(11 Sep 2019) LEAD IN: Automakers are rolling out futuristic concept cars at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
Carmakers are concentrating on a combustion-free future with electric and hydrogen-powered motors.
STORY-LINE:
Making its debut in Frankfurt, BMW's Concept 4 series, the basis for the future BMW i4 that will go into production in 2021.
German automaker BMW is trying to show it has all bases covered when it comes to a combustion-free future.
There's this futuristic-looking Vision M Next, that's previewing the future of electric sports cars.
But also, the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT Fuel-Cell concept, that promises all the power and environmentally friendly aspects of electric vehicles, but without the long recharging time.
"Basically, all the benefits of an electric car in terms of acceleration, but all the benefits of a traditional car in terms of range and quick refuelling," explains Tim Stevens, editor-in-chief of Roadshow.
"You could fill a fuel cell car and just a couple of minutes and get 3,400 miles of range again.
"So, just a concept again for the future, but we're waiting on more stability in terms of the availability of hydrogen for these sort of cars to go mainstream, but the technology is there."
Audi's new off-roader AI TRAIL concept uses headlights set on detachable drones, which can light the way ahead. It's an idea for sustainable mobility off the beaten track.
Hyundai's new 45 EV concept is inspired by the past but fitted with the electric technology of the present.
The vehicle, showcased for the first time in Frankfurt, is a self-driving concept that aims to put a modern twist on the 45-year-old Hyundai Pony Coupe.
"This is the EV based concept car. EV, digital but the high tech, which is so important in terms of the future car design," says SanyYup Lee, head of the Hyundai Design Center.
"But at the same time, how you make a story together is even more important. We're actually asking ourselves, can we have a super high tech, super digital car, yet has a high analogue emotional touch to it?"
SEAT's new electric brand Cupra has brought this Tavascan concept to Frankfurt.
Based on Volkswagen's electric vehicle platform, the Tavascan is equipped with a 77kWh battery pack for an all-electric range of up to 450 kilometres.
"One of the key factors that will differentiate from other competitors is the strength and the character of the design, which somehow tries to translate the good points or the strong points of their technique that hides behind," says SEAT design director, Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos.
"We are using one of the most advanced technological platforms for electrical vehicles. The MEB from the Volkswagen Group and our job as a designer has been to really, let's say, to wrap up."
A rising wave of new all-electric car models is about to hit the European auto market, the result of billions of euros worth of investment in battery technology and new factories.
Automakers are rushing to make electric cars to meet tighter rules on greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants, particularly in the European Union and China.
With the concepts on display in Frankfurt, automakers are trying to show electric vehicles can be exciting and different, says Jim Holder from British motoring magazine Autocar.
"I think what all carmakers are really scared of is electrification turning their products into utilitarian products that are very similar to one another," he says.
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