Friday 19th February 2010

Last year, 19 students from the world’s pre-eminent vehicle design course at London’s Royal College of Art were set a challenge by Vauxhall: show us the future of mobility in 2049. Will cars and wheels still be relevant? 

Welcome to the exciting future vision of the Vauxhall dealership in the year 2049.
Rod Mackenzie was at the London Transport Museum last year to witness the culmination of a post-graduate student project, ‘Fast Forward Forty Years’. Sponsored by Vauxhall, it celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Royal College of Art’s (RCA) prestigious Vehicle Design Course.

There was big prize at stake for the overall winner – a three-month internship at GM’s European design facility in Germany – and the judging panel included some formidable talents. There was Peter Stevens, whose design portfolio includes the iconic McLaren F1 roadcar and award-winning MG TF, and Mark Adams, GM Europe Vice President of Design, who led the new Insignia design team.  

Also struggling to decide on a winner was Anthony Lo, GM Europe Director of Advanced Design, and a former graduate of the RCA course himself. He explained how the students were asked to set about the task.
“First, they had to devise a ‘user scenario’ for 2049, a day in the life of a future Vauxhall customer, before creating an object that matched those thoughts. But it’s not so much the final product that’s important but the journey the student took to get there – that’s the future story I’m looking for.”
 
So how does he predict a future when designing cars?
“We normally project two car generations ahead, say 10-12 years,” explains Lo. “We always create a scenario – with supportive information from other GM departments covering areas such as technology, propulsion and regulations. In that time things can move fast, so 40 years ahead is a difficult one to predict.”

 
 
Antony Lo

All of the students agreed that we’ll have moved beyond fossil fuels by 2049. Young Seong Kim, 27, from South Korea, exhibits one of the more inventive eco-friendly power sources on display. To charge his ‘Boanerge’ concept with electricity, the driver steers the capsule into a waterfall where it becomes a turbine that rotates to generate power.

Nearly everyone also agreed that the world in 2049 will be even more hectic and stressful. Several of the student designs aim to help us cope with that scenario. Oliver Sharp, 24, from the UK, perceives his translucent bubble-like concept with winglets instead of wheels as a ‘freedom device’, a sanctuary for the user from the anxieties of the world. 
 

Oliver Sharp's translucent bubble - like creation

Stephanie Waser, 23, from Germany, has a more feminine solution – an innovative vehicle interior dotted with circular cushions. Meanwhile, Hyunjoon Park, 25, from South Korea, tackles the issue with a concept called ‘Breakthrough’ that incorporates performance art.

“We feel most comfortable when we meet someone who makes us feel compassion,” Park explains. “We will have the most intimate interaction with cars that look like us.” 
Taking this harmonious vehicle and driver relationship one step further is another South Korean student, Jong Won Lee, 33. His ‘Neuron’ concept is a wheel-less, single seater for those who want to enjoy racing in the desert. It’s controlled by a neuro-technology system that allows the driver to move the vehicle by using brain activity.

Another issue that emerges is a pressing desire to stand out from the crowd. According to UK student Niki Merriman, 23, “It’ll be harder to be an individual, so personalisation will be important for the customer. Why does a vehicle have to be one colour all the time?” His concept glows different shades depending on the mood and feelings of the user. 

We’re particularly taken by the ‘Modula’ concept of David Seesing, 25, from Germany, which enables future customers to go online and actively take part in the creation of their vehicle.

 
David Seesing's 'Modula' design

“The customer can define their vehicle and number of passengers. Body panels can be selected from a toolbox, representing engine, luggage space and wheels, and arrange them around the cabin. All parts are made from recyclable materials – if the customer wants to change the vehicle, old parts are returned to Vauxhall and either recycled or reintroduced into the system. That way, the service provides a growing toolbox for customers to choose from and a steadily changing source of inspiration for the company itself,” Seesing says.

 
THE WINNER AUGUSTIN BARBOT, 25, FROM FRANCE

Augustin calls his concept ‘Darwin 2049’ – a new breed of vehicle which has no wheels and moves ten centimetres above the ground by electro-magnetic power, or in the sea like a submarine. It has three turbines, two at the front and one at the back, and there’s no need for body panels as its aluminium frame is covered by a semi-flexible, clear waterproof resin.

“I took my inspiration from futuristic films and cartoons where there are many spaceships and planes. With Darwin 2049, I imagined a new kind of transport that blends cars and spaceships. It is an evolution,” he explains.
 
“The most difficult challenge for me was to create a vehicle completely different, something you’ve never seen before but with automotive style, flow and elegance.”
For his prize, Augustin will spend three months working at the GM European Design Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, to gain valuable work experience and insight through hands-on experience with future technologies such as electric vehicles. Explaining the judges’ decision, Anthony Lo said, “Augustin really did interpret the brief from a Vauxhall perspective, building on our commitment to electric vehicles and anticipating tomorrow’s mobility needs.”

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