EDAG has unveiled its latest “Light Car – Open Source” concept. There are a lot of features to this vehicle which make unique, there is the use of (O)LED technology as a driver configurable exterior lighting units and as well a television screen-like security feature which can alert vehicles at the back of road conditions. It chassis is made of 100% recyclable basalt fiber.
Lithium-ion battery pack give sufficient power to electric motors for a distance of 150 kilometers(93 miles). This future vehicle is only 4 meters long (13 feet) and 1.7 meters wide (5.6 feet). By EDAG it can seat five travelers in comfort as it lacks typical gearbox engine and gearbox.

Press release:

Let there be light
EDAG presents its powerful innovation “Light Car – Open Source” at the
79th Geneva Motor Show
EDAG, worldwide provider of engineering services, will be presenting the world premiere
of its vision of an environment-friendly, future-orientated vehicle for everyday
and leisure use at this year’s International Motor Show in Geneva.
For the body concept of the “Light Car – Open Source”, EDAG has broken new
ground, and for the first time ever in automotive engineering, used ASA.TEC’s innovative
basalt fibre, a lightweight, stable and – above all – 100% recyclable material.
Propulsion is taken care of by intelligent, electric drive systems in the wheels, which
not only feature a high degree of efficiency to get the power of the lithium-ion batteries
onto the road, but will also provide considerably greater creative scope for the
vehicle package. In addition, with its innovative light concept, the “Light Car – Open
Source” will be one of the first vehicles to utilise (O)LED technology as an individually
adaptable design and communication element.
As a design engineering company, the EDAG Group would like to apply its experience
to contributing to the development of new vehicle concepts and processes. Rising
energy prices, the CO2 discussion and the increase in demands for reasonably
priced cars are all pressing questions which now, more than ever, call for innovative
concepts. Since 1999, EDAG has, with its concept cars, been producing pragmatic
ideas for the evolution of the automobile. Motivated by the current discussions about
the cars of tomorrow and future direction of the automotive industry, EDAG has
risked taking a visionary and courageous look towards the future. With the “Light Car
- Open Source”, EDAG gives possible answers to the question of how new materials,
new body concepts and alternative drive systems can be implemented in the future,
while conserving resources and keeping costs down for the manufacturer and customer
alike.
Light as a design and communication element
The body: an individually adaptable desktop
With its innovative light concept and minimalised lighting technology, the “Light Car -
Open Source” is one of the first vehicles to use (O)LED technology as a variable design
and communication element.
Not until it is started up does the “Light Car – Open Source”, with a body that looks as
though it is made of glass, come to life and reveal its true looks. In the glass panes,
(O)LED lamps mark out the outlines of the headlights and rear lights on the “Light
Christoph Horvath, Press Spokesman, Page 2 of 4 20.01.2009
Car – Open Source”. The driver can design the outlines of the lights to his individual
taste to give the car a unique appearance, something he is already used to doing,
from setting up his PC desktop. The driver also has a free hand when it comes to
arranging his “workplace” in the cockpit. Whether he wants the tachometer in the
middle or the climate control gauge on the right-hand side, the driver can individually
configure his cockpit as far as size, position and style of the instruments is concerned.
“We have transferred today’s multimedia and lighting technology standards to the
car, and in future want to offer the customer scope for free configuration, as the entire
surface of the vehicle functions like the monitor of a multimedia installation, and
can be used intelligently and individually,” explains Johannes Barckmann, Head of
the EDAG Design Studio.
With the aid of state-of-the-art (O)LED technology, EDAG uses the transparent tailgate
as a projection screen, making car-to-car communication visible and usable to
all motorists. For instance, the braking force can be communicated to the next vehicle
by means of an illuminated scale on the back of the car. Other information, such
as a distance reading or if there is the tail end of a traffic jam ahead, can be clearly
displayed on the back of the car, even if the vehicle behind does not have a car-tocar
communication system of its own. Further, the driver of the car behind can see
the information straight away, without needing to take his eyes off the road!
Innovative basalt fibre as material – rolling chassis as platform
With the choice of materials for EDAG’s “Light Car – Open Source”, the emphasis is
also on innovative solutions. Apart from the glass surfaces or alternatively Makrolon,
the material of the future, the structure of the vehicle is predominantly of an innovative,
industrially standardised basalt fibre (ASA.TEC fibre). This 100% recyclable and
almost infinitely available raw material is not just lighter and less costly than aluminium
or carbon, but also has practically the same strength properties as conventional
materials. This new quality of basalt fibre, which is to be utilised in the construction of
rotors for large-scale wind power plants in the future, can now be put to systematic
use in the automotive industry. This type of basalt fibre therefore has the potential for
becoming a main structural element and thus being used as a future lightweight material
in cars for the high volume market.
The body concept of the “Light Car – Open Source” is based on a rolling chassis – a
genuine, universal platform to which the modules for various bodies can be added.
This enables vehicle derivatives to be developed more quickly and at lower cost.
Christoph Horvath, Press Spokesman, Page 3 of 4 20.01.2009
One hundred percent monovalent!
The drive concept of the light car is based on an all-electric, monovalent drive system
with a range of up to 150 kilometres, making it eminently suitable for everyday use.
The matter of propulsion is taken care of by intelligent, electric drive systems in the
wheels, which not only feature a high degree of efficiency to get the power of the lithium-
ion batteries in the rolling chassis onto the road, but will also provide considerably
greater creative scope for the vehicle package. This is made possible by a system
integrated in the wheels, which consolidates a number of functions: steering,
brakes, drive and suspension.
The light car’s exterior dimensions – four metres long and 1.70 metres wide – put it in
the compact car size range, and as both engine and gearbox have been eliminated,
the wheelbase – 2.90 metres – has been brought up to luxury class level, with enough
space to seat five passengers in comfort.
Open source
The new lightweight material, standardised basalt fibre, an electric drive system, rolling
chassis and – last but not least – the innovative lighting concept offer great potential
for a new vehicle concept. Many of the technologies shown today are still in the
early stages of their development. For this reason, EDAG regards this as an open
source project, and approaches other companies with which it can then work on the
development of the EDAG Light Car. The company has made a deliberate decision to
address itself to a wide circle, thus enabling new notions to be absorbed in the car of
the future. Computer and software developers are to apply their new technologies in
exactly the same way as ASA.TEC basalt fibre, (O)LED technology or electric drive
specialists do.
With EDAG’s expertise in vehicle and production plant development, and the integration
of system suppliers in complex complete development projects, the Fulda company
will be playing the leading role in the development of the open source project.
The company’s all-round understanding of product and production will help EDAG to
develop pragmatic solutions, particularly regarding savings potential when it comes to
product costs.
With “Light Car – Open Source”, the EDAG Group intends not only to substantiate its
claims to being an innovative engineering partner to the automotive industry, but also
to stimulate the discussion of ways and means of satisfying future consumer demands
- ecological and economical – on the next generation of cars.
Christoph Horvath, Press Spokesman, Page 4 of 4 20.01.2009
EDAG- Partner to the international mobility industry
The world’s largest independent development partner, EDAG develops tailor-made concepts and solutions
to meet the mobility requirements of the future. The development of complete modules, vehicles,
derivatives, and production plants is just as much a part of the service portfolio as the construction
of models, prototypes, special vehicles, and small-series production. Besides development performance,
EDAG offers to implement complete production systems for body in white construction and
vehicle assembly, through to the low volume production of modules and special vehicle series, from a
single source.
EDAG is represented at over 35 locations in 17 countries and on 5 continents worldwide. The company,
founded in 1969, offers mature solutions optimized for production from its intermeshed business
divisions Product Development, Production, Manufacturing Equipment, and Aerospace. EDAG focuses
on the automotive and aviation industries as well as on other partners from the international
mobility industry. In 2007, the Group had turnover of more than 690 million euros, and employed a
worldwide workforce of over 5,900.