Chief Vehicle Architect

In 2000 RIck Wagoner, CEO and Chairman of General Motors, asked and tasked the worlds largest automotive company “If we were reinventing the automobile today what would we do?”

To answer Wagoner’s call to action, Adrian Chernoff from Albuquerque, New Mexico was recruited into VP Larry Burns Research & Development Center in Warren, Michigan. After eight weeks Adrian assed, identified, and answered the unresolved question of how to reinvent the automobile. He became the project’s principal inventor by creating a universal, highly adaptable and flexible architecture by combining advanced propulsion systems, electronic controls, electric motors, and novel packaging to yield an elegant electric drive “skateboard,” a plug and play scalable chassis, where the only moving parts are protons, electrons, and the wheels.

Shortly thereafter he was appointed the Chief Architect of the program to initiate, develop, lead, and execute several advanced technology vehicles. The program was named the Reinvention of the Automobile and resulted in a series of fresh new vehicles all based on the new revolutionary skateboard architecture, alternative energy solutions, and electronic controls. The first unveiled concept, the GM AUTOnomy, was acclaimed as the biggest breakthrough in automotive transportation in the last 50 years and fueled the further development of the GM Hy-Wire, the GM Carousel, the GM Sequel and the interim plug-in-hybrid solution, the GM Chevy Volt.

Adrian’s role as the Chief Vehicle Architect included inventing, creating, and managing the concept development, build, execution, and role out of the GM AUTOnomy, the creation, development and build of the GM Hy-Wire in and at Stile Bertone, Italy, the creation, concept development, and design development and build of the GM CARousel, the manager of innovation development with and at Design Continuum, and was a member of the core team for the creation and development of the GM Sequel.

GM Sequel

2005

TOYOTA Copies the GM AUTOnomy and the GM Hy-Wire

In the highest form of flattery, a year after the unveiling of the GM AUTOnomy, Toyota showcases their version of the architecture with the copycat fuel cell, drive-by-wire and wheel motors concept with the Fine-N, and a year later it copies the passenger vehicle, GM Hy-Wire, with the same technology, but this time packaging the fuel cell below deck in the concept Fine-S.

Toyota Fine-N

2003

Toyota Fine-S

2004

Initial Beginnings of the Reinvention of the AUTOmobile

When the call of reinventing the automobile was given, we began by calling the vehicle Firebird 5 after the historic Firebirds. The Firebirds were the first true merging of technology and design at General Motors. They brought in the history by combining the state of the art technology, Turbines, and futuristic design thinking. It was the first merging of two worlds, General Motors Research & Development and General Motors Design. It was the last true collaboration in over 50 years. The evolution of the GM AUTOnomy was within this historic integration and collaboration. It should be no surprise than that the press and automobile experts claim the GM AUTOnomy to be the biggest thing in the last 50 years. Imagine if we collaborated and integrated more often?

The Original Firebirds

Firebird I, II, & III

Proof of Concept Car

Drivable Concept Car

Showcase Concept Car

Production Intent Concept Car

Adrian Chernoff

SUZUKI creates the Mobile Terrace off the GM Hy-Wire skateboard

The Suzuki Mobile Terrace, showcased at the Tokyo Motor show in late 2003, was a Suzuki developed show car based off the GM Hy-Wire skateboard chassis inclusive of the fuel cell and drive, steer, and brake by-wire technology. The six seater mini-van type vehicle had extensive visibility, abundant interior spaciousness, and innovative driver controls and displays. Innovations explored included a canopy created by opening the roof sides, quad opposing sliding doors, and a social pit stop by extending seat bases outside the vehicle and moving the flattening the 22-inch drivers display control panel into a social interactive table. The Mobile Terrace is in many cases is a living room on wheels; one moment it is for going to a destination and the next it is the destination.

Suzuki Mobile Terrace

2003

AUTOnomy Design Competitions

Over the years there have been many design venues and competitions based on the AUTOnomy skateboard as an enabler for design. One was specifically featured by Car Styling Magazine, and others have been done at design schools including Art Center College of Design, College for Creative Studies, and Strate Collège. GM has also hosted many summer interns over two different summers year with the primary focus around branding and creating innovative GM future vehicles off the skateboard chassis. In addition, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also researched and looked at hydrogen distribution technologies streaming from the AUTOnomy to win a $5,000 prize.

The Italdesign Giugiaro VAD.HO leverages GM’s By-Wire and Hydrogen Technology

At the Geneva Autoshow in 2007 the VAD.HO showcased technology first integrated in the GM Hy-Wire with by-wire controls, hydrogen technology, and electrically controlled foot rests. Although VAD.HO does not leverage fuel cells it does feature driver controls with joysticks that move back and forth eliminating wrist twists and rotation with by-wire controls. The novelty of the VAD.HO patent applications may be a mood point considering that the GM CARousel demonstrated an armrest control fixed to a seat and the technology of sliding motion controls are patent protected by GM.

Chevy VOLT plug-in-hybrid is the near-term descendant of the GM Hy-Wire technology platform

In January 2007 GM unveiled an architecture called E-Flex in the Chevrolet Volt concept vehicle featuring a plug-in battery electric propulsion system, which is a direct descendant from the GM AUTOnomy blood line. The concept showcases identical and available technologies demonstrated in the GM Hy-Wire and GM Sequel. These include the fuel cell propulsion system, hydrogen storage tanks, batteries, one electric motor for the front wheels, and electric motors mounted within each rear wheel. The only difference being the elimination of the skateboard and the use of a mechanical steering column. The ability of having a different propulsion systems such as a traditional gas, diesel, E-85 bio-fuel, or other electric powertrains was covered in the GM AUTOnomy program. The good news is the Volt is targeted for production in 2010 and will most likely have a an internal combustion engine and a front electric motor.