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Our Prototypes column introduces new vehicle concepts and presents visuals from designers who illustrate the ideas. Some of them will be extensions of existing concepts, others will be new, some will be production ready, and others really far-fetched.
The Concept
The Spike is a driverless electric vehicle with no front windshield and no drivers seat. The interior looks like a lounge and features a modular seating arrangement for two, three or four passengers facing each other.
The Background
The idea was to create a sleek, efficient and comfortable vehicle that could transport as many as four people on their morning commutes or for longer family road trips with lots of luggage. I also wanted the passengers to live an immersive experience where they can feel closer to each other. The car industry is evolving towards driverless vehicles, so passengers could technically sit facing each other. And maybe the use of windshields will become less important in the future. With these ideas in mind, I started discussing the concept with Boris Schwarzer and the Spike started to take form.
How it works
The Spike is an electric vehicle equipped with liquid cooled electric motors. Batteries can be charged in your garage using a wireless inductive charging system so you wouldn't need to plug it in. It would be designed mainly as a commuting vehicle or to ride on highways – hence its aerodynamic shape. Passengers would enter through gullwing doors large enough to access the front and rear seats. The interior would feature a lounge table that could be lowered in the floor of the Spike manually or with an electric motor at the touch of a button. This table would also be adjustable in height and would feature embedded inductive charger so your laptop or smartphone could remain charged during the each trip.
The width of the Spike is designed to seat four adults in a side-by-side configuration. However, some people require more room, so the Spike's interior could also be ordered as a one-plus-one vehicle, meaning it would feature single seats facing each other. This option would feature wider luxury seats with side compartments for beverages that could be cooled or heated. Of course, a one-plus-two seating arrangement could also be available.
If you are commuting in a driverless vehicle, why bother with a windshield? The vehicle could be stronger without it and the occupant will still be able to see by looking through the side windows or viewing the front and rear on LCD screens. Luggage compartments would be located at the front and rear of the vehicle.
What its used for?
The Spike is first and foremost a commuting car also designed for intercity travel. A small version could probably be envisioned with a one-plus-one seating arrangement, but the whole idea behind this concept is, "How will our vehicles evolve if we no longer need to drive them? How will the interiors change and will some obsolete items be removed?" Boris and I tried to thinks about these questions and with the Spike, we are proposing a futuristic vision which, as always, is open for discussion.
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