Car Innovation as Airbus Announce Flying Cars

Airbus, innovation arm A3, have released news that Back to the Future fans have been waiting for. While the date might not be spot on. The fact that airbus expect flying cars to be about in the near future is still unbelievable news.

The project is being led by A3, Airbus’ innovation arm. While most of the project is being kept under wraps. They have revealed it is currently working under the name of Vahana which is Sanskrit for ‘the one that carries’.

The vehicles at the moment are said to resemble drones, but should be feasible and prototype testing is set to begin by the end of 2017.

If Airbus are right, this news will one day show up on top ten innovations list that changed the way we experience cars.

Top 10 Innovations with Cars

10 - Electric Engines and Hybrid tech.

Elon Musk is intent on seeing all cars be electric. The upside to this change, is that the enviromental gains will be massive. And the cost of running said vehicle should decrease. It would be a much higher. The other side of the electric debate is how companies such as Ferrari and McLaren have utilised electric technology to improve the performance of their high end sports cars.

9 -The Otto Cycle

More commonly remembered as ‘suck, squeeze, bang, blow’. The Otto Cycle is the 4 steps of the combustion engine. Named after Nikolaus Otto who built the first stationary combustion engine. It is the same principle that is used in most cars today.

8 - Automatic Transmission

While many people still view manual driving as the best method for driving a car. The automatic has made driving for a lot of people an easier task and is the norm in countries such as America. The first of these was the Hydra-Matic which was introduced in 1940 and was taken on by General Motors.

7 - Pedal Layout

While Ford dreamt and in some ways succeeding in bringing automotive transport to the masses. If you were to get into a Model T today, you would most likely be confused by the pedals and how to drive it. The first car to have the modern layout was the Cadillac Type 53. However, it wasn’t until Austin 7 which was then built under licence by BMW in Germany and copied by Datsun in Japan and became utilised from that point onwards.

6 - Electric Starters

Before the use of the key start cars you would have to crank the engine. This is a similar method to how you bump start a car today. The electric starter removed a hard task that was time consuming and at times very dangerous. This innovation is all thanks to Vincent Bendix who invented the electric starter in 1910.

5 - Mass Production

Mass production has effected every aspect of consumerism. But it was thanks to Henry Ford and his dream of every person owning a car that allowed us that privilege. Back in the early 1920s Ford began the production of the Model T and that production method is largely similar to the one used in state of the art production factories today and is the reason that the production of cars can be kept so low while retaining such high quality.

4 - Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)

While standard on almost all cars today ABS is a system that was first added to production cars in 1978 by Mercedes-Benz. ABS uses a computer to ensure that when you press down on the breaks the wheels come to a stop without skidding, ensuring that you don’t just slide straight into the car in front of you

3 - Power Steering

Power steering has existed in some form for over a century. However, it wasn’t until 1951 that Chrysler debuted the Hydra-guide system for production cars. If you have ever driven a car without power steering, you will understand how great an innovation this was to drivers.

2 - Airbags

Airbags started with a hard life. During the early 70s when the technology first became available both Ford and GM attempted to block the need for airbags in cars due to their unfeasibility and inappropriate. In the 90s they finally became more widespread and are now. And a 2013 update to MOT legislation means that faulty airbags in cars are now an issue.

1 - Seatbelts

To many younger people it is a strange idea that one might not wear a seatbelt. But wearing seatbelts only became compulsory in 1983. The estimated lives saved each year is around 1000 and it is believed they save nearly 10,000 people from being seriously hurt each year. And in 2006 it finally became compulsory for children to have relevant car seats for their age and size.

AutoeBid

We at AutoeBid love innovation. And that’s why we are here. We have changed the way you go about getting your new car. We remove the need to go from dealer to dealer to find the best deal. By getting your next car through us you could save thousands. Why not check out the most innovative car features that are out this year for some inspiration on your new car.