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Peugeot 1107 / Catch and Ride

PEUGEOT 1107 / CATCH AND RIDE

PEUGEOT design contest 2008
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“IMAGINE THE PEUGEOT IN THE WORLDWIDE MEGALOPOLIS OF TOMORROW”
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1107 / Catch and Ride
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Project by: Zbynek Krulich

Introduction
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The “Catch and Ride” project was born when I and my friends exhibited our architectural visions in an exhibition called AeonScope, and when I started thinking of a transportation system for high-density urban areas and of how it might look like in the future. It is a concept of individual city public transport based on sharing cars. During the last two years, I was in process of concept verification and seeking for arguments, both positive and negative. I have found several projects, theoretical works, and ideas close to the Catch and Ride project; some of them will be referred to below.

I was very happy to find out that this year’s subject of the Peugeot design contest is “car and megalopolis”, and that I got a chance to design a car that would fulfill the requirements of this transportation concept.
I have chosen 7 themes for the design of the Peugeot 1107 electro mobile concept car that I elaborated in detail in the car’s design.

7 design themes
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Mobility
Individuality
Safety
Smart technology
Environmental awareness
Economic efficiency
Styling

Individual city public transport
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“Catch and Ride” is a concept of individual city public transport based on sharing cars. Actually, it is based on similar idea as the “rent a bike” in various cities, e.g. in Paris [1]. Transportation is organized through a network of cars spread over the city and exchanging information with the aim to reach a balance between demand and offer [2]. Where higher demand is expected, the fare is cheaper (if able to drive without a driver, the cars might move themselves according to the demand [3]). The demand estimation is easier with orders via the Internet, mobile phone, or similar device. Communication technology in general allows development of car sharing even today. Car sharing is very favorable in economic terms. Catch and Ride might be a very flexible transportation system saving our time, money, and the environment. So, catch and ride!

[1] In Paris, car sharing is already being introduced; Paris Mayor announces more details about EV public rental service, http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/20/paris-mayor-announces-more-details-about-ev-public-rental-servic/
Shared transportation is developed by Smart Cities group, MIT, http://cities.media.mit.edu/
[2] Bus transportation in Cuernavaca (Mexico) is organized similarly: bus drivers drive the buses according to tips received and their own experience relating demand.
Scientists developed a model for this transportation: A model for the bus system in Cuernavaca (Mexico), Baik, Jinho and Borodin, Alexei and Deift, Percy and Suidan, Toufic (2006), Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General, 39 (28). pp. 8965-8975. ISSN 0305-4470, http://authors.library.caltech.edu/3946/
[3] Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) organized by the DARPA Grand Challenge. Competition for driverless cars, http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge/

Design of Peugeot 1107
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Mobility
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For driving a car in the city, it is important to be able to maneuver easily. Therefore, 1107 is equipped with four separate wheels with 180° steering radius. This enables the car moving in any direction (e.g. to drive side first), to change direction easily, or to turn around on spot [4]. Driving is by-wire technology. The driver and passenger door as well as the back door open up to enable parking on a smaller parking lot. 1107 is optimized for speed of 30-60 km/h, maximal speed is 110 km/h. Electro-motors charged from batteries enable good acceleration. Construction from composite materials results in substantial reduction of the car weight. The wheels are small, with hardness and design suitable for city use.
Wireless network of connections between cars and sharing information helps continuous and safe traffic. [5].

[4] MIT researches test such system of driving http://web.media.mit.edu/~ypod/; Nissan tests the system in Pivo concept http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/PIVO2/
[5] On usage of wireless technology see more in: Robin Chase: Getting cars off the road and data into the skies, http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robin_chase_on_zipcar_and_her_next_big_idea.html

Individuality
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Although this is a design of a shared transportation car, individuality is an important element of the design. The car user can design his or her own style of 1107 through digital displays implemented in the car windows and in the interior. The style would be loaded when getting on the car. Also the place and time of getting on and off as well as the route are individual. All pre-selections can be done via a computer connected to the Internet, mobile phone or similar device, or directly in the car.

Safety
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In terms of safety, accident prevention is particularly accentuated. 1107 evaluates information from the surrounding area and the other cars, warns the driver and accommodates the driving style. Autonomous cars will be the cars of the future. In the event of a collision, the car construction made of composite materials would equalize and slow down the impact and emergency call would be dialed.

Smart technology
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1107 is equipped with augmented reality for drivers, AI for autonomous driving, and wireless communication. Computer with a multi-touch display serves for intuitive and easy control. Steering wheel and pedals remain. The windows function also as a display for displaying necessary information, such as speed, safe distance from obstacles and from other cars, GPS navigation, destination distance etc., and optional information – such as communication programs, news, weather forecast, free parking, toll, etc. The information may be voice information. AI for autonomous driving is created by a network of inter-communicating devices. It contains several modes: low energy consumption, total costs, and fast transfer.

Environmental awareness
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Electro-mobile 1107 does not directly emit any of the greenhouse gases or the environmentally unfriendly substances. It is not noisy. Most of the parts and materials used should have energy-saving life cycle. The parts should be production-efficient, have long lifetime, and should be easily recyclable. Fuel is spared by start/stop systems (motor off during stops) and energy re-production during braking. The basic idea of city car sharing is also environmentally friendly, as well as the intelligent navigation ensuring fluent traffic.

Economic efficiency
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1107 should be a low-cost car, both in terms of its production and operation. Electro-mobiles can balance the levels of demand and offer by charging up in times of low demand and by returning power in the grid in times of high demand [3] – thus covering additional costs, in particular if EU aims to get 20% of power from renewable sources, such as wind and solar power plants with variable output. Selected devices, such as air-conditioning or displays, are charged by solar cells implemented in the car roof. Commercials displayed on displays may potentially reduce the investment in the car. Transfer of information obtained for AI driving may save money for installation of device measuring local conditions, e.g. weather.

[3] HYBRID VEHICLES, Joseph J. Romm and Andrew A. Frank, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, APRIL 2006

Styling
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When designing 1107, I respected the concept of Peugeot’s cars, the Peugeot brand. For me as a designer it is most important for 1107 to have its unique identity and to qualify for becoming an iconic car. The body shape is aerodynamic, the impression of the car as a whole should be nice and cute, but at the same time its sharp lines should point to its self-consciousness and perfect driving qualities.

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Zbynek Krulich
Prague, Czech Republic
18/07/2008