10 International Patents
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 was recruited from Albuquerque, New Mexico into GM’s Research & Development Center in Detroit, Michigan. After just eight weeks Adrian he helped answer the unresolved question of how to reinvent the automobile by combining an advanced propulsion system, electronic controls, and electric motors to yield an elegant skateboard plug and play chassis where the only moving parts are protons, electrons, and the wheels. Shortly thereafter he was appointed the Chief Architect of the program and was the project’s principal inventor. The program was named the Reinvention of the Automobile and has resulted in a series of fresh new vehicles all based on the new revolutionary skateboard architecture. 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, and the GM Sequel.
Adrian’s role 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, and was a core team member in the creation and development of the GM Sequel in addition to managing innovation development with and at Design Continuum.
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
Reinvention of the Automobile Patents authored by Adrian Chernoff
Below is a complete list of the awarded patents (50) and current pending patent applications (33) covering the Reinvention of the Automobile. They cover applications of using novel materials, business and manufacturing processes, and technologies such as electrical controls, by-wire systems, wheel hub motors, and fuel cells.
50
Awarded Patents
Worldwide
33
Patents
Pending
Worldwide
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
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 a direct descendant form 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.
Wheel Hub Motor
Lithium-Ion Battery
Front Electric Motor
Fuel Cell Stack
Hydrogen Storage Tanks
GM Chevy Sequel Skateboard
2005
Chevy Volt Chassis
2007
GM Chevy Volt
2007
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