The American carmaker is bringing us the Aera, a 1,000 lb 2+2 touring coupe that offers a range of 1,000 miles (1,601 km), while providing a high level of safety.
The vehicle comes with a body structure that uses a 3D lattice, mono-formed frame. This is a polyhedral structure that is similar to what nature has created, for example a grouping of bubbles. The structure is formed from semi-solid freeform manufacturing alloy materials and manages to offer strength and lightness at the same time. The important body parts, including parts of the interior are “grown” into a single part lattice structure.
The propulsion is provide by a Pneumatic Drive System (PDS) which compresses air to 10,000 psi in a special tank.
“Flexible, pressurized air cells in the exterior skin, similar to material developed for the NASA Mars Rover airbags, enhance passive safety and interior comfort. The flexible polymer skin optimizes aerodynamics and functions as an ultra-lightweight alternative to conventional body panels and glass,” explained the press release.
The list of tech goodies also includes an All-In-One (AIO) wheel system, which mixes rotary actuator propulsion, steering and suspension. The automotive producer has also used a drive by wireless system in order to keep the weight of electronic components down. The concept also comes with vehicle to vehicle communication (V2V) that promote active safety.
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