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Nissan's bold Ariya EV concept may soon go into production
The Leaf is a smart and practical EV, but no one would ever call it fun. Nissan is looking to switch that up with its next generation of electric cars, judging by the Ariya concept it unveiled at Tokyo Motor Show. The swoopy, bold design along with the premium, lounge-like cabin is meant to signal the "pure, clean nature" of EVs, Nissan said in a press release.
Lexus teases its EV concept ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show
By 2025, all Lexus cars will be electric or have an electric powertrain option, so the company claims. We've already seen one crossover concept, the LF-1 "Limitless," which comes with gas, plug-in hybrid or all-electric powertrain options. Now, Lexus is preparing to reveal its battery electric concept at the 46th Tokyo Motor Show.
Nissan’s IMk concept is a chic, boxy and electrified ‘Kei’ car
Nissan wants to show that tiny city "Kei" cars in Japan don't have to be pug-ugly. At the Tokyo Motor Show, it will unveil the IMk EV concept built on a new platform that "signals the future of Nissan design," the company said. While tiny, it packs Nissan's latest tech including the ProPilot 2.0 driver assistant, "seamless" connectivity and a powerful EV drivetrain for its size. The design, meanwhile, uses what Nissan calls "timeless Japanese futurism," and borrows liberally from the country's traditional arts and crafts.
Mercedes' latest high-tech concept car is a throwback to 1901
Many of Mercedes' concept cars are focused squarely on the future, but its newest example goes back in time even as it aims to go forward. The automaker has unveiled a Vision Mercedes Simplex concept car that hearkens back to the 1901 Mercedes 35 PS, billed as the "first modern car," while relying heavily on modern technology. The absence of a gas engine (the powerplant is described only as an "alternative drive") is really the least surprising thing here -- it's the cabin and nose that are the real standouts.
Seat wants to sell its Cupra Tavascan EV concept some day
After Spanish automaker Seat (owned by VW) spun out the Cupra sport sub-brand last year, it seemed like we were going to see some interesting vehicles from it. That's certainly the case at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where Seat has unveiled the Cupra Tavascan EV concept. It's not only a striking look at the possible future of Seat's Cupra EVs, but it might eventually become a production vehicle itself.
BMW teases M concept car blending technology and performance
Can you make out what you're looking at in the obscure teaser above? Neither can we -- but it does represent the future of BMW's performance cars. The automaker has posted a teaser for a Vision M Next concept that, as the name implies, would explore the possibilities for M-series cars. The imagery doesn't hint at much more than some angular lines and a gray-and-red color scheme. There's thankfully more to it than that, though -- BMW made clear that technology would play a central role in this design.
VW's GTI Aurora concept has a hologram-controlled sound system
Trunk-mounted sound systems are often about bragging rights, but VW might have more reason to boast than usual. It's showing a Golf GTI Aurora concept car whose centerpiece is a hologram-controlled audio system accessible from the back. You can push floating buttons, grab 3D sliders and, of course, produce eye-catching visuals. VW hasn't outlined the exact technology at work, but you don't need glasses, gloves or other extras to operate it.
Citroen’s futuristic autonomous EV concept is designed for long trips
Last February, Citroen introduced its Ami One, a tiny electric vehicle (EV) meant to replace bikes and scooters. It was envisioned as a way to make short, all-electric trips around downtown areas. Now, Citroen has revealed its 19_19 Concept, an EV for customers who want to travel beyond the city's limits. The 19_19 Concept boasts a range of up to 800 km (about 497 miles), and thanks to its autonomous driving tech, "drivers are able to entirely delegate driving."
Audi's self-driving EV concept filters out rush-hour stress
Many folks are cool on autonomous cars because we actually like to drive, but nobody wants to be stuck in rush hour or city congestion. Audi has addressed those concerns with the AI:ME, its latest urban concept car. The Level 4 self-driving EV would allow you to chill and be entertained in your vehicle, rather than getting stressed by traffic jams and angry drivers.
A closer look at Vivo's all-glass, port-free concept 5G phone
Picture this: you're holding two glossy all-glass concept phones for a photo, then one slips off and shatters another unit on the table. The room goes quiet. Everyone looks on in awe. You are left red-faced not because you broke a phone, but because you broke one of the few rare units in existence. That was exactly what happened to me at yesterday's Vivo APEX event in Hong Kong.
Fiat's Centoventi is a customizable EV for the masses
Fiat has unveiled a concept EV to promote the idea of a completely customizable car that's available to everyone. The Centoventi, which means "120," in honor of Fiat's anniversary, would be sold as a bare gray car. The buyer could then pick four paint wraps, along with four bumpers and wheel wraps. You could even choose among a soft top or solar panel roof cover.
Mitsubishi shows off the future of its plug-in hybrid SUV line
Mitsubishi just unveiled the burly Engelberg Tourer concept with a plug-in electric hybrid drivetrain. It boasts an all-electric range of 43 miles, making it a practical daily driver that can carry a lot of cargo, thanks to the size and very boxy shape. It's backed up by a 2.4 liter gas engine, making it practical for long trips or heading out to the ski lodge.
Subaru unveils its outdoorsy Viziv Adrenaline hybrid concept
Subaru has unveiled the hybrid Viziv Adrenaline, a rough-and-tumble concept car that could be a preview of its next Crosstrek. It's a smallish SUV with protective plastic cladding at the corners and styling that's a bit more outlandish than its past concepts. It's mostly a styling exercise meant to show us what it might do next, and could presage future EV or plug-in hybrid crossovers.
Kia goes wild with displays on its 'Imagine' concept EV
Kia threw around words like "emotion" and "surprise" to describe its latest concept EV, but the first thing I felt when seeing it was "confusion." On the outside, "Imagine by Kia" is a handsome, muscular C-class crossover that, if anything, is a bit conservative for a concept car. Inside, however, the interior fried my brain with its faceted seats, mirrored surface and bizarre array of 21 angled screens on the dashboard.
Citroen's tiny EV concept is an alternative to bikes and scooters
Many automakers are designing vehicles for an era beyond car ownership, but Citroen is taking things one step further: it's envisioning a car that you'd use in place of bikes and scooters. Its newly introduced Ami One Concept is a compact (8.2ft long), all-electric "urban mobility object" that you'd use for short hops around downtown areas. The two-seater would have just a 62-mile range and a 28MPH top speed, but it would be easy to access and drive with a QR code on the handle replacing a key. You wouldn't even need a driver's license in some countries, Citroen said.
Audi teases its all-electric Q4 concept car
The third car in Audi's all-electric lineup isn't going on sale until early 2021, but that two-year wait gets a little bit harder when you see what's coming. Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, the Automaker has shown off a series of concept designs for the Q4 e-tron, a compact SUV. According to a terse statement, Audi says the concept "provides a glimpse of the next stage of Audi electric mobility."
McLaren imagines a future with AI co-piloted race cars
Formula One racing will be more like a video game in 30 years, according a fanciful vision of the future unleashed by supercar maker McLaren. According to its "MCLExtreme" research project (don't try to pronounce that), future formula race cars will do everything short of flying. The cars, electric naturally, will run on Hot Wheels type tracks at up to 500 km/h (310 mph), pulling up to 5 Gs while taking 90 degree bends at 250 mph.
Vivo's all-glass phone has no ports and a full-screen fingerprint reader
2019 may be the year of flexible mobile devices, but judging by a couple of announcements from China this week, it appears that we may also be expecting the disappearance of holes and ports on smartphones. Following yesterday's Meizu Zero, today Vivo has announced its latest concept 5G device, the APEX 2019, which is yet another smartphone with almost no holes. I say "almost" because there's still a tiny microphone slit below the screen, but other than that, you won't find any USB port, speaker grill or SIM tray around this shiny slab of glass.
Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept EV makes a delayed Auto Show debut
Like every good luxury car brand, Infiniti has plans to make its first EV a crossover-ish attempt full of its special touches and design language. The latest step in that direction is the QX Inspiration Concept that takes advantage of the design opportunities of electric vehicles to meld high-tech up front with physical no-tech touches in the rear like real, natural wood inlays and even a marble center console extending toward the rear seats. There is one, small catch however -- even concept cars are usually running when they're announced, and due to an undisclosed technical issue, the Inspiration Concept could not answer the bell this morning. As Autoblog reported, designers were forced to say "It's here, but you can't see it" while showing clips on screen as the car sat backstage. The car did eventually get onto Infiniti's stand -- although it's unclear whether that was under its own power, I saw workers dragging a covered car either into or out of the booth just before -- to show off its pillar-to-pillar widescreen displays, suicide doors and cockpit that retracts into the floor when autonomous driving is enabled. This is supposed to set a 'direct precedent' for Infiniti's first electric car, so while we're assuming the marble console won't make it, under-floor battery cells, electric all-wheel-drive and an "aesthetic defined by straight lines, clean surfaces and concise graphics" could go on to the next stage.
I don’t want to live in LG’s vision of the future
The point of a concept video is to be aspirational, showing how happy and beautiful we'd all be if we just bought what we're being sold. But, at LG's CES 2019 keynote, the Korean company showed off its vision of a ThinQ AI future that's worse than what we have today. Mostly because -- and this is LG's official sales pitch for its technology -- its AI is going to be a complete asshole.
