Cool Hyundai Concept Car Hits Geneva

Hyundait Motor Company press release

Hyundai Motor Company, in conjunction with GE Plastics presented an SUV Crossover Coupe at the Geneva International Motor Show on March 6, 2007. Dubbed the QarmaQ (derivative of an Inuit word for traditional dwellings constructed from earth, whalebone and skins), the vehicle is termed by Hyundai as an Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle. The QarmaQ uses more than 30 environmentally progressive technologies and was designed at Hyundai Motor Europe's Design and Technical Center in Russelsheim, Germany with cooperative effort from GE Plastics. Hyundai plans to incorporate the new technologies into models rolled out from 2008-2014.

Highlights

Safety:

• Fully integrated energy-absorbing structures, with panels designed to work in conjunction with the energy-absorbing systems.
• "Elastic Front" solution to help reduce risk of severe injury in pedestrian collisions, which meets various pedestrian impact requirements.

Design:

• Panoramic wrap-around glazing using GE's Lexan polycarbonate resin.
• Twin sunroof domes.
• Discrete or hidden touch activated sensors.
• Ambient lighting by Lumination, LLC.

Salient Facts:

• GE Lexan screen and use of GE polycarbonate glazing provides weight reduction of up to 50% as compared with glass.
• Exatec infrared coatings reflect heat, helping cool the interior and reduce power demands.
• 2-liter diesel engine is fully compliant with EURO5 emission regs, while a Catalyzed Particulate Filter system is capable of cleaning around 90% of the particulate matter from the emissions.
• Advanced materials result in a 60kg (132 lb) weight reduction versus a comparable vehicle made from traditional material.
• GreenOrder, an environmental strategy firm, estimated that the 60 kg weight reduction translates to approximately 80 fewer liters (21 gallons) of diesel used per year, cutting annual greenhouse gas emissions by around 200kg (441 lbs).
• If every new vehicle registred in the EU in 2006 had reduced fuel consumption by that amount, the annual savings would be more than 7.4 million barrels of diesel fuel - enough to sustain the EU diesel demand for three days.
• Result - the greenhouse gas savings would equal approximately 3.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
• The body panels use an envrionmentally responsible plastic (Xenoy iQ and Valox iQ - developed by GE) that conserves energy, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and re-uses materials such as PET plastic bottles. The QarmaQ re-uses approximately 900 PET bottles.
• GE paint replacement technology (Visualfx resins with Lexan films) replace painting operations that would release toxic and greenhouse gas.
• GE's Noryl resin technology, which was used for wire and cable coating, replace PVC and reduce cable weight by up to 25%.

Some innovative new ideas, and it looks freaking cool, too.