General Motors' solution is not only autonomous driving, but autonomy on demand. The issue is not driver distraction, but driving is the distraction. JEDDAH: The automobile forever changed urban living and how we moved around the world. Yet the convergence of technologies that make up the DNA of the automobile has gone relatively unchanged for some 120 years. Today, however, a series of technological advancements and innovations make it possible, and arguably necessary, for a shift in this DNA that will revolutionize the automobile and address the challenges that face its future and its impact on the environment and on our urban lifestyles. The world's population is expected to top 9 billion people by 2050, with over two-thirds of these inhabitants residing in cities. This population explosion is also expected to drive vehicle ownership beyond one billion by 2030. These trends will put incredible strain on our cities' infrastructures and on our environment, which raises concerns regarding the sustainability of the current urban mobility model. Over the past year, carbon dioxide emissions worldwide surpassed 226 billion cubic meters and more than 14 billion liters of oil were consumed. Meanwhile, a traffic accident occurs somewhere in the world once every 30 seconds, leading to some 50 million people injured annually as a result. Traffic congestion is another issue. The average urban dwelling person spends on average 5.6 years of their lives stranded in traffic jams; a figure that seems set to rise as more vehicles take to the roads. These concerns have not gone unnoticed by General Motors, one of the world's most prominent automakers. It has recognized that greater vehicle ownership will have serious implications on the environment, energy sustainability, road safety, congestion, land-use and the supply of natural resources. As a result, General Motors is developing a new breed of vehicle designed to combat these issues - the extended-range electric vehicle called the Chevrolet Volt and the futurist concept vehicle EN-V. "Simply put, the current model of urban mobility is unsustainable over the long-term," said Alan Taub, Vice President of GM Global Research and Development. General Motors is adopting advanced propulsion technology strategies that commit to both powertrain efficiency and energy diversity. The goal is to replace petroleum, tailpipe and C02 emissions, with a more sustainable energy model by 2030. According to General Motors, the way forward is electrification. "Vehicle electrification is where the motor vehicle is powered partially or fully by electric motors. The path to electrification includes traditional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles where incremental electrical power can be generated by combined power sources," Taub noted. General Motors is leading the development of new, consumer-friendly electric vehicle technologies. As a first major step, the Detroit-based automaker already offers the Chevrolet Volt, an extended-range electric vehicle, in key markets around the world. Dubbed "the consumer's car", the Chevrolet Volt does not make any compromises on comfort and power while addressing the broader issues of dependence on petroleum and the environment. The Volt delivers up to 56.2 kilometers of electric-only, gas-free driving from a single battery charge; once the battery is depleted, its engine generator produces electricity to extend the vehicle's range by an additional 547.2 kilometers. Electric powered vehicles, such as the Volt, mean that automobiles can be powered by a wide range of new energy sources, including natural gas, clean coal, nuclear power and renewable resources like hydro-wind and solar power. But looking to the longer-term, General Motors has even more ambitious plans to revolutionize the automobile. Working closely with its partners in China at Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), General Motors has developed the Electric Networked-Vehicle (EN-V) concept. The EN-V aims to address a number challenges set to face urban mobility in the future. The vehicle is propelled by electric motors in each of its two driving wheels, powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that produce zero emissions. The concept vehicle can go 40 kilometers on a single charge, which is more than enough for the average urban commute. In addition, the EN-V's relatively small size and maneuverability enables it to park in a space five times smaller than a standard automobile. Combined, these factors eliminate the majority of harmful tailpipe emissions and issues of parking congestion. Its small size also requires fewer resources to build, which will minimize vehicle cost, weight, complexity and energy requirements. The EN-V's ability to revolutionize urban mobility lies in its technology that allows vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity. The EN-V can plug into an intelligent urban network that can manage journey times, travel routes and speed to ensure the optimal usage of city roads. As part of the autonomous vehicle technology, which brings the vehicle to life, the connectivity enables the EN-V to sense what's around it and can react accordingly to either avoid a crash or decelerate to lessen an impact. This effectively means that journey times and road usage are optimized, and typical risks associated with traveling by car are minimized. "General Motors' solution is not only autonomous driving, but autonomy on demand. The fact is if you look at roads, a lot of people are doing things other than driving. The issue is not driver distraction. The issue is that driving is the distraction," Taub added. The EN-V's connectivity also means that the driving can be automated entirely, allowing the driver to browse the web on the way to the office, or conduct a video conference call while on the move, without worrying about driving, or making it on time. For longer trips, the entire family can enjoy a film or a live soccer match while mobile. Like the introduction of the first automobiles, the new breed of electric vehicles will change urban landscapes forever. Governments in major international markets, such as China, are already supporting their introduction through policy initiatives, subsidies and incentives. This vision is already one step closer to becoming a reality. At the end of April 2011, General Motors and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co. (SSTEC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on integrating the next generation of GM's EN-V into the Tianjin Eco-City, located in north China, from a power, communications and physical infrastructure perspective.
