MKaDconsult

Five future technologies in Geneva

The highly important Geneva Motor Show still rages on (March 12, 2009), so it’s time to round up the five most interesting new pieces of technology on display in Switzerland. They vary from scarcely believable to something you can buy later this year. Read on.

1 Koenigsegg NLV Quant | View gallery

In Geneva, the Koenigsegg stand usually features a pair of its mighty, Bugatti-beating supercars, but this year half the stand was taken up by the NLV Quant concept. Covered in photovoltaic cells and featuring a ‘Flow Accumulator Energy Storage’ system in place of a conventional battery this electric machine can allegedly be charged in just 15 minutes for a 500km range (roughly 310 miles). It’s quick too, with a 170mph top speed and 5.2-second 0-62mph time. It is a Koenigsegg after all…

2 Volvo C30 Multi-Fuel | View pic

The proliferation of different fuel types is a potential minefield for the green minded motorist. Volvo is offering an answer with its C30 Multifuel though. This green-tinted three-door has the potential to run on natural gas, bio-gas, bio-ethanol (E85) and good old petrol. If only it managed diesel too you’d never again need to look at which pump you’re picking up at the filling station.

3 Ferrari Actiflow | View gallery

Ferrari is showing a mega-money 599XX development model on its Geneva stand that features active aerodynamics to reduce drag and lift. The Actiflow system uses fans, porous materials and jets of air to manage the airflow around specific areas of the car, the result being less drag. That’s both good for performance and economy. Still in its infancy, it’s some pretty tricky stuff, which may reach Ferrari’s production cars sooner than you might think.

4 Low rolling resistance tyres | View pic

Tyres. They grip right? There’s more to it than that, the humble tyre an extremely sophisticated piece of equipment on modern cars. With CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts tyres now need to grip but also provide low-rolling resistance – energy and fuel-sapping friction between the road and the tyre. The tyre manufacturers have stepped up too, Goodyear showing a new EfficientGrip tyre that manages a claimed 15% better rolling resistance, 3% better wet grip and braking distances and 25% more kilometres.

5 Hubless wheels | View pic

Sbarro returns to Geneva this year with his hub-less wheel, this time in his Orbital Hybrid. Mating electric and petrol power together in a wheel without hubs might seem pointless, but it allows more effective packaging, as there’s no need for driveshafts and separate gearboxes. Sbarro isn’t the only one pursuing wheels containing drive systems, Michelin showing off its Active Wheel, which houses a motor, suspension and braking all within the wheel’s rim.

(Extra images by United Pictures)

Kyle Fortune