« microsoft research profiles women in cs research | Main | An Island of Women in There »

March 28, 2004

First car designed by women

The first car in automotive history designed entirely by women appeared at the Geneva International Motor Show earlier this month. The sporty YCC ("Your Concept Car") was the result of a 14-month project at Volvo. The company enlisted hundreds of its female employees to oversee the design and production of a vehicle, a project which "seemed logical given the male-dominated industry is constantly trying to attract more female buyers."

Hans-Olov Olsson, Volvo's president and chief executive, said the company discovered that women want everything in a car that men want in terms of performance and styling, "plus a lot more that male car buyers have never thought to ask for."

"We learned that if you meet women's expectations, you exceed those for men," he said.

The result: A car that's designed to be nearly maintenance free, requiring an oil change every 31,000 miles. When it's time for an engine inspection, the car sends a wireless message to a local service center, which notifies the driver. The vehicle has no hood, only a large front end primarily suited for opening by a mechanic. It also features a race-car-like fueling system with a roller-ball valve opening for the nozzle but no gas cap. The engine is a low-emission, gas-electric hybrid. Gull-wing doors allow easy access to space behind the driver's seat. The bottom of the rear seats fold up, similar to theater seating, providing more storage space. The car also has dirt-repellant paint and glass, exchangeable seat covers with matching carpet and sensors that allow for easier parking.

The full article is at USA Today: Women design concept car for Volvo.

Posted by Gina at 11:38 AM | Permalink

Comments

There's an interesting discussion going on at Raymond's site about the car having no user-serviceable parts, and how that compares to open source software.

http://weblogs.asp.net/oldnewthing/archive/2004/03/18/91900.aspx

Posted by: Gina at Mar 28, 2004 12:43:35 PM

Still, fascinating Gina.

Posted by: Joel at Mar 28, 2004 4:43:00 PM

I saw this on television, and couldn't help thinking of the huge parking spaces those gull-wing doors would require, to avoid hitting the car in the next space.

Opening them in my little (but certainly large enough) garage would be impossible.

At least it's not pink . . .

Posted by: SB at Mar 28, 2004 5:44:03 PM

I guess it shows that car prototype designers can have equal bits of genius and ignorance about how real people use cars, regardless of whether they're male or female. And what are the privacy implications of the car informing a service centre that it needs maintenance? Why not just tell the driver?

Posted by: Derek at Mar 29, 2004 4:46:42 PM

gag.

"One of the car's features, according to Chrysler literature: a compartment on back of one of the seats that held a 'stunning shoulder bag in soft rose leather ... fitted with compact, lighter, lipstick and cigarette case.'"

the only truly feminine aspect of this car is the hybrid low emissions bit.

Posted by: le at Mar 30, 2004 10:05:36 AM

le: +1.

Posted by: Gina at Mar 30, 2004 10:16:17 AM

The car might suck, but not the idea behind it. Cars suffer from being designed by men who use the military as a prototype for what a car should do, i.e. attack. We all suffer from a road system that was built by similarly minded men. One of the great remaining segregates spaces in America is the whole transportation system, from the petroleum that fuels it to the roads that carry cars that are made to look good on ads for a man who fantasizes about driving over the speed limit with some appreciative harlot at his side who is unaccountably unafraid of losing her face to the shards of glass that will inevitably accompany the crash.

It would be wonderful if the gender line was broken in Detroit. Get rid of this design.

Posted by: rogerg at Mar 31, 2004 2:00:03 AM