BMW Eco-City Roadster for 2030
Abstract |
Inspiration |
Method |
Result
| Presentation Video
Abstract
The year 2030 will be the turning point for the automotive industry, with a new customer base: Generation Z (born between 1995-2009) will be purchasing their first cars, an important time as they will bring their ubiquitous lifestyle into the market.
In addition, every country will be developing Eco-Cities, we are no longer only thinking about efficient electric practices but also driving emotional nature vehicles in 2030.
Inspiration
This BMW Eco-City roadster took inspiration from nature, in the form of trees. If you stand next to the base of the tree and gaze up, you can notice two distinctive features: One of the features is the very strong and structural trunk, and the other is the very soft and emotional leaves.
These two main features are adapted to the car and they will bring a nice feeling to the drivers, a feeling of being under a tree.
Method
There were two main points for the design development. First, this is an Eco-City roadster for three people. This is a special feature for the next generation Z user, because they are utilizing social networks more than previous generations. This extra seat brings a more fun and social driving experience for the users.
Secondly, this roadster is an extra safe car, even though it is an open top vehicle. The roof incorporates a special gel called D3O within the leaves structure, which upon impact changes for a solid-state material, and helps prevent fatal accidents, in comparison to a standard open top vehicle.
Result
On the exterior there is a special asymmetric windshield, which will be beneficial in the Eco-Cities, where driving will average around 30-35km/hour.
Allowing a pleasant breeze to channel through the vehicle increases the sense of nature and brings more pleasure to the driver.
Visually, the vehicle is very lightweight with an efficient structural shape like a strong tree trunk. The vehicle uses electric hub motors that are incorporated in the wheels, and allows the vehicle's proportions to be very efficient, with very short overhangs and long wheelbase.
The interior design of the Eco-City roadster has a very compact dashboard, with all the functions focused towards the driver's zone, for the two touch screen panels, which enables the generation Z to enjoy the touch screen feeling they are already experiencing with products like the IPhone.