Almost a year ago, the People’s Car Project launched in China to garner ideas for concepts that would further be developed by German automaker, Volkswagen.
Over 119,000 ideas were submitted after the website received more than 33 million visitors, with three concepts rising above the rest of the competition. Those cars are currently on display at Auto China 2012 in Beijing and include the Hover Car, the Music Car, and the Smart Key.
The Hover Car concept is a look into the potential future of transportation, with a two-seater city car that hovers just above the ground while emitting zero emissions. The idea is to take a look into the possibility of travel through the use of electromagnetic road networks. More importantly however, the Hover Car gives some insight on the wishes of Chinese drivers. “The trend is towards safe cars that can easily navigate overcrowded roads and have a personal, emotional and exciting design,” said Simon Loasby, Head of Design at Volkswagen Group China.
The Music Car (shown above) focuses on individual automotive design and is equipped with organic light-emitting diodes, causing the exterior color of the vehicle to change based on the driver’s choice of music. Not quite revolutionary or functional, it’s more of a means of self-expression and a fashion statement for younger drivers of next generation.
Finally, the Smart Key shows off a slim 9 mm key sporting a high-resolution touchscreen allowing the driver to stay up to date on fuel, climate, and the vehicle’s security thanks to 3G. The owner can even watch its vehicle from afar through realtime satellite transmission.
“The ‘People’s Car Project’ in China marks the beginning of a new era in automobile design”, Volkswagen marketing director Luca de Meo, said. “We are no longer just building cars for, but also with customers and at the same time initiating a national dialog which gives us a deep insight into the design preferences, needs and requirements of Chinese customers,” de Meo said.
Even though the People’s Car Project was originally scheduled to only run for one year, high demand and exceptionally good contributions have extended the program indefinitely.
