The working is very similar to the working of
hydraulic brakes. The key difference is that mechanical force is transmitted to
wheel ends through air pressure, instead of fluid pressure. Airbrakes are most
preferred in heavy vehicles.
4.Explain vehicle maintenance and trouble shooting of an automobile.
Vehicle maintenance describes the act of inspecting or testing the condition
of vehicle subsystems and servicing or replacing parts and fluids.
Regular maintenance is critical to ensure the safety, reliability, drivability, comfort
and longevity of a vehicle.

Objectives of maintenance:
 To keep the vehicle available for protective work for maximum period.
 To extract optimum life for the vehicle.
 To get maximum utilization of vehicle at minimum cost.

There are four types of vehicle maintenance namely

1. Preventive maintenance
2. Breakdown maintenance
3. Periodic maintenance
4. Operation maintenance

Preventive maintenance:
Prevention without breakdown or without giving trouble on road some
attention or maintenance taken to the vehicle is called as preventive
maintenance. It intends to reduce or totally eliminate breakdowns and accidents
due to mechanical failures and reduces repair cost.
Breakdown maintenance:
Break down maintenance is the attention which is to be provided when a
motor vehicle becomes immobilized due to faults created during running. These
faults are started difficulties, puncture, electrical faults, carburetors and fuel
supply faults, overheating, fan beltings, breakage and accidents etc.
Periodic maintenance:
Periodic maintenance or operative maintenance is the attention provided
to motor vehicle after in operation for a specified time or covered distance. This
maintenance may be done daily, weekly, quarterly, yearly or after covering every
500 km, 1000 km, 2000 km, 4000 km, 8000 km of running. In garages this work is
done on the basis of pre-set schedules so as to avoid road failures and to
minimize break down during use.
Operation maintenance:
Daily maintenance by the operator for proper running of the vehicle is
known as operation maintenance. It is needed to keep the vehicle in proper
working condition. Tire inflation, battery, brakes, clutch, smoke color, staring
system, ignition system and lights are checked in this maintenance daily.

Some of the important things to be checked regularly:

• Check the windshield fluid: Normally when there are any removable marks on
the front glass, we pour the fluid and clean it with the windshield. When we open
the bonnet, we find a blue capped tube there we should fill the windshield fluid.

• Spare windshield: Windshield is very important in keeping the front glass of the
car neat. So main thing that should be seen while we take the car for
maintenance is that changing the windshield if it is damaged.

• Checking motor oil: Normally we have a scale type of thing in a with a hook on
its top to pull it out and check its level. Initially after stopping the vehicle wait for
few minutes and then pull it out and clean it and put it in and check it now, we
will find the level of the motor fuel present.

• Adding motor oil: Now find the filler cap in the front and open it and fill that
with the motor oil which will crack the lubrication. Now again check the level of
the motor oil and see if it's between the lowest and the highest point. If it's very
low then there will be problems of aeration and so on.

• Check the tire pressure: Normally the tire should be under a certain pressure
such that the ride will be very smooth without any bumps.

• Replace the flatten tire: While travelling over a large distance we should check
for an additional tire that can be fitted whenever required. So, while we take car
for maintenance, we should check all tires are having sufficient amount of air or
not if any tire flattens, we should replace that so that the additional tire can be
used while travelling.

• Jump starting a car: This should be done to a car with a dead batter to start it.
For this we should have few connecting wires and one more car. And we should
connect the connecting wires from battery of one car to another. Check clearly
that the wires are connected to correct terminals. In recent times the positive
terminal is connected to engine and the negative terminal is grounded.

• Replacing the air filter: We should have a free flow of oxygen for the internal
combustion to take place. So, we should take the air filter and remove all the dust
present in it and put it in its original position.

• Inspecting the serpentine belt: If the belt shows any kind of abrasion and find
any tears in the belt and still any type of damages they should be replaced
immediately.

• Check the cooling system: Normally the air conditioning system is very useful in
car during hot summers or very cold winters. When given to maintenance we
should check that the reservoir contains the sufficient amount of coolant or not
and the pipe connecting have any holes or not.

Automobile Troubleshooting:

Troubleshooting is a process of diagnosis, or determining the exact cause of a

particular problem. It is very difficult to properly repair a vehicle without a proper
diagnosis.

Some commonly faced problems are:

•Dead or discharged battery: This problem is faced when the car is kept aside for
a long time or due to wrong discharging and many other reasons. The solution for
this problem is jump starting the car or charging the car battery.

•Car pulling on side: This is due to the misaligning of the wheels from their
original positions.

•Engine overheating: Sometimes the car gets overheated over long usage so
radiators are used to cool them down. If it's still heating up rapidly then we
should check the radiator if the cooling fluid is up to its limit or not.

•Exhaust smoke: Unusual smoke from the car tailpipe is not a good thing.
Normally if you observe any white or grey smoke it means that the coolant is
being burning with the fuel. If you observe any blue smoke that shows the
leakage of valve seals or piston rings or guides are worn out.
• Exhaust smoke: Unusual smoke from the car tailpipe is not a good thing.
Normally if any white or grey smoke is observed it means that the coolant is being
burning with the fuel. If we observe any blue smoke that shows the leakage of
valve seals or piston rings or guides are worn out.

• Squealing brakes: Squealing brakes are unpleasant and harmful. This is due to
the worn-out brake pads. This should be checked immediately as the brakes are
the most important things that should be checked as they save us from many
dangerous situations.
5.Discuss the recent trends and future of automobiles.
The field of automobile engineering is one of the most frequently updated and
the scope for new technologies to be incorporated is very high. Some of the
recent trends in the automobile industry are:

Automation:

The modern car is a supercomputer on wheels, and its sensors and

cameras generate a wealth of data that someday might be worth more than the
automobile itself. A sensor fitted on the engine can alert the driver about a part
needing replacement; a camera can pick out an empty parking spot. A self-
driven car produces about 1 GB of data per second, and it is expected that by
2020, manufacturers will earn more from selling data than cars. Self-driving taxi
operators will earn more than cab fare by beaming personalized, location-
specific advertisements and promotions. Connected cars will also potentially
save manufacturers and insurance companies millions of dollars in prevented
accidents. Autonomous or self-driving vehicles aim for the driver less vehicles
which decrease the accidents due to the human negligence that means they
improve the human transportation relatively safer.

Internet of things:

IoT connectivity, smart sensors and gadgets, edge computing, mobile

apps, and cloud services are going to revolutionize how we interact with and
use your automobiles. Implementing the IoT applications in the automotive
industry aids in the design results in performance increase, reduces cost, and
enables quality control. Industry 4.0 paving way with the IoT and Artificial
Intelligence, the IoT applications in automotive is limitless. With IoT
technologies, the automotive industry is creating innovative and advanced
solutions, including connected car solutions, Advanced Driver-Assistance
Systems, in-vehicle infotainment systems, navigation & telematics solutions,
predictive maintenance solutions, Vehicle-to-Vehicle applications, Vehicle to
Infrastructure applications, and Vehicle to Everything communication
applications.
Electrification:

To reduce the depletion of the fossil fuels the present automotive

industries are moving towards electric vehicles which have more efficiency when
compared to the fuel vehicles. This includes research and development of fully
electric vehicles and also on ways to hybridize already present vehicles in use.
This is one of the major steps forward in fighting global warning and also to
improve user experience and efficiency of engines. Even though whether the fuel
powered combustion engines can be completely replaced in all applications in
speculative, this process of electrification of vehicles is very important in tackling
various problems in today’s world.

Future of automobiles:

Significant improvements will reduce the negative impact of automobiles in the

future. These include the following aspects and elements listed below:

Materials used:

A car’s weight directly affects the fuel consumption used during operations.
There will be greater use of lightweight steel, aluminum, composite materials,
and plastics to reduce weight and improve crashworthiness. For example, the
Tesla Roadster’s body is constructed from a lightweight carbon fiber/epoxy
composite that is as strong as steel and weighs 30% less. As manufacturing costs
of the material come down, more manufacturers will turn to the revolutionary
new composite materials for their vehicles.

Fuels:

Automobiles have relied on gasoline for power generation mostly. In the future
there will be more viable and environmentally friendly fuels that replace
gasoline as the primary source.

Other fuels include:

 Compressed Natural Gas

 Some vehicles, especially large trucks and buses, are designed to operate
with compressed natural gas, a fossil fuel that burns cleaner than petroleum
and produces fewer pollutants. Proponents such as oilman T. Boone Pickens
have advocated CNG as a better environmental and cheaper alternative to
gasoline. However, the infrastructure to provide CNG as a viable alternative
to a nation of automobiles does not exist, thus limiting its appeal to
motorists.

 Electricity:

Electric and hybrid vehicles are increasingly common, with a fuel economy
approximately 33% greater than a gasoline-powered engine. While the
battery-powered cars can be recharged at home or at public charging
stations, the range of the electric-only vehicles is considerably less than a
gasoline-powered car with a storage capacity of 12 or more gallons.
Improvements in battery technology have been slower than initially
projected, and the electric-powered vehicles remain more expensive than a
gasoline-powered alternative. Nevertheless, electric cars will continue to
collect a greater market share as manufacturing costs decrease and their
environmental advantages become more obvious. Hybrid models relying on a
gasoline motor to recharge batteries or power the electric motor can be
driven farther than gasoline-powered vehicles, and retain a fuel economy
advantage as well.

 Hydrogen:

Some scientists and auto manufacturers advocate hydrogen as the fuel of

the future, primarily for its environmental benefits. In 2014, Hyundai started
leasing the first hydrogen-powered vehicle in the United States, while Toyota
announced plans to sell its first hydrogen-fueled car in 2015. Most of the
major manufacturers have hydrogen-powered cars under development.
However, the fueling infrastructure necessary to support hydrogen as a
primary fuel does not yet exist, but in the future may be in the next 20 years,
this might be ready.

Safety:
 Driver and passenger safety have increased dramatically in recent years
through better vehicle design and the use of automatically-deploying airbags.
Automatic high-beam control of lights are currently standard on many cars, and
the night vision capabilities with automatic pedestrian detection on luxury
models may be standard by 2025. Rear-mounted radar and multi-directional,
multi-sensing cameras are already appearing in luxury models of automobiles,
and will likely become standard in future years. Automatic emergency steering
systems combining braking and evasive steering will reduce or avoid dangerous
collisions in the future. Nissan Motor Corporation is among the companies
developing devices to detect a driver’s inability to safely operate a vehicle –
sensors that detect alcohol, cameras to monitor facial expressions, or software
to recognize erratic driving – for eventual use.

Design:
The shape of the car, especially the frontal area, directly affects the
energy consumed as the vehicle moves forward. Another effect of increased
speed is additional lift – the tendency of the car body to rise from the road
surface – from air flowing beneath the car, reducing traction and stability during
turns. The use of wind tunnels has guided automotive design engineers to
reduce sharp edges and improve streamlining, thus reducing drag, lift, and
energy consumption. As a consequence, makes and models appear similar as
each manufacturer quickly adopts any advantage gained by a rival. Future cars
are likely to be shorter with more curves while maintaining or increasing interior
space for passengers.