In a perfect example of thinking well outside the box, Indian designer Ramesh Gound has produced a rather unusual vehicle concept. In cooperation with Renault Design India, Ramesh has revealed his vision for the future of "affordable youth mobility". At the culmination of his time at India's Institute of Design, Gound submitted the design for his final year diploma project. His focus was on affordability through sharing.
The concept is based on a pair of electric motorcycles that can be joined together to form a two-passenger car. Individually, the bikes can be owned by a pair of close friends, or a couple. They offer all the benefits and flexibility associated with motorcycles. Joined together, they allow their owners to travel side-by-side, in a normal, seated position, with wheels at all four corners.
Ok, I'll stick my neck out there and be a skeptic, but not without giving credit to Ramesh Gound's cutting edge creativity. It's certainly an idea with potential, and some great practical advantages. Having said that, there would seem to be lots of room for conflict between the joint owners of such a vehicle. They would have to rely on each other to be able to enjoy the benefits of the 4-wheel functionality. What if they couldn't agree on a color? (or does it just come in red?) Who gets the ticket if they are pulled over? Beyond that, this concept has a very long way to go in order to be safe for use on the road. Then again, most concepts start out that way don't they? It's nice to see ideas from designers who refuse to put limits on what is physically possible. Who knows, maybe someday you'll be sitting still in traffic, only to watch two friends split their car in two and zip through to the open road!
What do you think... likely, plausible, or impossible? How about the looks... coolest thing since the Tesla Roadster, or just another ugly duckling?
[car design news, Yanko Design]
[Images: Ramesh Gound via Yanko Design]
