Cars To Be Assembled Atom By Atom

Roland Piquepaille writes "In a new article, the Detroit News says that the adoption of nanotechnology by car manufacturers will produce safer, lighter and cheaper vehicles. While GM is already using nanocomposite materials for several vans, Ford is developing new nanoengineered catalysts to replace platinum. The newspaper gives other examples, such as auto-adaptive suspension systems, scratch-resistant paints or nanocoated windshields which will not crack. In fact, all parts in a car can be improved by using nanotechnology, according to the article. And if automakers are only going to introduce limited amounts of nanotechnology-related products in the next few years, their usage should be widespread within ten years. More details are available in this overview."

Comments

This outlier was disregarded decades ago

[Ars-Fartsica]

Your concerns were outweighed by the need to keep glass from nicely shattering and shredding passengers decades ago. Go look at accident photos prior to the age of safety glass. Not pretty.

The chance of my car being submerged in water is maybe ten million times less likely than the chance a collision will press my face against the windsheild or door glass at a high rate of speed, in which case I definitely do not want to be able to shatter that glass on impact - if I do, if forms a guillotene that take off a body part when I retract.

galvanized iron

[TubeSteak]

For the uninformed, hot dip galvanizing involves putting iron or steel (not aluminum right?) into a zinc and iron (with a touch of aluminum) molten mix. This does wonderful things for your metal, but mainly the process inhibits rust, which would void any rust warranties your dealer wants to sell you.

Banking on the new "IN" term

[poofyhairguy82]

This is just a ploy to wrap up investors that are captivated by the word "nanotechnology." In all probability the technology will probably just assure that future "American" cars will break down in exactly six years on the dot instead of the current relative time frame. Seeing as how for the last twenty or so years "American" (made in Mexico) carmakers have only been interested in making cars that will fail in ten or so years. "Planned Obsolesce" has become the mantra to drive the bottom line. "Nanotechnology talk" assures the investment capital need to do it.

Maybe, but you have your facts wrong

[ishmaelflood]

These are not American figures but I doubt they are much different over there. If we sell a car at the dealers for 30k then the factory will have paid about 15k for parts, and about 1k for assembly labor.

Development costs are about 1-2k, averaged over the entire build.

We'd typically invoice the dealer for 21k

He pays car tax and so on, that's about 20% of the sticker price, ie 6k. We also pay for some marketing.

Cars have got somewhat more expensive to build, simply because catalysts, engine management computers and airbags cost a lot, and general spec levels have increased. Your 1980s high volume derivative would not have had a/c, auto, power seats, power glass, CD player, airbags, ABS, as STANDARD. It would have had 14 inch tires, not 16s. It would have had 120 hp, not 200 (not that, that cost much). In the last 13 years the car I work on has increased in weight by 15%, that weight costs money.