cazalea
[Seiko Moderator]
17087
I'm not sure taxi use is where this is aimed
perhaps best with a genteel clientele in a upscale neighborhood -- it looks a little "soft" for urban commercial use ... Here's an extract from a review on CNET
What is the Urbanaut concept?
Well, you know what a van is, right? This is like that but with less utility and more weird lighting effects.
It's a smallish box (14+ feet in length) on neon-blue wheels with a bench called the Cosy Corner, a real living plant and a swiveling driver's seat.
Oh, and it's electric and autonomous, because it's a 2020 concept car.
The interior lighting changes to suit one of your Mini Moments, which are annoyingly called Chill, Wanderlust and Vibe.
These moods are controlled with the Mini Token. Still confused?
Chill is for when you want to be in the back working or sulking by yourself, Wanderlust is for driving and Vibe is for hanging out with other people in your weird little van-thing.
The interior isn't without its merits: the dashboard can fold down into a kind of cool daybed, and the windshield can fold up to become a Street Balcony.
There's also mood lighting for your own college town hookah bar, so you'll have plenty of ambiance in Vibe mode.
Outside, the Urbanaut's wheels are clear, illuminated and change color based on the Mini Moment to which the vehicle is set.
The weirdness doesn't stop -- a #vanlife virtue-signaling screen shows off various "Mini Charms" that represent places you've traveled or festivals you've attended.
At the end of the day, with the Urbanaut, Mini is basically just rebranding conversion vans.
Car of the Future? The Mini Urbanaut
A cuddle-bunnie for your transportation needs? See the whole show here (note the lack of steering wheel and controls) LINK TO SLIDE SHOW It's only plywood and Virtual Reality Goggles at this point From the mind of this guy and these guys and a hundred mil...
As a taxi alternative, why not?
Cities aren't always suitable for private cars, so I don't regret this as a cab or ride hailing platform. The future of app-driven ride hailing is in this kind of vehicle with some combination of autonomy and electric drive. Best, Tim
I'm not sure taxi use is where this is aimed
perhaps best with a genteel clientele in a upscale neighborhood -- it looks a little "soft" for urban commercial use ... Here's an extract from a review on CNET What is the Urbanaut concept? Well, you know what a van is, right? This is like that but with ...
I suspect this will wind up more commercial than personal vehicle.
Like many concepts, I expect this will be far more utilitarian if it ever sees the light of day. In the end, it's more likely that the person who's indifferent to driving, lives in an urban area, or lives at school would just use a ride hailing service fo...
That's a very probable evolution
It's of course greatly influenced by where you live... out in rural areas, being say 30 miles or more from a city center with no transit solutions almost makes ownership mandatory.
