Project cars and Wizardry

Article 1 : VW's electric car will cost less than Tesla's

The car, called the I.D., is expected to cost less than $30,000, which is less than both the Tesla Model 3 and the Chevrolet Bolt. It will have much longer range, and it could go up to about 375 miles on a single charge, the automaker said at a presentation ahead of the Paris Motor Show.

The catch: It won't go on sale until 2020, and there's no telling how much competitors' electric cars will have improved by then.

The Chevrolet Bolt, which goes on sale at the end of this year, has a starting price of $37,500, before U.S. government tax breaks, and a driving range of 238 miles. The Tesla Model 3 is expected to go on sale in late 2017 with a starting price of $35,000 and a driving range of 215 miles.

But before comparing the I.D. to the Tesla and Bolt, it should be noted that there are different methods to calculate the range of an electric car. It's not clear what method VW used.

Since the I.D. doesn't have a bulky internal combustion engine, designers were able to maximize interior space. While it's is about the same size as a VW Golf compact car on the outside, it's as roomy inside as the mid-sized VW Passat, according to Volkswagen.

The concept car VW unveiled in Paris, with super-thin blue tires and a light-up VW insignia, conveys some idea of what the I.D. will ultimately look like. VW executives said the I.D. will cost roughly the same as a "well-equipped VW Golf diesel." That puts the car's price at a little less than $30,000 in the U.S., before government tax breaks. (The Golf diesel isn't currently on sale because environmental regulators discovered VW installed software that allowed some Volkswagen models to evade emissions rules. VW is still working on resolving that case.)

When the I.D. goes on sale it won't be self-driving. It will be loaded with all of the hardware necessary to convert it to an autonomous vehicle, though, such as sensors and various computers, said VW Group board member Jurgen Stockmann. Full self-driving capability will come later with software updates that can be downloaded wirelessly.

The Volkswagen Group, which owns the Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche brands, has aggressive plans for electric vehicles. It expects to have 20 electric or plug-in cars on the market before the I.D. goes on sale.

Volkswagen already has two electric cars in its own line up, the e-Golf and e-Up, but both of are also available with gas and diesel engines. The I.D. has been engineered to be produced only as an electric car. 

Article 2 : Want a Real-Life, Full-Size Transformer? This Company Builds Them

Ever wonder what the computer-generated Transformer robots in director Michael Bay's movies would look like in real life? A Turkish company has the answer, with a fully functional Transformer prototype.

In a series of videos, the company Letvision unveiled a transforming robot built from a BMW 3 Series coupe. Letrons, as the prototype is called, is controlled via a remote and can be seen driving and transforming in the video. It took a team of 12 engineers and four supporting technicians eight months to complete the prototype, Letvision officials said on the company's website.

In the video, an operator appears to use the remote control to drive the Letrons vehicle across a lot before initiating the machine's transformation. As the BMW slowly unfolds, a robot is revealed and stands tall. The operator also demonstrates the robot's actions, by moving its head and arms. 

Though the Transformers from the TV series and films were able to walk, Letvision said walking functionality was not developed for the prototype. However, this capability "can be added if a reasonable funding is provided for a new research and development," the company said.

There's no information yet on how much these real-life Transformers could cost or when they'll be available for purchase. But the company said it is planning a full line of transforming cars to join the bright-red Letrons, likely including an array of colors and body styles. 

Resume :    

After the scandal of VW, the make of car has to announce in the Car Show of bets yesterday, actually, the mark tries to change politicis by insisting on the electric motor car has low cost before 2020.At the moment the leader of cars electric is the mark tesla, VW has for objective to be a member of this leadership. The second article has nothing innovative in him even but it's so amazing, a compagny create a transformer, a transformer is a movie of science fiction is in which of the means of transport as cars, boats or planes tranforme  in robot. This company exceeds the fiction by creating exactly a serial BMW 3 which is transformed into robot.