Tag Archives: Automotive

Top 5 Trailblazing Electric Pickup Truck Concepts To Rival The Cybertruck

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If you’re someone who wants to own an electric pickup truck, then you’ve probably been eyeing the Cybertruck since it was unveiled, and waiting for its launch. Electric pickup trucks are the epitome of function, form, and utility. They are ideal for work on the weekdays, and some off-roading on the weekends. They’ve been designed to maneuver all kinds of terrains. If you’re tired of waiting for the Cybertruck and want to have a look at other menacing electric pickups then you’ve reached the right spot. From an insane Hondo pickup truck concept to a compact Mini Cooper-sized pickup with the practicality of a Toyota Tacoma – these innovative pickup designs are trailblazers in the arena of EVs.

1. Honda Ridgeline EV

Dubbed the Ridgeline EV, this conceptual design by Rene Garcia was initially intended to be a Dakar rally truck, but slowly it transformed into a pickup truck for Honda. It can handle pretty much anything thrown at it!

Why is it noteworthy?

The conceptual EV features a winch hook on the front, a frunk at the back, and suicide-style rear doors that allow you to enter the car’s spacious and comfy interiors. It also boasts an expandable truck-bed on the back, that is equipped with tools and emergency medical kids.

What we like

  • The back of the car can be opened up, allowing the rear seats to flip 180° and face backward

What we dislike

  • Quite bulky to look at

2. Hyundai ECG

Called the Hyundai EGG, this compact off-roading automotive is a mixture of a buggy and a compact hatchback. It is a reliable electric mini pickup car that has great mileage even at higher speeds when traveling to another city.

Why is it noteworthy?

The EGG’s electric drivetrain is quite efficient, allowing the car to maintain a great range even when treading the off-roading trails. It features a 360-degree panoramic windshield to offer clear visibility for a safer drive.

What we like

  • The rear can hold a good amount of cargo for trips

What we dislike

3. The IBO

The IBO is inspired by the Avant-garde architecture of Frank Llyod Wright, specifically the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. It breaks down the perception that a great pickup should look edgy like a Cybertruck and instead adopt slick curved surfaces.

Why is it noteworthy?

The seats are adjustable, allowing the interiors to be flexible for a wide range of use cases. There’s also storage for a spare tire right under the bed’s surface.

What we like

  • Unique endearing aesthetics that are a good break from the typically seen edgy aesthetics of pickup trucks

What we dislike

  • The truck’s bed is on the shorter side, which may not be preferred by everyone

4. TELO

Designed by Yves Béhar and TELO, the TELO pickup truck is created for urban riders and combines the capabilities of a full-sized pickup truck and a compact size.

Why is it noteworthy?

The TELO is said to be as compact as the Mini Cooper but showcases the capabilities of a Toyota Tacoma. If you stash the 152-inch truck against the 231-inch Cybertruck, you know it’s going to be way more suited for the crowded city streets.

What we like

  • Features a sloping nose section to decrease the front profile without sacrificing interior space

What we dislike

  • Currently not available for sale, so we’re unsure whether the final design will live up to the renders

5. The Canoo Anyroad

The Canoo Anyroad is the perfect mix between a city car, a pickup, an ATV, and a recreational vehicle. It is the ideal vehicle for those living in a city apartment, suburban home, or even the great outdoors!

Why is it noteworthy?

It comes with an incredibly minimalist design (in signature Canoo style) and even boasts of those iconic shaped headlights and taillights. The automobile exists in two parts that separate into a car on the front, and a collapsible tent at the back.

What we like

  • Features modern aesthetics that are perfect for urban roads

What we dislike

  • The bed is much shorter than the ones found on traditional pickup trucks

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Terracamper turns Mercedes G Wagon into an equipped off-grid camper van with Tecrawl conversion kit

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We have seen some interesting and capable camper vans through 2023. A successful year for the industry is about to wrap up but Terracamper – based out of Germany – wants it should do so on a high. It is therefore giving Mercedes enthusiasts, others of course included, the opportunity  to enhance their outdoor activities this winter, and going forward into the summer, with the new Tecrawl G-Camper kit.

Yeah, it’s the G Wagon and not the ideal and beloved Sprinter van that forms the basis for this conversion. The 4×4 G Class Mercedes has been outfitted with a basic layout and modular accessories to make a camper van worthy of being taken out for a longer spin than a weekend.

Designer: Terracamper

Taking of which, the German camping marque has just about done justice to incorporate the luxury a Merc may demand. The idea of the conversion kit is to keep things simple yet focus largely on utility. The Tecrawl, therefore, comes with a full thermal insulation pack for the colder months and a 31-L compressor cool box for the summery days. The power requirement is taken care of by the optional solar energy system and the integrated 150Ah lithium battery.

The renewable energy system renders the Tecrawl capable of camping off the grid. For comfort inside, the Tecrawl provides the G Wagon with a comfortable sleeping unit for three people. The main sleeping section is crafted in the provided rooftop tent – accessible via a ladder – while the convertible dining table morphs into a sleeper for the third person. This table also fulfills the third function: It flips into a work desk beside a side sofa ideal for the needs of a mobile workaholic.

Terracamper furnishes the Tecrawl G-Camper with decent interior storage and provides a retractable awning to extend the living space when you’re camped. Here you can also pull out the kitchenette from within the camper van for the culinary requirements. The pull-out kitchen offers a two-burner gas stove, fold-out counters, a prep area, and a utility fridge. The water requirement is catered to by a removable 20-L fresh water canister and a portable dry toilet space you trip outdoors. Given its merits, the Tecrawl G Wagon camper van conversion kit starts at €11,000 (roughly $11,900).

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California Regulators approve ‘Turquoise Blue’ car lights to indicate ‘Self-driving modes’

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Even though it’s been nearly a decade since self-driving tech made it to our cultural forefront, we’re still in the process of figuring out how to make the technology safer, how to implement it in current urban setups, and more importantly, how to successfully legislate it. There’s always a moral conundrum with who is to blame if a self-driving car hits a pedestrian (the driver or the algorithm), but Mercedes-Benz approached this problem laterally by asking the question: How can pedestrians tell if a car is driven by a human or an algorithm? The answer comes in the form of a colored light. Regulators in California and Nevada have approved Mercedes’ use of a turquoise blue indicator (on the front, sides, and back) to help pedestrians and other cars know when the vehicle is being controlled autonomously.

Designer: Mercedes-Benz

Let’s paint the picture: currently, U.S. cars typically sport three light colors – white for headlights and reverse lights, red for brake and rear lights, and amber for turn signals. Enter Mercedes-Benz, breaking the mold with its turquoise blue lights, a feature that will activate when their cars are driving autonomously.

The lights are part of Mercedes’ “Drive Pilot” system, a conditionally autonomous technology. It’s legal only in California and Nevada for now, where it’s been tested. The system allows drivers to relax a bit more in traffic jams on certain highways, even letting them take their eyes off the road when the vehicle is moving at speeds below 65 km/h. This is a leap from other driver assistance systems, like Tesla’s Full Self Driving or GM’s Super Cruise, which require drivers to remain vigilant.

The choice of turquoise blue is no accident. It’s distinctive, ensuring no confusion with existing car light colors, and it’s different enough from the darker blue used by police and emergency vehicles. This selection is backed by the Society of Automotive Engineers, though Mercedes is the first to receive approval for its use. This innovative color will make its appearance around the taillights and headlights of the vehicles equipped with it.

But why go to all this trouble for a color? It’s all about clarity and safety. The turquoise blue lights serve as a clear signal to other road users and law enforcement that the vehicle is under full automated control. This is crucial in situations where the driver might not be looking at the road, ensuring that onlookers don’t mistakenly think something’s amiss. Starting early 2024, this system will be available in Mercedes S-Class and EQS models in Nevada and California, but not beyond these states just yet​.

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BMW x TYDE reveals world’s largest foiling yacht to efficiently motorize the days above the waves

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Foiling technology in yachts is not new, but it has really taken off above the waves in recent times, for its ability to add substantial efficiency and noise-free rides for the demanding, affluent patrons. Case in point, the first collaborative, “The ICON” by BMW and TYDE. Opening new frontiers, the carmaker and marine expert are back with “The OPEN,” the world’s largest foiling motor yacht with luxury unparalleled.

Some collaborations are meant to be, and that’s exactly where it is going with the two abovementioned industry leaders. It is their second partnership for The OPEN, which is meant to be a larger and refiner electric foiling yacht designed for enjoyment above the waves.

Designers: BMW and TYDE

The OPEN is, as the design team puts it, a new “perspective on electrification, sustainability, and innovation.” The inventive electric vessel is designed to measure 49 feet long and about 15 feet in width. It will be powered by a zero-emissions drivetrain, borrowing the efficacy from The ICON. The battery onboard is a BMW i3 with 400kWh capacity and twin 100kW electric motors that provide The OPEN maximum speed of 30 knots.

An interesting aspect is the integrated hydrofoils that will allow the yacht to begin gliding above the water at around 18 knots with minimum drag and utmost silence. The propulsion system further helps reduce OPEN’s energy consumption by up to 80 percent, the designers note.

Capable of cruising over the waves at 25 knots on 50 nautical miles of range, the luxury yacht also adds to the green performance with solar panels embedded in the vessel’s hardtop. The yacht has a windshield wrapped around the seating area which offers a clear yet safe vantage point to check out the surrounding panorama. The life on the deck doubles up from being a solitary sun-basking regime to a dining area, and bathing platform, if you may.

For when the day is over and you need to hit the sack, onboard you have an accommodation for two. The cabin is luxury-packed with all the amenities including a bed, workstation, TV, and ensuite bathroom.  The OPEN electric foiling yacht is likely to begin shipping toward the end of 2024 with TYDE managing the production and marketing.

 

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This autonomous robot scouts unfriendly terrain for dangerous land mines in warzone and post-conflict regions

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Wars bring with them massive destruction on the battlefield but the implications beyond wartime can be equally devastating in terms of mental, psychological and physical damage. The ongoing strangling in two of the most important regions in the world is a clear example of how conflicts can have devastating aftermaths. Land mines have long been one of the worst nemesis of post-war calamities, rendering fertile lands too risky to be cultivated.

Searching for these fatal buried hazards can be an arduous task even for the most potent military units and that’s where robotic land mine detectors make the task easier. This takes all the risk of human life away and also ensures the particular area of land is safely ridden of destructive land mines laid down by battling units in the past.

Designer: Subin Kim and JiHoon Park

Meet the Warden mine detector proposed as a concept design that safely takes care of identifying potential land mines and marks the area with red paint to keep everyone safe. This creates a quarantined zone for residents and outsiders about the potential threats. Working autonomously to scout any kind of terrain, the smart robotic minesweeper is connected to the cloud at all times to send the real-time data of identified mines, so that they can be updated in relevant online maps and public resources.

Looking like a rover moving forward on unknown lands, this robot has a high ride height to move swiftly on rocky terrain. The machine is loaded with advanced sensors and a surprising mowing attachment to remove any standing grass or weed. This makes the marked area visible even in the dark hours of the day. When not autonomous, the minesweeper robot can also be controlled by a soldier during wartime scouting.

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Range slide-in truck campers for all year round off-grid camping are built spaciously with every amenity onboard

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I don’t really have a thing for hard-top campers, they look overly bulky and have a more rigid approach to the idea of accessible camping. Wilderness Vans Range slide-in campers (R1 and R2) have a little bias going their way, chiefly because these are designed for all-year-round off-grid camping, and are built spaciously with all the amenities onboard. In fact, windows and skylights allow a constant flow of natural light and fresh air, preventing the occupants inside the Spacekap Diablo from feeling stuffy but have a pleasant interior to themselves.

Diablo only forms the foundation of the slide-in camper designed to snugly fit the bed of any heavy-duty truck. Given its unibody design, the camper can be removed easily when not required or you want to install it on a new ride. The excitement about the Range R1 (three-person model) starts at the exterior which has a UV-resistant SK gelcoat you can have painted in a choice of color you want. The 6-foot camper has a well-thought-out floor plan accommodating a sliding bed, dinette, galley and storage.

Designer: Wilderness Vans

The Range campers are fully insulated for all weather usage. It comes with natural fiber and wool installation in the walls and ceilings and the cushioned wood flooring is layered with cell foam for thermal performance in winter and to keep the interior cool during the summer months. A diesel air heater is also included as an option. Since ventilation is essential in truck campers for an enjoyable camping experience; the Range campers make provision for it with curved windows, matching the contour of your pick-up body, and skylights adding to light and ventilation.

The pull-out bed at one end of the camper turns the small space into a nice living quarter without hampering the living space. The headroom is limited on the bed because there is no pop-up option (I told you hard shells are not my thing), but the ventilation makes up so you don’t at any time feel cramped in there. Access into the Range campers is through the 40/60 back doors that lead you first up into the galley spruced with storage options everywhere.

In the cooking space itself is a gas stove and sink, a fridge/freezer, and pull-out countertop surfaces. Just across is the dinette for two that converts into a bed for one additional person in the R1. In the 8-foot Range R2, this dinette is bellowing the extending bed and is slightly bigger to transform into a double bed when required. The bench here can accommodate a portable toilet underneath it to make the camping experience less stressful. For its outdoor ability, the Range Campers come with a 200-watt solar charging station to take care of the power needs in off-grid locations. According to the information on Wilderness Vans website, the Range R1 with its gorgeous yellow interior is priced at CA$56,200 (approx. $42,000).

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The World’s Smallest Car comes as a DIY kit that you can build yourself for just $15,000

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Imagine a car so tiny it can fit in an elevator, yet it’s yours to build and drive. Enter the Peel P50, the world’s smallest production car from the 1960s, now available as a DIY kit. This miniature marvel, originally produced with just enough room for “one adult and one shopping bag,” is smaller than a Vespa scooter and lacks a reverse gear, relying instead on a handle at the back for manual maneuvering.

Touted as quite literally the world’s smallest car, the P50 sports a fiberglass shell, has a 49cc engine on the inside, weighs a paltry 300 pounds, and is like an adult equivalent of the iconic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. For the eco-conscious or the simply curious, the electric model, powered by a 4 kW motor, tops out at a modest 28 mph. The car is available as a DIY kit that ships complete with wheels, body, seat, steering wheel, drivetrain, and more, demanding around 50 hours of assembly time. For those less inclined to build their own, fully-assembled versions are available too!

Designer: P.50 Cars

Despite its diminutive size, the P50 replica doesn’t skimp on essentials: suspension, lighting, horn, brakes, mirrors, and the iconic single suicide door on the left side. It’s street legal in most places, classified as a kit car, moped, or motorcycle. As P50 Cars puts it, the P50 and Trident are ideal for novice car builders due to their mechanical simplicity, light weight, and small size. All you need is a few tools, a little garage space, and patience. Registering your completed kit car is typically straightforward, given its classification.

This unique piece of automotive history may be scooter-sized, although it’s priced slightly higher than your average two-wheeler. The self-assembly kit starts at approximately £12,100 ($15,435), while a fully-assembled model will set you back around £15,200 ($19,389). But for the chance to own and drive the world’s smallest car, that might just be a price worth paying.

The modern P50 has been updated with more contemporary stylings and paint options. Its classification as a light moped or scooter makes it street legal, adding a unique, space-efficient touch to your garage. Measuring only four and a half feet long and three and a quarter feet wide, the car is akin to a playful piece of nostalgia or a statement in eco-conscious driving.

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This utilitarian electric scooter is economical and faster way to move cargo in urban locales

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As businesses are shifting focus from more polluting and space-consuming cargo vans and cars to cargo-hauling bikes for the last-mile approach, there is a huge demand for better options. Tapping on the opportunity, a Vancouver-based startup is designing what it calls the Scootility – precisely a portmanteau of scooter and utility. A reasonable and compact alternative for last-mile delivery; the cargo-hauling Scootility is for now in the prototype stage with production to begin in the next 12 months.

Given its unique design, the Scootility is not another electric bike. In fact, it draws design inspiration from a segway with a column handle for maneuvering it. By virtue, however, it is an electric scooter that allows the rider to stand up and ride while the cargo remains intact in the covered box right in front of the eyes.

Designer: Scootility

In the design then, a lockable cargo box with a standard load-bearing capacity of 140 liters is the biggest takeaway. This weatherproof box becomes even more beneficial for the delivery guy with the swappable feature. The cargo box can be taken off and replaced with a swappable option on the fly minimizing time between pickup and delivery.

The e-scooter with its compact size and narrow footprint in the traffic, can also be used for delivering medication or supplies in affected areas where access to other forms of transport may be hindered. Interestingly, Scootility has full suspension and wheels measuring 16-inches on the front and 13-inches on the back. The smaller wheel size allows more space for a cargo box on this scooter with utility as its basis over a simple mode of commutation.

For the safety of the rider, it’s installed with LED lighting and has a small turning radius, the manufacturer claims. A foldable leg rest of the Scootility can double as a glove compartment, and the long steering column and handle can fold down for easy storage. Powered by a swappable lithium battery offering a 100 km range in the standard variant, the Scootility is easier to ride (no license needed) and more economical (as opposed to cargo e-bikes on the market).

Since Scootility is only raising funding for its utility scooter at the moment, there is no definite word on the retail price. Given its benefits of minimum parking space requirement, swappable cargo box and battery, and substantial drive range, we are sure many businesses already have their eyes out for the Scootility.

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80% smaller than the average car: This Compact EV seats 2 people and fits into tight parking spots

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Motorcycles are agile but don’t have the conveniences a car offers. Cars have roofs, storage space, and are more stable, but they aren’t as compact as motorcycles. Granstudio’s vision for Komma, a Swiss-based mobility startup, was to blur the line between the two. The Komma UMV is unique in that it borrows the best bits from a car and a motorcycle. For all intents and purposes, it looks and feels like a car, with four wheels, a roof, doors, and even a boot to store luggage. However, it’s no wider than a motorcycle, making it 80% smaller than most cars, run on 66% less energy, and have all the safety features of a car, from seatbelts to airbags.

Designer: Granstudio

The Komma UMV is entirely a new category of vehicle, borrowing the best bits from cars, motorbikes, ATVs, and even the Asian TukTuks. It prioritizes efficiency without compromising on mobility and rider comfort, and when it does make trade-offs, it does so in a way that really feels like features. For example, it might be smaller than a car, but its slim format allows it to weave between traffic and park in even the tightest spaces without breaking a sweat.

“In the studio, we focus on both designing cars and developing mobility plans for future cities. However, when we try to combine these two aspects, something doesn’t quite fit,” say the designers at GranStudio “This is particularly evident in Europe, where it is clear that the ideal city we envision for the future prioritizes the quality of public spaces and community values. It is a city where cars do not naturally belong and are out of context.”

In scaling the car down to this two-seater format, the math adds up to some real savings for both the rider and the planet. The Komma UMV is 80% smaller than your average car and has a 70% reduced ecological footprint. It consumes 66% less energy than a car, which translates to 70% lower operational and fuel costs than your regular gas-powered vehicle. All that really makes a difference in the grand scheme of things, making the Komma UMV perfect for single-person or two-person rides.

That being said, the UMV has all the benefits of a car. It runs on four wheels that employ a unique hydraulic tilting system for stability, but also enable tighter turns, just like a motorcycle. You’ve got a 4WD system, suspension, anti-collision protocols, and an anti-lock braking system. The car also comes with doors, a roof, seatbelts, airbags, and its occupants don’t need helmets. The windshield has airbags, and the UMV has storage space in both the front as well as the boot, offering much more storage space than a two-wheeler. Given its width constraint and hydraulic tilting system, it uses handlebars, which seem to be the only actual remnant left behind from the motorcycling world, along with the seating format where the passenger sits right behind the rider.

Komma offers a transformative vision for urban environments, placing a strong emphasis on enhancing the quality of public spaces and nurturing community values. By reducing the dominance of automobiles (or at least the space occupied by them), Komma paves the way for a more harmonious coexistence with nature, creating abundant room for leisure pursuits, and fostering vibrant social interactions. This shift in perspective not only redefines the city but also revitalizes it, making it a place where people and nature thrive together.

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Lexus concept car displayed as a light sculpture in Miami exhibition

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When you’re visiting car exhibit shows, you expect to see nothing but cars on display. The brands have to figure out how to make it a bit more exciting and innovative since looking at cars can become repetitive and if you’re not really a car enthusiast, it can get boring. But when you’re displaying a car at an art and design exhibition, then you can expect a more non-traditional way to look at the vehicle.

Designer: Marjan van Aubel

An installation to celebrate the Lexus LF-ZC Battery Electric Vehicle Concept Car is now on display at the Miami Art & Design Week. The “sculpture” is called “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” which is the time it takes for light to reach earth. So instead of the usual car display, what you get is a self-illuminating 3D skeleton of the concept car itself. It’s made from organic transparent photovoltaic (POV) sheets and is powered by solar energy. Each cell gives off a spectrum of color and movement and they are transparent to give off the maximum effect of light and patterns.

The EV Skateboard, which is where the engine will be located, is highlighted with an LED panel. It is the main feature of the car so this is where eyes will be drawn. Depending on where you’re standing, you’ll get a different perspective of the sculpture. There are also motion sensors which will let the car respond to those walking around, triggering a ripple through the LED light panels. You will also hear bamboo chimes since the concept car uses bamboo materials as well.

Every 10 minutes, you’ll get a crescendo of sound and light patterns. Since the sculpture is located in a garden setting, the color temperature also shifts along with the natural circadian rhythms of its surroundings. It’s a pretty interesting thing to see this in person and to experience a different kind of display for cars, even if it’s still just a concept car.

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