Brand DNA

Every car has a brand DNA which makes it distinctive and instantly recognizable. When you see a BMW or Rover, for example, you know exactly what it is. The importance of national culture in brand DNA is critical, even though global takeovers, mergers, and partnerships are constantly reshaping the car industry. Volvo, based in Sweden, is now owned by an American company, and Britain's Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley are no longer British-owned. Chrysler, that most American of manufacturers, is now part of a German company. Spain's Seat and the Czech car maker Skoda are owned by Germany's Volkswagen. And General Motors has controlled Sweden's Saab for a number of years.

Brand DNA consists of corporate identity and an unmistakable design which is influenced by culture. 'Britishness' or 'Frenchness' is important. But how can 'Americanness' or 'Italianness' be defined by a few hundred pounds of sheet metal bent over a frame and set down on four wheels?

To Fiat, Italian means 'sporty'. "People buy Italian cars because they look Italian," said Richard Gadeselli, head of corporate affairs for Fiat Auto S.p.A. "Even the humble Seicento (Fiat's smallest car) has a sporty feel, in everything we design, we try and strive for that. If we took the badges off, people would say, 'I don't know what that is, but it feels Italian'."

Similarly, Japanese design is unmistakably Japanese because of its Zen-like purity and simplicity. Akira Fujimoto, chief editor of Japan's Car Styling magazine, says that the level of detail is the key to Japanese design. "With an American car, you can see the differences at 300 metres. With a Japanese car, you see the differences at three metres. Japan is a small country so there's no need to see the differences from far away."

Peter Horbury, chief designer for Volvo Cars, although British himself, says he believes the Swedish essence of Volvo is something the company should keep even if it is owned by Ford Motor Co. But what is Swedishness? "Sweden is known as a caring society," he said. "Swedish cars are safe, practical, and functional and have a timeless quality."

The car of the future

It is a cold winter morning but your car is waiting for you, warm and comfortable, at exactly the temperature you like. You open the door by pressing your finger against the lock and your car greets you with a friendly ‘Hi, how are you?’ You sit down and the computer reminds you of your schedule.

You start the car. You now have a joystick, steering-by-wire, braking-by-wire. The old mechanical parts of the past are gone.

As you back out of your driveway, warning sensors warn you about objects and pedestrians in your way. Using voice commands you programme your route, check your emails and dictate answers, ask for local and international news, look up phone numbers, and play music.

The car also looks after your health. Sensors in your seat and armrest tell you your weight and blood pressure, while sensors in the dashboard notice if you are drowsy and vibrate the joystick to wake you.

Many of the old worries associated with driving are gone. Traffic jams don’t happen any more because your car automatically avoids crowded roads. Collision avoidance sensors prevent accidents. Speeding tickets are also a thing of the past - sensors pick up signals from traffic signs and automatically adjust your speed or stop your car. And breaking down is no longer a problem. Your car diagnoses any potential faults or worn parts and warns you and the service station. When you arrive at the service station, the spare parts are already waiting for you.

Your car can even park itself. Just stop at any parking space (your car knows, of course, if parking is permitted here) and operate the automatic parking system. The car scans the size and shape of the available space and then reverses in.

Fuel cells

The use of fuel cells promises a reduction in environmental pollution from car exhaust emissions, and the end of our dependence on oil for fuel.

A fuel cell produces an electric current and heat by converting hydrogen and oxygen into water. The output of a single cell is 0.6-0.8V, but when many cells are combined into a stack, enough energy is produced to power a 50 kW engine.

The fuel cell has the highest efficiency in power generation, reaching over 60%, compared to a gasoline-powered car which has 20%.

The oxygen required comes from the air, but hydrogen is not so readily available. Pure hydrogen could be stored on-board the car, but this would use too much space. Alternatively, car makers could use reformer technology to convert gasoline or methanol into hydrogen, but this would reduce the efficiency of the cell.

For drivers there are many practical considerations. Fuel cell-powered cars are neither as fast nor as quiet as gasoline- or diesel-powered cars. At present there are very few hydrogen fuelling stations, so refuelling could be a problem. Fuel cell cars have a shorter range, so drivers will have to refuel more often. If a tank of hydrogen is stored on board, there are problems of space and safety.

Fuel cell cars are very expensive to develop and produce, which means they will also be expensive for the customer. Many drivers will not pay extra for ‘green’ car technology, especially if it is not as convenient as the current system. Nevertheless, the race is on to produce the first fuel cell-powered family car with CO2 emissions of 90 g/km (equivalent to gasoline consumption of 3.0 l /100 km).