The 88th International Geneva Motor Show ran from March 8 till March 18 this year. This annual show is at the Palexpo, a convention center in the Swiss city of Geneva. This year the show focus was electric vehicles, and this is currently one of the hottest trends in the industry. The Geneva Motor Show never disappoints, as it is a place where brands of all levels, from established power houses to new start ups, can present on the same playing field. The 2018 show featured an impressive variety of ideas, from autonomous cars to concept vehicles that can fly. Let’s take a look at the latest car tech presented at the Geneva Motor Show.
The Hyundai Kite made its world premiere at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. This unique concept vehicle is a two seater dune buggy that converts into a single seater jet ski. How much fun would it be to take one of these with you on a beach vacation? The innovative idea is the result of a collaborative effort between Hyundai Design Center Europe and Istituto Europeo del Design, an internationally recognized Italian design school. According to Thomas Bürkle, the Chief Designer at Hyundai Design Centre Europe, “Design is the number one reason why our customers in Europe choose Hyundai cars. We are always evolving our design to reflect modern lifestyle, which is our key to success. We are delighted to contribute to the development of young talents in Europe who will be designing the cars of the future. The Hyundai Kite is a great result of an exceptional partnership.”
PAL-V advertises the Liberty as “a car that flies and a plane that drives”. This groundbreaking product is an introduction to the age of the flying car. The design is an exciting blend of Dutch engineering and Italian style. The Netherlands is well recognized for innovative breakthroughs in technology and engineering. Dutch engineers applied that knowledge to turning fantasy into reality, while meeting high safety standards. Italy is known for slick, elegant automotive designs, so PAL-V partnered with top Italian designers to create a vehicle with show stopping shape and color. Ir Robert Dingemanse, the CEO and co-founder of PAL-V, explains that “what drives me is to create the first commercially viable flying car on the market.” It appears that he just might do that.
Talk about outside the box design! Italdesign’s Pop.Up Next is a modular transportation platform. The wheeled base attaches to a passenger pod. This part of the pod design is a collaboration with luxury car maker, Audi. Airbus designed the vertical lift off aircraft portion of the pod. Set the pod on an electric base and you have a car. When the Airbus flying pieces hovers over and attaches to the passenger pod, the vehicle transforms into a flying car. The Pop.Up next is designed to alleviate urban traffic congestion, offering commuters to option to drive or fly. According to Italdesign, “Pop.Up combines the flexibility of a small two seater ground vehicle with the freedom and speed of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) air vehicle, thus bridging the automotive and aerospace domains. The core of the product is therefore the Intermodalityand making it modular.”
Volkswagen is showcasing the future possibilities of automated driving with the I.D. Vision. Volkswagen has subdivided the levels of automation into 5 levels. At the highest level, the technology is so intelligent that a driver is no longer needed. A steering wheel and cockpit are still options if the driver wants to drive conventionally. According to the Volkswagen press release, “In a vision of what may be possible by the year 2030, the I.D. VIZZION’s ‘digital chauffeur’ assumes control of the vehicle—without a steering wheel or visible controls. The concept car drives, steers and navigates autonomously in traffic, enabling passengers to sit back and enjoy the ride.”
The future is now when it comes to automotive technology. Flying vehicles and autonomous cars are two of the newest technologies that made a debut at the Geneva Motor Show. One can only image what will be in store for the 2019 event!
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