Smart Car

Picchio Design Study

Picchio is a manufacturer who believes that aerodynamics laws, if well interpreted, bring natural beauty to a vehicle's design.

"The cars have to be immediately recognisable and unmistakably identifiable as ‘Picchio’ cars. So there is continuous and non-stop contact among the departments: in particular, aerodynamics and stylists work together and the problems the aerodynamicists have to solve are just an incentive to the designers’ creativity."

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As with the industry as a whole, Picchio increasingly use CAD systems, Computer-Aided Design, for aerodynamic and mechanical development as well as rapid prototyping for 3D evaluation and component manufacturer. All this means that engineers and designers work even closer to ensure that projects run smoothly and meet all the necessary requirements.

http://www.cardesignonline.com/features/picchio-design-study/index.php

Volvo Monitoring & Concept Center: Tandem Vehicle

Volvo's Monitoring & Concept Center (VMCC) in California have produced what they believe is a feasible future transport product based upon an inline occupant configuration. The designers at VMCC envisage a sleek two-seat commuter vehicle which uses very little energy and rarely gets caught in traffic.

As Kolit Mendis, structures and safety engineering manager, explains: "We compensated the Tandem's light weight with new occupant restraint concepts designed to handle frontal collisions with heavier vehicles. Also, the central positioning of Tandem occupants leaves ample room on either side to implement structural features mitigating the severity of side impacts. Our technical evidence is that Volvo would have no problem at all in delivering its traditional levels of driver and passenger safety."

Lars Erik Lundin, VMCC general manager, says that for Volvo, meeting the challenge of sustainable mobility is about looking at designs and hybrid technologies (electric drive, alternative fuels, petrol or diesel...