Filed under: Emerging Technologies
Battery- or fuel cell-powered inflatable car just might be safest in the world
Small cars are not as safe as big cars in a crash. It's basic physics: If you put tons of metal around you, of course it's going to take the brunt of a crash. The engineers at XP Vehicles just might change that with their new small car, the Whisper. They say the Whisper "is the safest car ever designed for drivers, passengers and pedestrians." The Whisper achieves this level of safety because it's inflatable.
The inspiration for the Whisper design came from the Mars rover landing system. The car will cost less than $5,000. The Whisper will come in "two cardboard boxes for shipping by common carrier." After you inflate it, the engineers are "confident you can drive it off a 25-foot cliff without serious injury to its passengers." You don't have to worry about a tsunami or floods because it floats.
The Whisper FAQ says "research shows that the metal in your car is the largest cause of death and injury." But what if your car is punctured, will you blow away cartoon-like? They "have a special ballast and aerodynamic design set of features which makes the car very stable." The Whisper runs on batteries or fuel cells and will ship 7 months after they get funding.
[Source: PESN]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Baltimore 9:43PM (9/16/2007)
AND, if you inflate it with helium, the gas mileage is astronomical!
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TIMMAH!!! 11:47PM (9/16/2007)
I'm waiting for the 'Crazy Arms Man' edition...
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mark 8:15AM (9/17/2007)
Basic physics does not dictate that a larger vehicle fares better in a crash, there are many other factors. The two tons of weight may help push the back of the car through whatever obstacle it hits. Either way, we recently saw the chinese SUV that miserably failed crash tests, and also some small cars showing great results in crash tests. Amory Lovins has expounded upon the potential for ultra-safe ultra light vehicles, using carbon fibre strengthening cones that can absorb many times the crash force per kilogram that steel can.
I'm not sure if I'd trust a massive air bag however.
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Snark 8:18AM (9/17/2007)
I'm not sure I trust a company that lets a typo like "alot" through on their promo materials. Come on, people, it's not one word...
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Lascelles Linton 8:28AM (9/17/2007)
Mark, you are correct, I greatly over simplify a complicated subject. Amory has said it's not really size but density that matters. There was also talk of a safety in the Tango Google talk. Small cars can be safe.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/08/18/video-tango-google-talk/
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/04/video-rmis-hypercar-a-100-mpg-suv-featuring-amory-lovins/
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Phil L. 10:18AM (9/17/2007)
There are a number of aspects to the "size vs. safety" discussion.
However, it's important to note that most any safety-related technique that can be applied to a small car - can also be applied to a large car, often using a more robust approach.
So it goes well beyond the myth that "big = safe". But Mr. Physics will have his due. If I can create a well-designed crumple zone in a small car, I can also create a well-designed crumple zone in a big car. This may or may not result in safety advantages for the occupants; it will depend more on the quality of the engineering than just the size of car.
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dean 10:05PM (9/17/2007)
nagonnahappen.
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HaPPI 12:35AM (9/28/2007)
I suspect they will run into very expensive technical issues that aren't an issue at all on a vehicle of conventional construction, like the windshield, door and window fit and finish, buffeting at speeds above 20 mph or so, routine punctures, etc etc. I like the idea of building a car with a sewing machine, though! I think they'll have a tough time getting enough financing to get into production. You have to have a proven market or a large stack of purchase orders for the VCs to buy in. Inflatable is better for products that are temporary, large, and hard to store otherwise. Tents, yes. Everyday transportation, no thanks.
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Lascelles Linton 2:38PM (10/03/2007)
Alex, I don't know. The image looks like it's computer graphics. I don't know if they based the design on the Smart. I have not seen a prototype.
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Alex Campbell 7:05PM (10/03/2007)
Is that a real prototype or did they use the Smart Car as part of their concept drawings?
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statdude 3:05PM (10/05/2007)
And what would a little bit of crosswind do to the car?
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Shelly 1:15PM (10/08/2007)
I called them. They use a water ballast system. They have some of the guys that air-bag landed on Mars working. They challenge a Hummer to T-bone it. The metal of your car does the most damage to you in a crash because of shrapnel and inability to un-deform. The big advantage is that Detroit has cut off all of the distribution channels for EV's but these guys flat-pack ship direct so they bypass EVERY distribution channel. They are the Napster of the Auto industry.
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Pontus 2:30PM (1/26/2008)
I will buy an inflatable car with flotation package before I buy another conventional car. I only hope the auto mafia here in Germany lets me drive it on the road. Otherwise I will have to call it a boat with wheals.
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Crystal 4:37PM (8/28/2008)
Sorry I can't come to work today, I have a flat........no not a tire, my car!
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