Design Challenges A number of challenges remain for both hybrids and fully electric vehicles. Capacity alone is not enough. The technology should require minimal maintenance. Additionally, it must safely survive accidents. These systems need to be rugged and able to endure a wide range of temperatures as well.
Hybrid vehicles tend to have an intricate mechanical design that's more complex than fully electric solutions like the Roadster. Their system redundancy, energy storage systems, and electrical engine control are only somewhat similar. While cars don't balance on two wheels, a comparable solution can be found in the fully electric single-passenger vehicle, Dean Kamen's Segway Human Transporter (Fig. 7; see "Smart Motion Makes For A Smarter Design,").
For example, the Segway platforms employ numerous processors for control (Fig. 8). A number of these processors, though, simply monitor the system. While this leads to better efficiency, safety, and reliability, the design can get complex because of the number of subsystems involved.
Multiprocessing programming challenges can be as difficult to solve as improving the performance and reliability of the energy storage system. Low-cost 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers are meeting the needs at this point, but the falling prices of 32-bit platforms will change transportation's architectural landscape over the next few years.
Lights: halogen low- and high-beam headlamp assemblies, LED tail lights
Energy storage system: lithium-ion batteries, 3.5-hour minimum recharge time, expected lifetime in excess of 100,000 miles, microprocessor controlled, heater for cold weather charging to 20°C
Security: PIN for operating the vehicle; valet mode restricts speed, acceleration, and distance
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