Inna Shevchenko, Prof., Dr. Sc. in Economics, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Business, Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University, Ukraine
There have been many fateful inventions in history, among which an important place belongs to the automobiles. With the advent of automobiles, people's lives, ways of household and organizing production have changed greatly. But this process continues today, because automobiles are constantly being improved.
Today, the automotive industry is an innovative leader. In the top 50 largest innovative companies in the world, we see 4 automobile corporations at once. Speed, ergonomics, safety, environmental friendliness, economy − these are the main priorities of the modern automotive industry.
Remember, ten years ago we sarcastically said that electric automobiles would never become mass, because (according to the so-called "conspiracy theory") it is not beneficial to "oil tycoons". But today, electric automobiles are commonplace. For example, in less than 10 years (in 2030), in the European Union, all automobiles should be only electric (according to the adopted program). And Norway plans a full transition to electric automobiles in 4 years − in 2025.
That is, the automotive industry continues to change the world. At the forefront of this process − China, the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, India, Mexico, Spain, France, Italy and other countries. But not Ukraine.
Let's be honest: Ukraine has lost hopelessly the battle for the automobile market. Although formally Ukraine still retains a place in the top 40 automakers in the world. Ukraine also lags far behind in terms of the level of "motorization of the population": there are only 202 cars per 1000 population in Ukraine, which is one of the lowest rates in Europe. Such modest indicators are a reason to draw the logical conclusion that the automotive industry and Ukraine are "incompatible".
But this is not the case. In support of this statement, the unique cars have been preserved in Ukraine, which were created by engineers to set records − the record-breaking racing cars of the Laboratory of High-Speed Cars of Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University (Kharkiv, Ukraine) (at the photo).
The largest high-speed car laboratory in Eastern Europe was established on the basis of the Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University (then − the Kharkiv Automobile and Highway Institute (KHADI)) more than 60 years ago.
During this time, professors and students of Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University created 34 unique cars that set more than 40 records, including 16 world records. I would like to talk about some of these cars and their records in this article.
The work of the Laboratory of High-Speed Cars of Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University can be divided into two epochs − the "epoch of speed" and the "epoch of economy".
During the "epoch of speed" should be especially noted the following cars:
- "KHADI-1", 1952. Record: 146 km/h at a distance of 1 km from the move.
- "KHADI-4", 1963. Records: 270 km/h at a distance of 1 km from the move; 251 km/h at a distance of 5 km from the move.
- "KHADI-7", 1966-1967 (at the photo). Records: 160 km/h at a distance of 1 km from the place (1966); 112 km/h at a distance of 0.5 km from the place (1967).
"KHADI-9", 1978. Record: 496 km/h during the filming of movie "Speed" (at the photo).
After 1984, speeding competitions were no longer held in the USSR, so further speed records of KHADI-cars were not officially recorded.
It would be unfair not to say about the car "KHADI-3" (1962). This car was not super fast. But this is the smallest record-breaking racing car in the world and it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records! Due to its miniature size and interesting shape, "KHADI-3" was nicknamed as a "pencil". In this archival photo you can see "KHADI-3" (in the middle) in comparison with its competitors during the setting of speed records on the salt lake Baskunchak.
The "epoch of economy" is represented mainly by the "KHADI-34" (2011) (at the photo), which drove 575 km per 1 liter of gasoline.
Today, the specialists in the Laboratory of High-Speed Cars of Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University are developing a "KHADI-35", which is planned to be made even more economical and environmentally friendly.
The automotive industry is an endless source of new ideas and scientific researches. In the last few years, carmakers have been competing to create a flying car, and quite successfully. There is also a heated debate about cars that theoretically are able to achieve the 5th level of automation, in which a person will only be a passenger in his/her own car. So let's watch together the development of the automotive industry, which is changing everything around!