The Geneva Motor Show always throws up some crazy and innovative concept surprises, and it is no different this year. 3 cars have particularly transfixed me. The first is the EDAG Light Cocoon concept. The engineering firm has taken a very radical approach to how a sports car should be built in the future. The car's body construction emulates a leaf from nature - essentially a very lightweight material stretched over some structurally important frame-like components.
The outer skin as EDAG is calling was co-developed with outdoor apparel company Jack Wolfskin. The co says it is a weatherproof structure that is combined with a 'fully bionically optimised, additively manufactured vehicle structure'.
Underneath that outer layer is a grid-like LED lighting matrix that makes its 'organic' structure visible. The aim was to meet an extremely lightweight requirement, torsional rigidity and pedestrian protection - all at once. The result was the almost bizarre spider web-like hollow structural frame made of aluminium of differing thickness.
The second car in my sights is the Magna MILA Plus - a 2-seater sports car concept from the supplier and contract manufacturing Magna group. MILA stands for Magna Innovation Lightweight Auto. The car uses plastic body panels to keep weight low, and its frame itself has a high voltage battery integrated into it to add to its stiffness and structural rigidity.
There is also a 3-cylinder petrol engine, which is mated to two electric motors - one each at the front and rear axles. This makes it's an all-wheel-drive that makes a staggering 580 Nm of torque!
The whole idea is to show off a sports concept that also uses renewable materials in it's construction and marries that to futuristic technologies like the hybrid system, and also the many cameras on board that provide road information to the driver.
And the third car is the Quantino that runs on an electrolyte liquid instead of fuel. Yes that means saltwater essentially! Made by nanoFLOWCELL, the electrical current created by a flow of electrons - when two differing ion state liquids meet through a membrane - provides energy for the car to run.
Sounds complicated, but the company insists that the car is a reality. It is a smaller version of the Quant, which debuted a year ago. In fact nanoFLOWCELL has updated that car too - as the Quant F at this year's show. The car has a driving range of 800 kilometres and its maximum power output is a massive 1075 bhp! And it carries 500 litres of the electrolyte on board.
The Quantino though looks lither, and more real world than the Quant F and has 350 litres of the liquid. But it can still do almost 1000 kilometres without 'refuelling'.
The cars are set to become reality in fact says the company. It has generated a lot of interest amongst the German car industry in particular and nanoFLOWCELL has recently got the backing of Bosch too. Expect a flurry of road trials this year, and more news on both the Quant F and Quantino soon! (Read more about the Quantino: http://goo.gl/04rEZ6)
