A New Definition of Personal Transportation
Concept cars are often little more than outlandish styling exercises with sensationally powerful engines designed only to titillate the often male-dominated auto show crowd into a certifiable frenzy. Then again, on the very rare occasion an entirely new way of building a vehicle is conceived.
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| Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and sporting radical automotive concepts, the Hy-Wire is an entirely new form of vehicle. (Photo: General Motors) |
General Motors is touting its Hy-Wire as an example of the latter, the brand's global corporate teamwork at its best. Teams from several different supplier companies located throughout the world collaborated with GM's engineering operations to develop Hy-Wire's revolutionary architecture, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell no less.
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| The traditional steering wheel is replaced by two hand control units, squeeze them to brake, twist them to accelerate. (Photo: General Motors) |
Of note, the name Hy-Wire comes from an unlikely source, the children of the engineering and design teams. The 14 year-old son of one the design team engineers, is credited with the catchy name, pulling it from the phrase "hydrogen fuel cell propulsion and by-wire technology". Young Alexi stated, "It's new, it's daring, it's high tech. That's a vehicle I want to drive."
By-wire technology, developed by Swedish-based SKF Group, uses electrical signals instead of mechanical linkages or hydraulics to operate the accelerator, brake and steering functions. This system is contained within a hand-controlled unit instead of a round steering wheel, kind of like an airplane. Squeezing actuators on the grips causes the car to brake. Drivers don't use their feet to accelerate, but instead twist either side of a handgrip. Something some may have difficulty getting used to, could find enjoyable nonetheless.