General Motors EN-V
Encyclopedia
General Motors EN-V is a 2-seat urban
electric
concept car
jointly developed by Segway and General Motors
that can be driven normally or operated autonomously.
Designed for urban environments and around an extrapolation of the P.U.M.A.
prototype announced by GM and Segway in 2009, the EN-V was unveiled at the joint GM
& SAIC pavilion at the Expo 2010
in Shanghai
from 1 May through 31 October 2010. Three different vehicles are showcased, 笑 Xiao (Laugh), 骄 Jiao (Pride) and 妙 Miao (Magic).
In October 2011 General Motors announced its decision to develop a second concept EN-V under the Chevrolet
badge for use in field testing and demonstration programs, beginning in Tianjin
, China.
Accomplished through a combination of GPS, vehicle-based sensors, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, this autonomous technology is an extrapolation of that found in GM's 2007 autonomous "The Boss" Chevrolet Tahoe created for the DARPA Grand Challenge (2007)
.
The EN-Vs can communicate with each other allowing platooning, with one or more EN-Vs tagging along automatically behind a leader. Also, if an EN-V detects another in close proximity, it can check what that other is intending to do and agree on how to pass it safely.
battery, the EN-V has a top speed of 40 kilometres per hour (24.9 mph) and a maximum all-electric range
of 40 kilometres (24.9 mi). The sensors and communications equipment which allow it to drive itself include short-range radio and GPS, as well as optical sensors, ultrasonic sensor
s and doppler radar
s. The two-wheeled balancing system the EN-V uses was developed by Segway, and it may be an extrapolation of that found in the P.U.M.A.
prototype announced by GM and Segway in 2009.
but have unique exterior and interior designs.
by the GM Holden Design Studio. Its design is intended to appear friendly.
Xiao Dimensions: 1,540 mm (L) × 1,420 mm (W) × 1,770 mm (H) (60.5 in × 56 in × 69.5 in)
. Miao's design is mysterious and high-tech.
Miao Dimensions: 1,520 mm (L) × 1,405 mm (W) × 1,635 mm (H) (60 in × 55 in × 64.5 in)
Jiao Dimensions: 1,500 mm (L) × 1,425 mm (W) × 1,640 mm (H) (59 in × 56 in × 64.5 in)
badge for use in field testing and demonstration programs in several cities around the world, beginning in Tianjin
, China. The Chevrolet EN-V concept will add new features such as climate control, personal storage space and all-weather and road condition operation while several key elements of the original EN-V will be preserved, such as the small footprint, maneuverability, its battery electric propulsion, connectivity, and autonomous driving capabilities.
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
electric
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
concept car
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
jointly developed by Segway and General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
that can be driven normally or operated autonomously.
Designed for urban environments and around an extrapolation of the P.U.M.A.
Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility
The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility is an experimental electrically powered road vehicle created by Segway and adopted by General Motors as a concept vehicle representing the future of urban transportation...
prototype announced by GM and Segway in 2009, the EN-V was unveiled at the joint GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
& SAIC pavilion at the Expo 2010
Expo 2010
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was a major World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 1992...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
from 1 May through 31 October 2010. Three different vehicles are showcased, 笑 Xiao (Laugh), 骄 Jiao (Pride) and 妙 Miao (Magic).
In October 2011 General Motors announced its decision to develop a second concept EN-V under the Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
badge for use in field testing and demonstration programs, beginning in Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, China.
Driverless vehicle
The most significant feature of the vehicles is autonomous operation. The EN-V can detect and avoid obstacles – including other vehicles – park themselves and come to you when called by phone.Accomplished through a combination of GPS, vehicle-based sensors, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, this autonomous technology is an extrapolation of that found in GM's 2007 autonomous "The Boss" Chevrolet Tahoe created for the DARPA Grand Challenge (2007)
DARPA Grand Challenge (2007)
The third driverless car competition of the DARPA Grand Challenge, was commonly known as the DARPA Urban Challenge. It took place on November 3, 2007 at the site of the now-closed George Air Force Base , in Victorville, California , in the West of the United States...
.
The EN-Vs can communicate with each other allowing platooning, with one or more EN-Vs tagging along automatically behind a leader. Also, if an EN-V detects another in close proximity, it can check what that other is intending to do and agree on how to pass it safely.
Specifications
Powered by two electric motors, one on each wheel, and a lithium-ion phosphatePhosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
battery, the EN-V has a top speed of 40 kilometres per hour (24.9 mph) and a maximum all-electric range
All-electric range
All-electric range is the driving range of a vehicle using only power from its electric battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a battery electric vehicle, it means the total range per charge. For a plug-in hybrid , it means the range of the vehicle in charge-depleting mode...
of 40 kilometres (24.9 mi). The sensors and communications equipment which allow it to drive itself include short-range radio and GPS, as well as optical sensors, ultrasonic sensor
Ultrasonic sensor
Ultrasonic sensors work on a principle similar to radar or sonar which evaluate attributes of a target by interpreting the echoes from radio or sound waves respectively. Ultrasonic sensors generate high frequency sound waves and evaluate the echo which is received back by the sensor...
s and doppler radar
Doppler radar
A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that makes use of the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening for its reflection, then analyzing how the frequency of the returned signal has been...
s. The two-wheeled balancing system the EN-V uses was developed by Segway, and it may be an extrapolation of that found in the P.U.M.A.
Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility
The Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility is an experimental electrically powered road vehicle created by Segway and adopted by General Motors as a concept vehicle representing the future of urban transportation...
prototype announced by GM and Segway in 2009.
The themes
The three vehicles shown use the same automobile platformAutomobile platform
An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...
but have unique exterior and interior designs.
Xiao (笑)
Xiao, or laugh, was designed in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by the GM Holden Design Studio. Its design is intended to appear friendly.
Xiao Dimensions: 1,540 mm (L) × 1,420 mm (W) × 1,770 mm (H) (60.5 in × 56 in × 69.5 in)
Miao (妙)
Miao, or magic, was designed at the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Miao's design is mysterious and high-tech.
Miao Dimensions: 1,520 mm (L) × 1,405 mm (W) × 1,635 mm (H) (60 in × 55 in × 64.5 in)
Jiao (骄)
Jiao, or pride, was designed at GM Europe and takes design cues from bullet trains and Chinese opera masks. Its design is supposed to be chic and stylish.Jiao Dimensions: 1,500 mm (L) × 1,425 mm (W) × 1,640 mm (H) (59 in × 56 in × 64.5 in)
Chevrolet EN-V
In October 2011 General Motors announced its decision to develop a second concept EN-V under the ChevroletChevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
badge for use in field testing and demonstration programs in several cities around the world, beginning in Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, China. The Chevrolet EN-V concept will add new features such as climate control, personal storage space and all-weather and road condition operation while several key elements of the original EN-V will be preserved, such as the small footprint, maneuverability, its battery electric propulsion, connectivity, and autonomous driving capabilities.
See also
- City Car (Concept)City Car (Concept)The CityCar or MIT CityCar is an urban all-electric concept car designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. The project was conceived by the late William J. Mitchell and his Smart Cities Research Group. It is now led by Kent Larson, Director of the at the Media Lab...
- Driverless carDriverless carAn autonomous car, also known as robotic or informally as driverless, is an autonomous vehicle capable of fulfilling the human transportation capabilities of a traditional car. As an autonomous vehicle, it is capable of sensing its environment and navigating on its own...
- Google driverless carGoogle driverless carThe Google Driverless Car is a project by Google that involves developing technology for driverless cars. The project is currently being led by Google engineer Sebastian Thrun, director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google Street View, whose team at Stanford...
- MIT CarMIT CarThe MIT Car is a concept car project conceived at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, for the purpose of exploring the idea of urban mobility. This intensive study on advanced human traveling has been in progress since 2003...
- Nissan PivoNissan PivoThe Nissan Pivo is a concept car created by Nissan. The Pivo was first introduced at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. The car is essentially a 360 degree rotating three-seater cabin on a chassis of 4 wheels, and hence eliminates the need for reversing and makes parking easier.The Pivo is powered by a...
- Personal Urban Mobility and AccessibilityPersonal Urban Mobility and AccessibilityThe Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility is an experimental electrically powered road vehicle created by Segway and adopted by General Motors as a concept vehicle representing the future of urban transportation...
- Renault Twizy Z.E.Renault Twizy Z.E.The Renault Twizy Z.E. is an electric city car to be produced by Renault. The concept car was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. In May 2011 Renault announced to begin production soon and began taking reservations. Sales scheduled in Europe for late 2011 and the UK for the first quarter of...
- VisLabVisLabThe Artificial Vision and Intelligent Systems Laboratory of the University of Parma is the artificial vision research laboratory of University of Parma, Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione....
, and their VIACVIACVIAC, the VisLab Intercontinental Autonomous Challenge, is the challenge conceived by VisLabas an extremetest ofautonomous vehicles.It ran from July 26, 2010 to October 28, 2010, involving four driverless vehicles driving with...
intercontinental challenge (driving from Italy to China with autonomous vehicles)