The Ultimate Car

Take an Aston Martin DB9 prototype car and replace the engine with a Hydrogen fuel cell powered hydraulic pump that feeds into two gold plated accumulators on display in the rear window. The accumulators are metal cylinders that store pressurized hydraulic fluid by acting like high-tension springs. When the accelerator is pressed, the hydraulic fluid is released from the accumulators at high pressure into tubes that feed to each of the four wheels. The independent directional control of each wheel provides enhanced manueverability. Attached to the wheels is a small box that accepts the hydraulic tubing and passes the incoming fluid through a turbine whose axle is mechanically linked to the wheel. The fluid then leaves the box and cycles back to the compressor. When the brake is pressed, the flow generated by the turbines at the wheels is diverted back to the accumulators so that the energy is reacquired. I was introduced to this hydraulic drivetrain concept by a bicycle hobbyist, and I later realized its potential for automobiles. After looking into it more, I found that the technology had already been proven for automobiles and it was found that it had "Higher fuel efficiency. Lower emissions. Reduced operating costs. Better acceleration performance." (EPA). An optional internal electrolysis machine would allow the hydrogen and oxygen cycle to form a closed curcuit which would let recharging supplant refueling. One of the big benefits in my mind is that you don't waste all of your energy during braking. The kinetic energy of the vehicle gets reabsorbed as if you had a flywheel, but without the extra weight of a flywheel. But the coolest aspect about it is that the accumulators give you a buffer of energy. This means that you can charge the accumulators while in neutral so that you can get a sudden burst of speed that the engine alone wouldn't be capable of. And also, since the accumulators could remain pressurized for long periods of time, you would be able to start driving before you even turn the engine on.

All four wheels will turn during steering, with the back wheel turning in the opposite direction as the front wheels. This allows for a true zero turning radius. Plus, in combination with the independent direction control of each wheel, parallel parking becomes a breeze - just pull up next to a spot and turn the wheels 90 degrees and drive sideways into the parking space.

The windows will be made of an electro-optic material that can be toggled between transparent and mirrored by the application of a voltage. This will prevent the greenhouse effect when it is sitting in the sun, but it will also make it look really futuristic. I tried to develop the transparent-mirror material using Gallium-Arsenide multiple quantum wells, but after a lot of thought, I feel like I'm stuck on that. But later I learned from Dirk Bouwmeester (UCSB) that the desired effect was indeed possible in Gallium-Arsenide, but you need to continuously pump the substance with a high power laser!

Further aesthetic modifications include five-point seat belts, auto-closing forward-mount gull-wing doors, ultrasonic windshield wipers (a la the Renault Racoon), deep circular gauges, flat hub caps for aerodynamics, and turn signals look like white plates until they are backlit by an orange LED.