Chery
@Ant
Futuristic
concept cars are a staple of any car show, and the 2012 Beijing International
Auto Show taking place this week is no exception. Of all the high-tech concepts
on display, one of the most interesting is the Chery @Ant. Chinese automaker
Chery hopes their pint-sized concept car can lead to huge changes on the road
with their innovated "road train" system.
The
@Ant is a two-seater electric car, with an unusual twist. The cars will be able
to link up on the road, creating a train of @Ants. The system is similar to
"cloud computing" in that different @Ants will be able to
electronically sense each other on the road and determine whether or not
they're heading in the same direction. If they are, the cars will automatically
latch on to each other - up to ten @Ants in a train. The result is greater
efficiency as the @Ants combine their power on the road and hopefully an easier
commute for drivers.
Like
any concept, the idea of the @Ant outpaces actual technology available to make
it happen. Chery is still vague on the details, but the idea of smart cars
identifying other vehicles making the same trip and linking up is an exciting
prospect nonetheless.
