The Peugeot Journey

It has been so long since my last post that I think the sole reader for this blog may well be, well myself? Anyway, this Post is to record my past few Attempts in one of the most prestigious Car Design contest in the car world - The Peugeot Car design Competition Series.

You may be asking, since I have taken part in the Competition for a few times, why then do I only publish my designs now? Well, Of Course something significant has taken place to have caused this entry.

Yes. I have been shortlisted for the 5th Peugeot Design Competition. There were about 2500 entries fo the 5th run of this International Design Competition series, and I am honoured to be able to squeeze into the top 30 entries out of the thousands and it is also the only SIngaporean Design up there with the best!... Yeah? I didn sound too excited?? hahah.. well yeah. Frankly i lost one night's sleep after i got to know i was shortlisted, when i saw the other entries, man they are jus too good! I think my chances are not that high now. But neverthelss, for me this is already good recognition of, if not my design skills, my passion fo car design.

So! This entry is to self-commemorate my effort in this design competition nd to showcase all my past 4 entries for this competition.

2nd Peugeot Design Competition - Peugeot RFV Peugeot Road Flying Vehicle or RFV in short is similar in concept to a plane when it comes to movement on the road, Using hydraulics to control its Suspensions, the 3-wheeler will tilt and dip the chasis towards the apex of a corner - very much like the way a motorcycle will tilt into a corner. It is meant to simulate flying, albeit on the road. Going into corners will be an enjoyable simulated sensation of 'flying' more than driving. The design of the RFV was taken after the F-117 stealth fighter, one of the most advance and popular jet fighter then. With Flat planes making up the body panels rather than swoopy/bubbly shape of modern day cars, the RFV differentiates itself from other design entries. (Frankly, it was also a limitation of my 3D modelling skills back then, which is really what i would call elementry). The insider story of t RFV was that, the form of the car was inspired by an architectural structural model that I was developing for an Architecture project when i was still in National University of Singapore.

The RFV was subsequently improved and renamed as the Peugeot 5light (Flight) and entered again for the 3rd peugeot Design competition. It was still not shortlisted. The RFV/5Light was eventually 'retired from service'.

3rd Peugeot Design Competition - 909 Adaptor This time round I got myself some new skills and modelled my car with a new 3D program. The Concept this time was that the car you got is effectively 2 cars in 1. In few of probable frequent update in technology and means of powering a car in the future, the 909 Adaptor is very much its name suggest, it adapts to new technologies and new ways of providing propulsion for a vehicle. The car was separated into 2 parts the cabin, and the powerplant. The 909 Adaptor tags along the agument that it is always more energy efficient to keep a old car running on the road for as long as it can than to produce a brand new car with better fuel efficiency.

The Cabin and front chasis+suspension set-up is the constant entity of the car, while the means of propulsion change from petrol-powered combustion engine to electric to fuel cell/hydrogen powered electric motors. In this way it minimise the need to develop and replace old technology with totally new cars, but rather, it allows simple replacing the powerplants with green technology enchancement to bring the its green endeavours to the max.

The Styling of the car announces the 2-part design concept. the front Cabin is deliberately styled to be separated from the powerplant portion of the car with a Functional visual Separator.

After I lost the Competition, I was contacted by an American Kit Car manufacturer Start-up Entrprenuer who wants to produce the Adaptor, thereafter I improved the design (the last image) and added character lines to the car. The deal fell through with the American after an aparent change in project direction.

4th Peugeot design Competition - Ground Water The one is the least memorable, in fact i don't remember what grund water means anymore, but vaguely, it was meant to to connect the occupants to the environment and have fun at driving at the same time. The All glass canopy is meant to connect the occupants to the surrounding Environment. Why water? this one is singularly a hydrogen powered electric car. It only Produces water. Hence its a ground hugging buggy that produces only water and hence the name - ground-water. Lame isn't it? but i was short of time then and this was a Bridging entry so that I'll be kept infomed of the next (5th) Peugeot Design competition.

5th Peugeot design Competition - Peugeot Blade The Peugeot Blade is one of the world's First Automobile to harness a Natural element that so many cars had been trying so hard to evade - Air. The main generator of the design Begin with this Wind turbine. The Automobile's design is essentially an electric car with each of the 4 wheels being diven by 4 individual electric motors housed in 4 pods that also houses the 4 wheels of the car. As the car moves through the air, the moving air across the body of the car turns the Wind turbine, this rotating motion of the turbine generates electricity that will be stored in batteries that will in turn power the 4 electric motors. This add to the Braking-Regenerative-electricity-energy which also store energy in the batteries when the car brakes, very much like the technlogy of modern hybrid cars. Combined with the turbine motion, the resultant is added range for electric cars, which are notoriously short range by nature.

It is this car that has been shortlisted as the top 30 design in the world in the 5th Peugeot Design Contest and so far it's the only Singaporean Entry. Though I think the Chances are not fantastic, however, still if you like to read more on it, for more information, please go to the Peugeot Website URL below.

You will find my complete write up there. If you also find that you want to support me for the design Please rate on the website how many stars my design is worth, by clicking on stars themselves. I thank you in advance for this.

http://www.peugeot.com/en/design/design-contest/5th-edition/the-29-finalists.aspx?PageNumber=20

An insider story for the Peugeot Blade is that This car is in fact an inspiration from y dad. My Dad is a Taxi Driver, and he has lots of stories to tell to share with me everytime. Of Which, one of the stories that he is particularly insistent on telling me is how he had observed household fans being transported on open top lorries. As the lorries move, fan blades will rotate frantically. He thinks that this is wasted energy that can be harness somehow and asked me to look into it. I did. And the Peugeot Blade is the result. Thank you Dad, You have made this Entry’s recognition possible. I love you Dad.