General Motors Helping to Design City of the Future... in China

[BlackGTP]

General Motors Helping to Design City of the Future... in China
Fox News
August 5, 2011
by Gary Gastelu

At the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, General Motors sponsored a “Futurama” exhibit that depicted what the world might look like 20 years in the future. Back then, suburbs connected to cities by high-speed expressways were the thing of dreams, but something that came to pass soon afterwards thanks in part to the vehicles built by GM and other automakers.

Now, the American company is collaborating with a Chinese-Singaporean consortium that is building a real-life city of the future where cars as we know them are set to play a much smaller role than they do today, but where a forward-thinking GM still sees a great opportunity for growth.

Located on the outskirts of one of China’s largest existing metropolises, the Tianjin Eco-City was conceived as a large-scale prototype for sustainable, high-density communities. A reliance on renewable energy sources and mass transit are key elements in its environmentally-friendly design.

But even though its creators are planning for 90 percent of its eventual population of 350,000 to get around town using a light rail system, there will still be a need for individual point to point transportation, and that’s where GM comes in.

At the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the automaker unveiled the innovative EN-V concept, which mates a version of the self-balancing, two-wheel propulsion system used in the utilitarian Segway PT with an enclosed passenger compartment that seats either one or two people and has all of the creature comforts of a car.

But the tricks that make the upright, battery-powered vehicle more than just a Segway fit for bad weather are advanced telematics that allow it to “talk” to and avoid other EN-Vs nearby and an array of cameras that scan the area around it for pedestrians and other obstacles. Combined with a super-accurate GPS system, the EN-V is theoretically accident-proof and able to drive itself.

Full article and additional videos available at link.

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[Railfan]

Huh, I wonder why Detroit wasn't the location?

[BlackGTP]

sounds like you either need to build a city from scratch to do this or ban driving cars in the city - as they said, can't mix cars and these small vehicles.

[bmwboy2007]

I think it's fascinating that this is being done in China, instead of the US.. What does this mean, that China is the future?

[Railfan]

I think it's fascinating that this is being done in China, instead of the US.. What does this mean, that China is the future?

That was my point in my first response. Detroit certainly doesn't seem to have much of a future at this point, and GM perhaps sees that too. That's too bad for Detroit, Michigan, and the U.S.

[Stéphane Dumas]

Huh, I wonder why Detroit wasn't the location?

I guess China wants to built the biggest ghost town of the future. (slightly off-topic, I spotted these articles http://www.time.com/time/photogaller...094492,00.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/china...sh-town-2011-6
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-deserted.html )

[BlackGTP]

It means China has the money to spend on such projects and the USA doesn't. Think of the cost to build an entire new city. China is experiencing huge growth which gives off the kind of cash to do stuff like this - like the USA in the '50's.

[Neanderthal]

That was my point in my first response. Detroit certainly doesn't seem to have much of a future at this point, and GM perhaps sees that too. That's too bad for Detroit, Michigan, and the U.S.

FOLLOW THE MONEY.
Detroit does have the vacant land, however.

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriat...-40-sqr-miles/

http://detnews.com/article/20090723/...a-working-farm

And China has already built numerous ghost towns:

http://www.businessinsider.com/chine...-cities-2011-5

http://20somethingfinance.com/chinese-ghost-towns/

[MCGARRETT]

It means China has the money to spend on such projects and the USA doesn't. Think of the cost to build an entire new city. China is experiencing huge growth which gives off the kind of cash to do stuff like this - like the USA in the '50's.

We had the money.....but we sent it over there, in exchange for s****y goods a "Low Prices...Everyday".

[smith7629]

That was my point in my first response. Detroit certainly doesn't seem to have much of a future at this point, and GM perhaps sees that too. That's too bad for Detroit, Michigan, and the U.S.

This isn't GM's choice or GM's project. If American people demanded it and the politicians cared more about the future than their next election....then we could have a similar project in the US.

[Suziebob]

Hey, I hope they keep building more vacant cities in China for the middle class that will never exist. This housing bubble is going to be so hilarious to watch burst, especially since it'll take the world's dreams of a dominate superpower China with them.

[Neanderthal]

This isn't GM's choice or GM's project. If American people demanded it and the politicians cared more about the future than their next election....then we could have a similar project in the US.

Huh? The Amurrican pipples demanded ?G\\M build a city in China?

First I've heard of this!

I guess I should get out more amongst the Homo Saps, despite their incredibly primitive, superficial ways compared to Neanderthals.

Hey, I hope they keep building more vacant cities in China for the middle class that will never exist. This housing bubble is going to be so hilarious to watch burst, especially since it'll take the world's dreams of a dominate superpower China with them.

When the China bubble bursts, it will be the soy sauce splatter heard 'round the world.

[Railfan]

This isn't GM's choice or GM's project. If American people demanded it and the politicians cared more about the future than their next election....then we could have a similar project in the US.

I would have to say that you make a valid point.....about our politicians. Too bad it is taking place in China, though. We could really use a project of this size, in several locations in the USA. Still, it would take more money than the U.S. or any other country currently has, to start over from scratch with Detroit.

[throwback]

Huh, I wonder why Detroit wasn't the location?

China is GM's most important market

[Suziebob]

When the China bubble bursts, it will be the soy sauce splatter heard 'round the world.

It'll be beautiful though. I mean, American companies are massively profitable right now, in the middle of a huge recession. They're flush with cash. So they've, at least hypothetically, got the cash to ride it out. So there's no reason any real damage has to be done... some MBAs will lose money in the stock market, but other than that, it'll just be awesome.