VW eT!
| Volkswagen | |
|---|---|
|
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| eT! | |
| Presentation year: | 2011 |
| Vehicle fair: | Hannover tradefair |
| Class : | Transporter |
| Body shape : | Box van |
| Engine: | Electric motors 2 × 35 kW |
| Length: | 4090 mm |
| Width: | 1850 mm |
| Height: | 1980 mm |
| Wheelbase: | 2780 mm |
| Production model: | none |
The VW eT! is a concept car with electric drive from the German manufacturer Volkswagen . The drivable car was presented to the press for the first time in Potsdam in November 2011 and to a broader public in April 2012 at the Hanover Fair in Hanover. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle is intended to demonstrate the technology level currently feasible for light electric commercial vehicles . The use of state subsidies for the project by Volkswagen AG has been criticized in the press.
development
In 2010 and 2011, the German federal government funded the project testing commercial vehicle-specific e-mobility (short name: EmiL ). In addition to Volkswagen AG , Deutsche Post DHL and the Braunschweig University of Art were project partners. The main objective was to research and test a commercial vehicle model suitable for everyday use that takes into account the special needs of commercial users in urban distribution traffic. At the same time, innovative drive technologies and newly designed car bodies should be tested.
At the beginning of the project, ten models of the VW Caddy (2K) panel van were converted to electric drives and tested for three months in the distribution traffic of Deutsche Post in Potsdam and in the municipality of Stahnsdorf (Brandenburg). The experience gained was used for the conception and construction of a completely new vehicle, which, in addition to innovative technical components, also has improvements in the processes in the delivery service.
technology
Door systems
The eT! is a three-door concept vehicle. Boasting a classic hinged door on the driver's side automatic is sliding door on the passenger side. This door opens in two steps, with the first step giving access to the passenger area from outside after three seconds. The second step opens the sliding door completely and gives access to the rear cargo area. The sliding door is opened either via a switch mounted on the vehicle or via a remote control that is controlled with an Apple iPhone .
At the rear there is a two-part wing door that is opened using a handle built into the rear VW symbol. In order to compensate for the disadvantage of wing doors compared to tailgates when it rains or snow , an additional retractable roof is installed in the upper rear area, which protects people and cargo in bad weather. The extension of this roof can be triggered with a simple foot movement below the bumper (virtual pedal) or with the iPhone.
Joystick steering
In order to enable very short travel distances without time-consuming, repeated getting in and out on the driver's side, an additional joystick steering is attached on the passenger side, which can be quickly reached from the sidewalk side. With this control device, which is common today in electric wheelchairs and construction machinery , the driver can control the eT! steer, brake and drive up to a speed of six kilometers per hour ( walking pace ) standing from the passenger side.
Semi-autonomous vehicle
The eT! is a semi-automatic driving car. If the driver has already walked a bit ahead and is still busy distributing the goods or letters, he can start the vehicle with the iPhone and have it drive to him autonomously at walking pace. These at the eT! Technology running under the name Come to Me is intended to accelerate and facilitate the driver's everyday work. According to Volkswagen AG, autonomous vehicles are considered safe; she refers to the successes achieved in 2005 by the fully autonomous Volkswagen Touareg Stanley in the DARPA Grand Challenge competition initiated by the US military authority Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency .
Part of the semi-autonomous technology is a camera in the area of the interior mirror. This recognizes the road ahead of the vehicle including the roadside and forwards the information to a processing computer. The system recognizes road markings and different surfaces such as sidewalks and sward . The prerequisite is that the patterns to be recognized have been read in beforehand. Even obstacles such as garbage cans placed on the street are recognized and the vehicle autonomously drives around. For safety reasons, objects that protrude more than one meter into the lane are no longer bypassed. In these cases the vehicle stops. This also applies if the system detects an intersection in front of it.
The vehicle is equipped with six transceivers . These maintain a constant connection with an additional transceiver built into the iPhone via WLAN-based location ; the deliverer wears this iPhone on his arm during the entire working day. This system, which works independently of GPS or GSM signals, continuously calculates the location of the deliverer so that the vehicle can follow it autonomously. The eT! thus drives at the same time as the employee moving on the sidewalk. The company calls this technology Follow me .
In the research project, the time savings made possible by these techniques were calculated. As a result, the time required for work per delivery district and employee can be reduced by around 40 minutes per day.
Networking via iPad
Before the start of the journey, the deliverer at the depot receives a preprogrammed iPad that is inserted into a corresponding holder in the center console area . This provides precise information about the delivery route to be taken. As soon as you approach a delivery address, the exact address, the optimal stopping place and the type of shipment (letter, registered mail, parcel) appear. In the case of parcels over 20 kilograms, the iPad provides a message to use the hand truck carried for delivery . In addition, it provides information about those journey sections that are suitable for using the joystick steering and the Follow me function.
Chassis technology
The vehicle is provided with two hub - electrical motors on the rear axle and the engine with a Kommutierelektronik equipped. By doing without a central motor unit, gearbox, cardan shaft , exhaust system and drive train (or mechanical connection), a very deep loading floor could be achieved. With the electric drive, a continuous output of 35 kW and a peak output of 48 kW (10s) can be achieved. With this, the eT! a design-related top speed of 140 km / h . For safety reasons common with concept vehicles, however, the maximum speed of the vehicle, which is already intended for city traffic, was limited to 62 km / h (In Germany, motorways may only be used by vehicles with a maximum speed of more than 60 km / h ( Section 18 Road Traffic Regulations (StVO ))). The climbing ability of the eT proves to be a challenge ! which at 12% was completely sufficient for the test area, but can be improved in mountainous places by other electric motors.
Similarity to VW Fridolin
Soon after the presentation, the similarity of the Volkswagen eT! with the Volkswagen Fridolin produced between 1964 and 1974 . What both vehicles have in common is the same length, the similar external appearance, the additional small load volume next to the driver's seat and the sliding door on the sidewalk side.
In contrast to the eT! the Fridolin also had a sliding door on the driver's side, which was due to the requirements of the Deutsche Bundespost at the time for the safety of the driver when exiting the street and the narrow parking spaces in the city center. The company does not communicate the similarity of the two vehicles.
Financing and duration of the project
As part of the economic stimulus package II , the federal government started a series of funding programs from 2009 to mitigate the effects of the financial crisis. In the area of research funding for electromobility , Volkswagen AG received a grant of 9,913,795 euros for the project testing commercial vehicle-specific e-mobility - EmiL . Since the public funding only covers part of the costs of the overall project, own funds of an unknown amount have been brought in. The project was scheduled to run from June 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011. Although it was very tight - compared to other new developments - it was largely able to be met by providing greater capacities in the final phase, especially in the design department.
criticism
In the press there is some criticism that Volkswagen AG made use of state subsidies. According to this, the company, which has both the highest turnover and the largest operating profit of any automotive company in the world, does not even need tax support. It is also regretted that the subsidized development of the concept vehicle should not lead to series production .
See also
Web links
- Official press film about some technical features of the vehicle
- Short slideshow of some project results
- Detailed report on the research project (PDF; 6.2 MB)
- Official joint final report of the joint project "Testing commercial vehicle-specific e-mobility - EmiL" (PDF; 4.6 MB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Renewable mobile. (PDF; 5.0 MB) (No longer available online.) In: BMU brochure, page 52. April 1, 2012, archived from the original on June 15, 2013 ; Retrieved September 9, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Urban Challenge. (No longer available online.) 2005, archived from the original on October 12, 2012 ; Retrieved September 9, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Press kits IAA 2012 - News, page 13th September 18th, 2012, accessed on September 9th, 2012 .
- ↑ Testing commercial vehicle-specific e-mobility - EmiL, page 24. (PDF; 2.1 MB) (No longer available online.) October 30, 2011, formerly in the original ; Retrieved September 9, 2012 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ VW resurrects transporter legend Fridolin. In: Die Welt - Online. November 11, 2011, accessed September 9, 2012 .
- ↑ Volkswagen reinvents the Fridolin. In: auto motor und sport - online. November 18, 2011, accessed September 9, 2012 .
- ↑ Research funding for electromobility within the framework of KOPA II. (PDF; 536 kB) (No longer available online.) In: PtJ-Ressource, page 5/21. July 14, 2011, archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; Retrieved September 9, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Research with the state: State money for electric cars. In: FAZ.NET . July 23, 2012, accessed on September 9, 2012 .
- ↑ German manufacturers depend on international rivals. (No longer available online.) In: Die Welt. April 11, 2012, formerly in the original ; Retrieved September 9, 2012 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Volkswagen eT: Electric Postal Vehicle for 2020? In: Edmunds.com, California. November 21, 2011, accessed September 9, 2012 .
