Tag Archives: Russian

Motorsport

This Russian EV Looks Absolutely Ridiculous

In a shocking transfer amidst the troubled panorama of the Russian automotive business, Moscow Polytechnic University has a brand new electrical car prototype named Amber. The car’s design has sparked widespread criticism, with many saying it could beat the Fiat Multipla for the title of the world’s ugliest automotive.

The Amber is not only a prototype. It is about to enter manufacturing in 2025 on the Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad. Interestingly, that manufacturing facility has a historical past of manufacturing vehicles for prestigious worldwide manufacturers corresponding to BMW, Ford, Kia, and Hyundai. However, the withdrawal of those firms from the Russian market following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has left the plant looking for new alternatives.

Details in regards to the Amber’s specs, together with vary, energy, and charging capabilities, are but to be formally launched. Critics recommend that the car’s peculiar design could stem from the usage of off-the-shelf elements, with parts presumably sourced from varied current Russian automobiles. Those bug-eyed headlights and two portholes on the precise facet have drawn explicit consideration for his or her unconventional placement.

Some folks even speculate a few of the parts may very well be sourced from AliExpress, however that is unconfirmed. According to the official data, nonetheless, the electrical motors, battery, inverter, and different parts from the powertrain are all developed and assembled in Russia. 

Technology

The Aérotrain: A French Train That Never Made It Into Service

The Aérotrain, unlike traditional trains, resembled an aircraft or the Russian Ekranoplan. It utilized a principle called “the ground effect” to essentially glide on air. This effect occurs when an object flies close to the ground at a high speed, causing air to gather underneath and push it upward, providing a limited amount of lift. After creating small-scale models, the Aérotrain’s full-size prototype looked somewhat like a bus with a propeller at the back, combined with the Disney monorail. In 1966, it reportedly reached a speed of 214 miles per hour on an elevated track. Later, the propeller was replaced with a turbine engine, enabling it to reach 262 miles per hour, slightly faster than the electric Rimac Nevera hypercar.

The viability of the Aérotrain was proven through tests. However, as is the case with many large public projects, politics played a role. In 1974, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing assumed the presidency of France and decided to cancel the Aérotrain project in favor of another ongoing high-speed rail project, the TGV. The TGV, a series of electric trains, still operates today, reaching speeds of approximately 198 miles per hour.