Evolution of Car Doors
Santosh Jha
| 05-09-2024
· Vehicle Team
With the continuous evolution and progress of the automobile industry, cars have transcended their role as mere transportation tools.
Today, people assess vehicles based on factors such as control, performance, design, and technological features.
Consequently, automobile manufacturers have intensified their research and development efforts to enhance the competitiveness of their models in the market. Even seemingly basic components like car doors have undergone significant development over the years, reflecting the industry's commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.
The history of innovative door designs spans decades:
- Sliding Doors: In 1953, US automobile manufacturers applied sliding doors to the Darrin coupe, marking a significant departure from traditional hinged doors.
- Gullwing Doors: This distinctive door design made its debut on the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gulling model, captivating enthusiasts with its unique upward-opening mechanism.
- Butterfly Doors: Introduced in September 1967 on the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, these doors open upwards and outwards, resembling the wings of a butterfly.
- Scissor Doors: Alfa Romeo showcased scissor doors on the Carabo concept car in 1968, elevating the futuristic appeal of the vehicle with its unconventional door-opening mechanism.
- Swing Door: Koenigsegg introduced a unique door design that requires three movements—abduction, rotation, and forward push—to open, adding an element of spectacle to the car's entrance.
- Straight Opening Door: This door design, now used in 95% of models on the market, aligns with people's daily living habits, offering simplicity and ease of use.
However, the latest innovation in car door technology lies in the realm of smart doors. Also known as car side door electric opening systems, smart doors integrate various components such as door opener actuators, electric suction door locks, radar sensors, and electronic control units (ECUs) to enable electric and remote-controlled door operation. This advanced technology allows for various intelligent door-opening methods, freeing users from manual exertion and streamlining the entry and exit process.
What sets smart doors apart from traditional door mechanisms?
- Firstly, they offer electric opening and closing functions, providing users with four switching modes: key remote control, outer door handle touch sensor, inner door handle light touch, and foot brake closing. This versatility ensures effortless and convenient operation in various scenarios.
- Secondly, smart doors retain traditional manual switching functionality, ensuring seamless operation even in the event of a power failure.
- Thirdly, they feature an all-terrain slope hovering function, addressing the challenges of parking on inclined surfaces and enhancing user convenience.
Smart doors incorporate intelligent anti-collision sensing capabilities, employing radar technology to detect obstacles within the door rotation range. This feature automatically pauses the door-opening process upon detecting obstacles, ensuring the safety of passengers and vehicles. Smart doors offer various humanized features, including anti-pinch door opening and closing, electric door opening failure safety protection mode, and other safety-enhancing functions. These features prioritize passenger safety while delivering a sophisticated and convenient user experience.
The emergence of smart doors reflects the automotive industry's response to consumer demand for safer, more comfortable, and technologically advanced vehicles. As consumers increasingly seek personalized and innovative automotive experiences, smart doors have become a defining feature of modern vehicles, setting new standards for convenience, safety, and sophistication.