For the connected car, electronics need to be fitted into moulded plastic and other composite components (so-termed ‘plastronics’). Integrating into plastic is more effective than attempting to do so with traditional glass screens. In a new pilot, the company Novares has unveiled the Nova Car #1 demonstrator, which is built around a BMW X1 model.
Novares has showcased the prototype car at an exhibition recently held at the startup campus Station F, which is located in Paris, France. Station F is the world’s biggest startup campus, with buildings containing thousands of entrepreneurs.
The idea of the demonstration vehicle is to present different innovations designed to make cars cleaner and lighter. A secondary aim is to bring down production costs and to introduce user-friendly features. The features are linked to vehicle automation and connectedness.
Innovations with the Nova Car #1 include:
Cleanliness
The car has improved decantation. Here the engine has improved oil separation efficiency. In addition there is a plastic water charged air cooler that reduces air temperature and carbon dioxide emissions.
Lighter
The car includes Blacklite Carbon, which is an engine cover that ensures weight and noise reduction. In addition, a device called Easy Valve cools down temperatures using only one engine degassing bottle, and reduces cost and simplifies the process.
Connected vehicle
A device called Bird View, fitted into the roof bars delivers load measurement and light communications. With this functionality, when the user is loading luggage on the roof bars, green, orange and red lights indicate the weight of the load (relative to the bars’ load bearing capacity). In addition, there are flush door handle designs with backlighting, keyless solutions. Furthermore, the vehicle’s cockpit area contains a large display which includes 360° augmented reality features and a tuning-free driver position.
The following video provides further details about the vehicle:
Perhaps the most interesting feature is’ Flex View’, which is an exterior of revolving mirrors and a camera with an integrated flexible screen for rear view. This is where the ‘plastronics’ work has been focused on.
According to EE News, the flexible rear-view screen was produced in partnership with the company Flexenable. The Flex View construction integrates a flexible Organic Liquid Cristal Display for rear view. This supports augmented reality via the feed of external video cameras.
