Back to the Future

“Fully electric, highly versatile and offering more utility, inside and outside for city explorers, businesses, families and adventurers.”

The Canoo, also touted as a “Loft on Wheels,” is scheduled for late 2022. It’s named the Canoo, according to a company spokesman, because it resembles an upside-down canoe. Its front end and rear look interchangeable.

Based in Los Angeles, Canoo declares: “There is no need for electric vehicles to look like traditional cars, yet today they still do. Canoo plans to change that.” It did.

Canoo said its first vehicle will have “the exterior footprint of a compact car, with the interior space of a large SUV.”

Mullen, based in Brea, is promoted as the first “Pure Electric SUV Crossover.” The Five has an estimated range of 325 miles, it’s electronically limited to 155 miles per hour and with an estimated 0-6 mph of 3.2 seconds. It’s not predicted to be manufactured until 2024 and will be sold in kiosks called “Lounge Point.”

The Hyundai Seven was arguably the most unique concept at the show.

While the Canoo was promoted as a loft, the Seven is better defined as a futuristic lounge. It has sterilization light stations, newfangled ambient lighting and an upscale interior bestsuited for an interior design magazine layout.

And then, there was the Edison Future. Its two luxury concepts were combinations of utilitarian, off-road, futuristic SUVs.

Plushly attired and replete with technology overload and 35-inch wheels, the maybe cars of the future could have been cast as automotive stars of Mad Max movies.

Concepts cars are forever fictitious, marginally feasible or have enduring futures about to unfold. They’re simultaneously fun and ridiculous. Their time has come, or not.