A 22-year-old design student from China is making waves with his ultra-futuristic concept car called the Taihoo 2046. Huang Hao set out with the goal of creating a new electric car that is meant to entice China’s prosperous 18 to 35-year-old couples, a demographic that has shown itself to be the vanguard of conspicuous consumption in China’s big cities.
The Taihoo 2046 is named after a type of porous stone whose natural, curvy contours makes it a perennial favorite in Chinese gardens. The car has similar sleek, aerodynamic curves topped by a transparent acrylic roof embedded with thin solar cells. Displays integrated into the windshield save space and make them easier to read.
A single front seat for two allows for plenty close moments for young couples, a fitting segue to the vehicle’s most novel feature: a mesh hammock built for two that stretches the length of the vehicle when unfolded. While relaxing in the hammock, the transparent roof and wrap-around windshield offer driver and passenger a panoramic view of the stars, and if it’s cloudy, the car can project a movie on the roof instead.
Outside a single, spherical front wheel will allow for a zero degree turning radius, a valuable tool to have if you’re living in a busy Chinese metropolis. The spherical wheel will also promote greater fuel efficiency, which helps the car attain an impressive – though theoretical – 300 mile range with its electrical motors.
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