As the automotive industry has developed over the last decade, the trend of merging technology and eco-friendly ideals has become an overwhelming principle driving the industry and politics around it. Automakers continue to develop and discover new materials, resources and technology to take what were once concepts reserved for auto shows into fully-loaded technological investments for commuters.
Stunning the world in its 2017 debut, the Rinspeed Oasis concept vehicle took innovation and creativity a step further by design. Swiss auto-developer Rinspeed has committed to developing sustainable and visionary creations over the last few decades, and are dedicated to changing the way the public and the industry see the future of automotive.
Rinspeed made the Oasis as an idealistic vision of what the future should be. A lush, green garden replaces an engine that would usually take its place in the front of the car, a defiant symbol opposite current mass-produced fuel combustion engines.
The technology featured in the vehicle is geared towards better sustainability and management of transportation, as the Oasis is a car to be shared by multiple commuters and makes ridesharing a breeze. As an all-electric vehicle, the Oasis has large solar panels on the roof to draw charge, but also features additional space in the rear for the battery packs to increase range and capacity.
The Oasis’ interior features two large loungers as captain’s chairs — tailored towards commuters with rideshare features in mind — and transforming workspaces in the cabin.
Rinspeed designed a smart, fully self-driving car that would allow passengers to relax or focus on work while the Oasis uses advanced technology to effortlessly navigate around town. The steering wheel is the biggest example of this mindset, doubling as a tabletop; being able to collapse down into a working keyboard, or allowing the commuter to take control of the drive as needed.
As far as what the future holds for the Oasis, Rinspeed has stated the Oasis won’t be further developed. “We are now concentrating our modular initiative as the SNAP and MircoSNAP,” Frank M. Rinderknecht, Chief Executive Officer of Rinspeed, tells Parentology. The SNAP concept was first introduced in 2018, and further developed in 2019.
CES 2020 will reveal a new iteration of the concept, the MetroSNAP, and this SNAP will be the model closest to serial production that RinSpeed has ever produced. When one steps back, you can see the connection between the last few concepts Rinspeed has developed, placing an emphasis on their current goals of efficiency alongside sustainability.
Rinderknecht believes that future sustainability in automotive doesn’t only apply to how the vehicle is powered, but how efficiently it’s used, an example being the constant increase of congested roadways.
Rinspeed continues to be an innovator in the automotive industry, with one of the company’s most notable innovations being the ‘multifunctional steering wheel’, a feature now found standard in almost all modern cars on the road today.
Rinspeed hopes to drive the future of the automotive industry by producing concepts that spark a conversation and lead to more companies to commit to similar sustainability and innovative environmentally aware practices.
Rinspeed Sources
Rinspeed CEO Frank M. Rinderknecht
Rinspeed Concept Cars
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