A consortium of Japanese companies made up 21 Japanese big hitters that include Toyota and Honda are working on technologies that will do away with auxiliary cables, wires to power sensors and switches.
They plan to develop components that do not need an external power source but instead, uses energy such as vibration, heat or light to be converted into electricity. It has been compared to the mechanism found in a mechanical watch that winds itself up trough the movement of a person’s arm, thereby doing away with batteries altogether.
The technology will save on the need for cables that send power to the long list of sensors available in modern cars today. If the technology is employed, it could save weight and help improve fuel efficiency. Not to mention add to the car’s coolness factor.
“The consortium is still studying the issue from various angles and exchanging information among its members. As such, nothing has been decided yet regarding joint development or commercialization,” said Toyota Motor Corp. spokesmen Paul Nolasco.
Not the first to toy with the idea, Pirelli already uses similar technology in its “Cyber Tyre”. It uses a vibration-powered computer chip, which provides information such as air pressure and road conditions to the car.
Other technologies include ones being researched by GM and BMW, which involve turning engine or exhaust heat to electricity to power vehicle electronics. It is called energy harvesting and has been around for some time. The only thing stopping companies from using it, is its high cost and the added size of the tech.
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Sounds brilliant and honestly, this is the way green technologies should go. EVs, PHEVs are not the answer. Continuous refinement of the piston engine is sure to produce power units that can meet emissions demands.
Jakai Tyre & Batttery shop will soon renamed to Jakai Tyre shop only and no battery included.
well you’d still need a battery to crank up the starter motor…
If they can manage to solve the problems facing them, then they’ll be kings of the road.
wa~ with that car. we can go everywhere we like… just like cycling.. no need pay fuel.
So, it is like our automatic watch? Self operating?
Yes, you have to keep swinging the car around. :-)
Hahaha good one! Maybe just turn the steering wheel one two times can start and run the car :)
Cool idea. Now’s a good time to start looking into it. I’m sure the technology will be mature enough when it’s time to commercialize it at a cost effective level.
cool idea…alot of energy lost due to these factor..turn it into energy
This is very good approach…
In fact, general heat engine efficiency auto compression engine about 30% to the drive chain. The rest energy have loss due to heat from the exhaust and others…
I’m quite surprised that it took auto manufacturers this long to start work on this. From my uni days (a few years back) toying with robotic rovers, we were always looking at ways to recover energy from the movement of the robot rovers and lessen wiring.
Perhaps it’s a financially motivated move?
come china come hijack this!!!
nice green tech. We might see ‘Honda Kinetic’ with Auto-relay ;)
yup… already in my mind before. can convert all the free energy like solar and wind and generated energy like vibration..
this will called smart hybrid technology… :)
think green, good, but where have all the technologies and knowledge in years used by the university students to built the solar powered car been adopted into today’s car? perhaps all gone to our water heater?
True. But partly it’s solar tech to be blamed. Current cells are only 10-13% efficient. There is a real efficient solar cell but it costs a bomb and not production ready yet.
But the Aussies, Scandinavians, Europeans are still using it to power their homes anyway.
Back to basis wise, we might seen the headlamp of car using dynamo just like the old bicycle yesteryears.
Sound like more parts to put into their future car…..More parts, more chances of failure, more maintenance>>>more money for replacement parts. That’s how the car industry make their money after their cars were sold….!!!
Have u all ever wonder why our car (especially the engines) have so many parts. 100yrs of automobile industry and they can’t build something more simple, use less parts & cheaper to maintain???
Well, hate to point this out to all the reader here: The reason is: $$$$$$$$$$
They actually generate another seperate industry (income resource) simply by building super complicated machine…….The consumer will have to pay for it in the long run…..We’re Fcuked!!