As the world of autonomous transportation expands, different companies are introducing their version of driverless vehicles at auto shows around the world. One of the latest concepts to debut is an electric vehicle by Italy’s Icona Design Group called Nucleus that features level five fully autonomous driving, meaning it’s two-gens ahead. The car doesn’t even have a steering wheel or dashboard!
The company will be presenting it at the Auto Expo 2020 in India. The event provides a platform to introduce itself to the Indian EV market. Company Chairman and CEO Teresio Gigi Gaudio said:
We want to be part of the growing EV market in India. India is a promising market with a high potential for design. We expect India to become a major player in Electric Vehicles with the involvement of traditional and new manufacturers.
Since this vehicle eliminates the responsibility of someone having to watch the road and take control of the wheel, it welcomes a new experience for commuters. It transforms the journey into a new kind of immersive mode that can be enjoyed by everyone together, going from one place to the next.
The Nucleus concept builds on the Icona Neo concept. The creators reconsidered the way a car is used, including what people believe the future will be like. In other words, the Neo concept was a foreshadowing into tomorrow, while the Nucleus concept is an introduction to the future.
ICONA designed the Nucleus based on the idea of less is more and, therefore, with a focus on technology that should be felt, not seen. The words it uses to define this idea is futurism, fluid, human-centric, and sculptural body. Those characteristics combined with ergonomics and aerodynamics resulted in the creation of Nucleus – the future for next-gen cars.
The car is electrically powered with the backup of a hydrogen-powered range extender, which provides it with an impressive range of 1,200 km (745 miles). And it can go from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 3.5 seconds. It accommodates six people comfortably, and the seats can be adjusted for a variety of uses. For example, the front seat can swivel around to face a desk or the passengers, and the rear seats can recline or even transform into a couch.
The Icona Nucleus was made real with the coming together of 90 designers from 21 nationalities, working together from Los Angeles, Turin, and Shanghai. Their dedication and collaboration have contributed to the electric car revolution – an arguably socially conscious movement brought about by those who care for the environment. As more players join in on the action, car design language will begin to change radically. It is an exciting time for mobility.
