Introduction:
The HY WIRE concept car the name symbolizes the combination of hydrogen as fuel for the fuel cell propulsion system, and the replacement of conventional mechanical and hydraulic control linkages for steering, braking and other control systems by a drive-by-wire system. By combining fuel cell and by-wire technology, General motors have packaged this vehicle in a new way, opening up a new world of chassis architectures and customized bodies for individualized expressions and it is a significant step towards a new kind of automobile that is substantially more friendly to the environment and provides consumers positive benefits in driving dynamics, safety and freedom of individual expression.
The car is derived from GM’s previous concept of a drive-able fuel cell vehicle called the Autonomy which was debuted at the 2002 North American Motor Show in Detroit. GM does not hope to be selling these cars immediately, due to certain unavoidable hindrances but they are optimistic of seeing these vehicles on the road in the next decade or two.
| Coolest things about the car. | |
| Instead of an engine, it has a fuel cell stack, which powers an electric motor connected to the wheels. | 
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| Instead of mechanical and hydraulic linkages, it has a drive by wire system -- a computer actually operates the components that move the wheels, activate the brakes and so on, and based on input from an electronic controller. This is the same control system employed in modern fighter jets as well as many commercial planes.The result of these two substitutions is a very different type of car -- and a very different driving experience. | 
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| There is no steering wheel, there are no pedals and there is no engine compartment. In fact, every piece of equipment that actually moves the car along the road is housed in an 11-inch-thick (28 cm) aluminum chassis -- also known as the skateboard - at the base of the car. Everything above the chassis is dedicated solely to driver control and passenger comfort.This means the driver and passengers don't have to sit behind a mass of machinery. | 
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| Instead, the Hy-wire has a huge front windshield, which gives everybody a clear view of the road. | 
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| The floor of the fiberglass-and-steel passenger compartment can be totally flat, and it's easy to give every seat lots of leg room. | 
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| Concentrating the bulk of the vehicle in the bottom section of the car also improves safety because it makes the car much less likely to tip over. | 
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| But the coolest thing about this design is that it lets you remove the entire passenger compartment and replace it with a different one. If you want to switch from a van to a sports car, you don't need an entirely new car; you just need a new body (which is a lot cheaper). | 
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| The driver's control unit, dubbed the X-drive, is a lot closer to a video game controller than a conventional steering wheel and pedal arrangement. The controller has two ergonomic grips, positioned to the left and right of a small LCD monitor. To steer the car, you glide the grips up and down lightly -- you don't have to keep rotating a wheel to turn, you just have to hold the grip in the turning position. To accelerate, you turn either grip, in the same way you would turn the throttle on a motorcycle; and to brake, you squeeze either grip. | 
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| In the current Hy-wire sedan model, the X-drive swings around to either of the front two seats, so you can switch drivers without even getting up. It's also easy to adjust the X-drive up or down to improve driver comfort, or to move it out of the way completely when you're not driving. | 
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| It is environment friendly and the only product of the emission is drinkable water. | 
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
• Top speed : 100 miles per hour (161 kph)
• Weight : 4,185 pounds (1,898 kg)
• Chassis length : 14 feet, 3 inches (4.3 meters)
• Chassis width : 5 feet, 5.7 inches (1.67 meters)
• Chassis thickness :11 inches (28 cm)
• Wheels : eight-spoke, light alloy wheels.
• Tires : 20-inch (51-cm) in front and 22-inch (56-cm) in
back
• Fuel-cell power : 94 kilowatts continuous, 129 kilowatts peak
• Fuel-cell-stack voltage : 125 to 200 volts
• Motor : 250- to 380-volt three-phase asynchronous
electric motor
• Crash protection : front and rear "crush zones" (or "crash boxes")
to absorb impact energy
• Related GM patents in progress : 30
• GM team members involved in design : 500+
Few Concerns:
- The big concern with drive-by-wire vehicles is safety. Since there is no physical connection between the driver and the car's mechanical elements, an electrical failure would mean total loss of control.
- The other major hurdle for this type of car is figuring out energy-efficient methods for producing, transporting and storing hydrogen for the onboard fuel-cell stacks. With the current state of technology, actually producing the hydrogen fuel can generate about as much pollution as using gasoline engines, and storage and distribution systems still have a long way to go.
- Adding adequate crash protection.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5h5vn_gm-hy-wire-car-that-runs-on-hydroge_shortfilms
Best sites for information:
- www.gm.com
- www.howstuffworks.com
- www.edmunds.com
- www.popsci.com
- www.cardesignnews.com
- www.autointell.com
- www.thecarconnection.com
- www.sciam.com
- http://evolution.skf.com/gb
- www.BSMotoring.com
- www.autocarindia.com
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