Hyundai goes retro-futuristic with its 45 EV concept
An EV for our dystopian times.
Hyundai has taken the wraps off the "45," a retro-styled vehicle meant to show where it's going with future EVs. Teased last month, the styling is inspired by the 1974 Pony Couple Concept, the progenitor of Hyundai's popular Pony econo-mobile. The name "45" is thus a play on the anniversary of the original concept, and also a nod to the 45-degree angles on the roofline and other parts of the car. It also takes cues from 1920s art deco styling, the company said.
Like many other concepts these days, the wide, squat car uses dot matrix lighting beneath the hood and trunk, and features an illuminated Hyundai logo. Much like Byton's M-Byte, it also has LED lights that show charge levels from the exterior. It uses side cameras instead of mirrors, complete with a brush that can remove any dirt or fog.
The 45's interior is equally conceptual and is more like a living room space, with the assumption that passengers will lounge in comfort while being driven autonomously. Instead of a touchscreen, front passengers have access to a an infotainment system complete with a projector-like interface. Should you wish to be more social, the front seats can swivel 180 degrees to face passengers.
Hyundai hasn't specified the range or other specs, which isn't surprising given that this is a pure one-off concept vehicle. It's more like some of the vehicles like the EZ-ULTIMO that Renault has shown off lately that are meant to show folks how great cars will be once they become fully autonomous. It's fair to say that we're all ready for this relaxing, stress-free environment, provided that someone figures out how to make self-driving vehicles work in the first place.
