High-end cars

Today, a significant portion of the fuel burned in an ICE vehicle is used to generate electrical energy for the various on-board electric components (about 11 per 100 km, and even more in high-end cars) [31]. Inefficiency in the conversion of energy from fuel to electricity, some of which may be stored in the battery for a time, increases fuel consumption by about 0.151 per 100 km to support a 100-W load, for example... 

Heating systems have been used in the automotive industry for quite a while now, mostly in the northern hemisphere. Vehicles developed for this market required improvements to provide a premium luxury environment for the customers due to cold environments and societal levels. Getting into the car on a cold morning for work or school would be much comfortable with heated seats, and in more high-end cars, a heated steering wheel as well, as shown in Figure 6.5. 

Seat bases are more demanding than seat backs. They must provide longterm creep resistance and must withstand low-speed crashes. They also must be able to accommodate various comfort features (e.g., reclining system, heating, and massaging). For high-end cars, the performance need often drives the choice of polymer composite (i.e., thermoplastic or thermoset). 

To enhance the visual capabilities of older - and all - drivers, many cars now have partially convex mirrors that increase the visual field to the sides and rear (while slightly distorting the spatial relationships), and infi -red displays that enhance the visual scene at night. In terms of physical comfort, many high-end cars now offer personalized ignition keys that allow drivers to store their preferred settings of various vehicle fixtures such as the multiple settings of the driver seat. However, at this time there seem to be no scientific evaluation of these systems in the scientific literature. 

Automotive The software component in high-end cars currently totals around 20 million lines of code, deployed on as many as 70 ECUs (Electronic Control Unit) that accounts for 30% of overall production costs [7]. The Volkswagen Phaeton has 61 ECUs, 11.136 electrical parts, 2.110 cables and 3.860 meters of cables with a weight of 64 kg [28]. 

Typically, polyester resins are used for high-end applications that require excellent electrical and thermal resistance. When dimensional stability under load is more critical, glass fibers are incorporated to increase the heat distortion temperature and the stiffness of the part. Examples of glass fiber reinforced parts include electrical housings, electrical adapters, computer components, telephone housings, and light bulb sockets. When impact modified, polybutylene terephthalate can be injection molded to make car bumpers. 

An example of an electrical system layout that is used in a European high-end sports car launched in 2001 is shown in Fig. 12.16. A cycling AGM battery, directly connected to the consumer harness and to the alternator, buffers electric energy, as... 

Carbon fiber RPs are showing up (2004) on a spectrum of concept cars and prototypes at auto shows, both on predictable vehicles, high-end super sports cars, and the unexpected, including a roadster concept aimed at selUng for less than 20,000. Whether any of the dream cars actually make it into production with the RP still on board is hard to predict, but the number of vehicles rolling out show an increasing interest in the material. Many people continue to examine these vehicles. Resin and fiber suppliers, RP experts, universities and automakers themselves are researching ways to make carbon fiber a more... 

Car company Affluent customers SUVs, luxury sedans Flexible plants for SUVs and large cars, high-end dealers... 

As customers, if we are going to buy something, we must first decide what we want from our purchase. How many bedrooms should we have in that new house Do we want a big car or a small one How will we use a new computer For routine tasks will we require a low-end computer, or will we nm programs like graphics design that require a high-end machine ... 

At this site, I only visited a small portion of what was a very large operation. The manufacturing processes required to produce recreational vehicles are labor intensive and ergonomically challenging. The products are low volume and custom, which allows the customer to select a wide variety of options. This makes their final assembly processes comparable to the assembly of a high-end luxury automobile like a Maserati rather than cars in a Ford assembly plant. I have had the opportunity to visit recreational vehicle assembly plants on two different continents and the challenges and opportunities are the same. 

Another interesting point is the proportion of cars that are still imported. These are ail quite high-end, expensive vehicles, made even more expensive by high tariffs and the value added tax. Still, there is a strong market for them among emerging rich business people in China and foreign executives. 

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