Why the flying car is slowing down new mobility

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Politicians such as transport minister andreas scheuer and digital minister dorothee bar also like to describe mobile visions of the future. But air cabs such as this four-seater "city airbus" are a real challenge actually soon suitable for everyday use? © picture alliance

Decision-makers in the automotive industry like to set themselves high goals that often go beyond the current reality and look far into the future. However, this strategy not only has advantages, but can also lead to disappointment among customers. A commentary.

Innovative technologies and solutions are often complex. Since there is a lack of comparative figures, those responsible like to use well-known films or novels to make them tangible for people and to find points of reference: blockbusters such as "2001: odyssey in space" or "I, robot" serve as references for artificial intelligence. For the future of mobility, "back to the future" must be used regularly. Let’s stay with the example of mobility. Here, pictures of flying cars trigger expectations for the (near) future among potential customers. The disappointment is all the greater when new vehicle types fall short of the promised possibilities.

This dilemma is currently apparent in the case of electric cars, even though they – in comparison to flying cars – are already on the market. For example, many tesla Model 3 buyers were recently upset about the poor workmanship and service when they received their new car.

Products designed around customer needs

For the part of society that, for various reasons, does not even dare to think about buying an electric car, the consequences are perhaps even more dramatic: they see products and visions for the future that completely fail to meet their needs. This gives rise to the opinion that companies do not develop solutions for everyday life, but serve a pure end in themselves.

Manufacturers are not doing themselves any favors with this communication strategy either. the example of flying cars makes this clear: they are partly technically feasible, but their use is not (yet) practical with today’s technologies. A recent study by the university of michigan and the car manufacturer ford shows that flying electric cars would not be a viable alternative to road-based vehicles, especially for distances of less than 35 kilometers – which is the case for most commuters – due to the high costs and the environmental impact of energy generation.

Nevertheless, many companies strive to conquer the skies with their models, neglecting other areas of interest. For example, the connected car still offers great growth potential; better still, an achievable goal: the fully automated, connected vehicle. The prerequisite for this, however, is effective and continuous data communication between all road users, which will probably only become a reality in five to ten years. For manufacturers, this opens up the opportunity to use this time to efficiently set up their core business and generate sufficient cash flow. Then you can invest in the mobility of the future and help shape this new market.

Connected car grows together with the smartphone

The automotive industry will change dramatically in the foreseeable future. For example, shared, automated vehicle fleets will most likely replace the ownership of one’s own car sooner or later. These new mobility concepts require completely new development and production processes. The number of possible cooperation and integration partners also goes far beyond today’s typical network of a traditional car manufacturer.

In the future, a completely new ecosystem will emerge around services and providers. The connected car itself will then grow inseparably together with the user’s smartphone. All services related to mobility can then be controlled and planned completely individually via app. this means a real revolution in traffic and mobility.

All stakeholders know that something has to change if automakers want to survive in the future. The digital transformation of the industry is therefore indispensable. Yet many are not positioned for the digital age. It’s time for companies to develop agile decision-making processes and a start-up mindset, and offer products and services based on data and customer needs. manufacturers should be fact-based and customer-focused rather than inspired by flying cars. This is the only way to make sense of the mobility of the future.

Wolf ingomar faecks

Wolf ingomar faecks, senior vice president and industry lead automotive/manufacturing/health EMEA/APAC, publicis sapient

i am cleaning up my workshop. I have accumulated a lot of worn tires, of which I have always thought, oh come here for a short round they go again. But blow, from schiss I make then nevertheless rather new on it. I admit I order new ones on the net, because the time is too precious to me to visit a store. They must then also first order.

So how do you do it, where do you put the old tires??

– quite a sin for the environment, the wear and tear of VM – driving.

Nepomuk

19.04.2015

Independent mechanic

19.04.2015

Two options. As a tradesman collect, cut out the valves from the hoses, bundle and give it to schwalbe-bohle for a fee. They make them into mats, which they sell at a high price.

Civilians dispose in the household garbage. I now dispose of my waste in the yellow garbage can. The plastic stuff is only recycled termically anyway*, and the burners need temperature.

*or does anyone seriously believe that VM bodies are made of it.

Delli

19.04.2015

Residual waste or yellow sack, is actually a valuable material. And since most yellow bags are thermally processed and not recycled, this should not cause any problems. Ne sauerei is that nevertheless! But if they would be taken back somewhere, one would surely have to pay a disposal fee (like with car tires). Since my bicycle tires are usually more expensive than those for the car would then be analogous also higher than with passenger car tires, and with it I would not agree absolutely.

Klaus d.L.

19.04.2015

Let that times the DSD not hear that you over the yellow tonne and/or. Dispose of the bag. We have once left a full yellow garbage can with the sticker "inadmissible waste thrown in". After a fax from me telling them to please immediately fulfill the disposal contract they entered into when they bought the packaging and fit the garbage can with a lock before making me responsible for the contents – after all, the garbage can stands on the sidewalk for hours, it was then always emptied regardless of the contents.

For hoses I occasionally have secondary uses, as binding ropes or as chafe protection on metal pipes. I always have a hose with a cut out valve area for tinkering repairs, as well as a decimeter piece of worn coat as an emergency insert, if a coat has a larger hole times.

Mach_3

19.04.2015

Residual waste.
Excerpt from the county’s litter guide:

Thomas neubauer

19.04.2015

19.04.2015

It’s a mystery to me how you can throw tires into the yellow bag when you already know that they can’t be recycled. just as stupid is to simply say the bags will all be burned. Because that is not true.
Why then not simply in the residual waste with it, which is burned safely.

Ever thought that the bags are so often burned because people throw any shit in it?
So you just create your own arguments.

The recycling system is certainly stupid, as it is now, no question.
But so stammtischmabig chatter goes me just so on the geisst that I can not let it stand like that. This leads to less than nothing.

Abcde

19.04.2015

Some dealers also offer to dispose of the coats in an environmentally friendly way. Whatever that may mean. There are quite projects, where from old bicycle tubes and coats then new things are made, as z.B. A belt. I do not know if this is an option for you.

Klaus d.L.

19.04.2015

the problem is that the introduction of the yellow garbage can has made the gray one smaller – or disproportionately expensive.

years ago i read a documentary, where the packages were sorted before being burned .

Because the garbage can is too small?

Nope, they already tear when emptying and are then sorted in any case.

The car industry is racing into the connected future – and umlaut consultant darani yogalingam is behind the wheel. A test drive.

Click, clack. open, closed. Click, clack. On, to. In a parking lot in the south of germany, where the autobahn makes a detour around the medieval town of landsberg am lech, a woman is standing in front of a large white suV. She holds a smartphone in her right hand and presses her thumb on the screen. Click. Doors unlocked. Again. Clack. Doors locked. "That’s worked out well before," she says. "then let’s see what else the car can do."

Darani yogalingam is an industrial engineer specializing in vehicle technology and a consultant at umlaut. Among other things, it works for a leading manufacturer in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Her expertise is in process and cost management – when she’s not on the road in germany.

On the road in the porsche taycan

Because once a month is test drive day. At one point she drives a turquoise porsche taycan through germany to check how well the charging infrastructure is working (it is working, but we’d better do some more tests on top). Next month, she’ll be sitting in a luxury SUV, swiping through the vehicle app – connectivity, ease of use and comfort will all be on the test sheet.

the porsche taycan in test

Like today: darani puts the seat back, picks up the laptop and opens an excel spreadsheet. In it: the different categories in which the SUV can score points. Provided that the technology is present and works. App and smartphone, navigation, productivity, comfort, entertainment, extras, communication, voice control – in all eight categories, darani enters values in the table.

First, darani opens the app on the smartphone and checks if status information like charge level, range or tire pressure of the car is listed there. Works. Then it checks that the app correctly displays the car’s location and offers information about the surroundings. Are there gas stations nearby?? Parking? automotive workshops? Works. Finally, it starts navigation with the "send to car" function: darani types an address into the app. The app connects to the car. First the address pops up on the SUV’s display, then the destination guide. Works.

The app helps keep track of charge status, range, or tire pressure.

The evaluation of the test results is sometimes done in the evening and at night. "it’s kind of my hobby at umlaut," says darani, laughing. And if you’re wondering why she does it, there’s one thing you haven’t figured out yet: darani yogalingam loves cars.

Test drive to the job

Her father gave her his old golf III station wagon when she had her driver’s license for just a few days. "it was an adventure," says darani today – and again she has to grin – but on the way to school, a bit of pride has been riding along ever since.

What began as a youthful adventure developed over the following years into a pure fascination with technology. the longer darani drove and the more she understood about cars, the more interested she became in the processes behind them. After studying industrial engineering, she completed the master’s degree in automotive engineering& management" at the university of duisburg-essen.

an internship at daimler during her bachelor’s degree and many "test drives" in friends’ cars grew her fascination for the vehicle industry: "whenever someone bought a car, i wanted to drive it right away," she says. Even though her job has become more and more about project and process management, she still has a passion for cars.

Darani manages a test project in cooperation with "connect" magazine.

Connectivity check for the compact class

That’s also because technology is developing in quantum leaps right now. "in the more expensive vehicles, this is totally visible – here, for example, modern mobile communications technology is already widely used," says darani. Many modern vehicles communicate with the smartphone, some connect automatically to the internet and play music, others find a free parking space on their own. "most cars do very well."today, however, she is driving a compact class car for the first time – "cars that the masses can afford".

darani has a lot of understanding for the demands of frequent drivers. her two-room apartment in aachen’s city center is currently inhabited mainly by a few plants. "there used to be more of them," she says, laughing: the species that survived were those that got by with little water. She travels a lot for the consultant job. Mostly four days a week – from Monday to Thursday. She usually travels up to 500 kilometers by train, for the sake of the environment and also because it’s easier to work by train. "but i like to take the car whenever i can," she admits.

The test drives come in very handy: "I had already said in the job interview at umlaut that I would like to do something in the field of digital automotive," she says. Shortly after, the company asked if she wanted to support the tests. Darani wanted. Five months later, in october 2019, she took over the project management for the testing in the cooperation project with the magazine "connect", in addition to her advisory work with the customer. preparation, coordination, evaluation – a pretty big package. "of course i also give up some private time for this, but i like doing it," says darani. "this is simply my heart’s project."

Dance moves and excel spreadsheets

Then she starts the engine and rolls out of the parking lot, slowly and deliberately. Maybe for the journalist who is watching her – because, as darani explains, she sometimes sings loudly in the car or does a few dance moves. "but only when i’m traveling privately".

A glance to the right and left, then she turns onto the road. During the trip, it makes a few test calls about the car, roadside assistance, emergency call center. "they already know our calls," she says. "we always warn you." in the evening darani arrives at the last parking lot for today, the car has guided her to the right destination. Darani takes the laptop from the passenger seat and types the rating into the table. She is satisfied. "the car performed surprisingly well, better than expected," she says. Then she closes the laptop – and gets ready for the best part of the day: the return trip.

Products designed around customer needs

Connected car grows together with the smartphone

Wolf ingomar faecks

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