From electric retro-bikes to automated tractors, personal transport is moving on. WIRED takes a look at what's coming down the road.
Cars
Built to take on Tesla and BMW's i range, EQ will be a new sub-brand of "electrical intelligence". According to CEO Dieter Zetsche, the SUV concept will be on sale within three years and Mercedes will offer ten fully electric models by 2025. The concept's proportions are relatively conventional, but it has what it calls a new "electro-aesthetic" that will feature on future models.
This includes LED headlights and a black front panel with an illuminated version of the Mercedes star. Displays within the doors project the rear view in real time, dispensing with the need for door mirrors. The bespoke chassis is constructed from high-strength steel, aluminium and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic.
The Li-ion batteries are mounted within the floor of the platform to help lower the centre of gravity, feeding two electric motors in the front and rear axles for all-wheel drive. The most powerful variant will have a total output of 300kW - enough for 0-100kph in under five seconds. Mercedes says its EQ will have a range of up to 500km.
Adrian Newey, the genius who has designed championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, is about to fulfil his dream of building a road car. The Valkyrie is a partnership between Aston Martin and Newey's Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
Beneath its tiny canopy, driver and passenger sit in a MonoCell carbon-fibre tub with knees and feet high, just as one would in a Formula 1 car. Nestled behind is a 6.5-litre V12 engine developed by indie specialist Cosworth; Ricardo, meanwhile, is engineering a bespoke seven-speed gearbox.
The hybrid system is inspired by the energy-recovery systems used in Formula 1, with energy harvested under braking feeding Li-ion batteries.
The engine is expected to produce up to 1,000bhp, with the car's target weight just 1,000kg. The power-to-weight ratio of 1,000bhp/tonne is similar to the LMP1 Le Mans-winning race car.
The car's suspension system will be active to cope with the huge downforce levels at high speed (a passive system would require springs so stiff the ride would be unbearable at low speed).
Just 150 road cars will be built, plus 25 track versions, each priced from £2 million. They'll go into production in 2019. And yes, they're already all sold.
Honda has always been fond of a good acronym - so say hello to SH-AWD (Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive), the power unit of its NSX supercar that controls interplay between the engine, gearbox and electric motors. Mounted behind the cockpit is a 3,493cc twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with a 75° V-angle to help keep the centre of gravity low. This is supplemented by a 35kW direct-drive motor positioned between the engine and the nine-speed dual clutch gearbox. It acts directly on the engine's crankshaft and provides instantaneous torque to boost acceleration.
At the front of the NSX is Honda's twin motor unit, where two 27.2kW electric motors drive each of the front wheels, providing de facto all-wheel drive. Together, these systems achieve an output of 427kW and 646Nm of torque. The front motor's role, though, is about more than straight line performance. By applying positive or negative torque to each wheel as required, it can create a yaw moment, improving the car's agility. From £143,020
Volvo is determined to become Sweden's answer to BMW, Mercedes and Audi, and the launch of the XC90 Excellence SUV is another step in that journey. Billed as the most luxurious car in the company's history, it's a showcase for Swedish craftsmanship and technology. The three-seater rear bench of the standard model has been replaced with two individual seats which are heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable via a touchscreen controller. They even feature a massage function (no word yet if it's Swedish).
The Excellence's luxury theme is continued by way of a built-in refrigerator, two folding tables and cup-holders that can heat or cool your beverage of choice. Meanwhile, the hand-crafted crystal glasses in the rear come from Orrefors, the renowned Swedish glassmaker that's also responsible for the vehicle's crystal gearstick. Yes - it has a crystal gearstick. The audio system comes courtesy of Bowers & Wilkins, which is enhanced in the Excellence by the introduction of extra sound insulation.
The car is powered by Volvo's T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid system which combines a 1,969cc turbo petrol engine with an electric motor to offer up to 410PS. This has three modes: Pure (EV only up to 50km); Hybrid; and Power, where the motor and engine work in unison to optimise performance. From $104,900
Bikes
Designed by Oregon-based artist Michael Cohen, this concept reimagines the iconic café racer bikes of the 60s in electric form. The originals' sleek aesthetic is retained, but instead of an aluminium fuel tank you'll find carbon fibre and polycarbonate body pieces - and the studded tyres make it suitable for all terrains.
Cohen believes that café racers' lightweight designs, which dispensed with comfort in favour of speed and handling, are perfectly suited to electrification - less weight, of course, translates into a greater battery range. Café racers have roots in rocker and greaser subculture, where personalisation was key in getting bikes to stand out. The body shell can be swapped and replaced using a screwdriver.
The Leafy Savage is a custom electric motorcycle by Night Shift Bikes. Built around the 2003 Suzuki Savage's rolling chassis, its café-racer vibe belies a system that mixes bike and car tech. An EnerTrac motor sits in the rear hub and generates 13hp continuously, with a peak of 40hp. When the throttle's released, a control unit switches the motor's polarity and recharges the battery through regenerative braking.
Where you'd expect to find the engine, the Savage houses the same battery used in the Nissan Leaf electric car; fully charged, this has a city range of 160km. Its control unit also manages the flow of current to the motor for smooth power delivery. Want to adjust its power curve? Just make the tweaks using your laptop. £poa
All-wheel-drive cars are nothing new, but all-wheel-drive motorbikes remain a novelty. Philadelphia-based Christini has been selling 2x2 motorbikes for ten years; now it's taken the concept further with the II-Track Snow Utility Bike. Designed for military and recreational use, it seeks to provide traction in all conditions.
The bike has a snow track at the front, which is driven by the front hub and positioned between a split ski for stability. This delivers power from the transmission to the front wheel. At the rear, Christini deploys a dirt-bike swing arm, making it compatible with standard snow-track systems. The II-Track's technology can be retrofitted to Christini AWD 450 four-stroke or 300 two-stroke bikes to provide year-round use. From £6,759
WIRED has long admired Koenigsegg Automotive AB's hypercars, so we were thrilled to see that fellow fan and 3D designer Maksim Burov has imagined what might happen if it produced a motorbike. With its drop handlebars, a truncated body and dual exhausts protruding from under the seat, this concept has an aggressive, powerful stance not dissimilar to the Lotus C-01.
Jon Gunner, Koenigsegg's technical director, has stated that as the company manufactures 95 per cent of each car it produces from scratch, it is possible that it could produce a Koenigsegg boat or plane, let alone a bike. Should the brand be lured into creating this two-wheeler, it will find its 1,400-metre former runway test facility more than ample to refine its capabilities.
Tractors
President Trump won't like it, but Case could be about to take the labour out of farming. Its autonomous tractor concept is, says the company, "in the pursuit of high-efficiency farming".
The cabless autonomous concept is based on an existing Case IH Magnum tractor but with tweaked styling. The vehicle uses radar, LiDAR (light imaging, detection and ranging) and on-board video cameras to optimise its course. It automatically accounts for the width of accessories and plots the most efficient path according to the terrain, physical obstructions and other machines in the field.
If it senses stationary obstacles in its path it will stop and send an audio and visual signal. An interactive interface allows the farmer to monitor pre-programmed operations remotely.
The tractor has been designed to work alone or in partnership with other autonomous vehicles. In theory, one farmer could operate an army of tractors, dispensing with the need for human labour.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
