Versatility on the road

BEFORE setting up his own design firm, Chris Bangle rose to fame as the chief of design at BMW, and his vast experience has now allowed him to leave a mark in China. Instead of coming out with one of his famous flame-inspired designs, his new designs are rather boxy and, quite literally, electric.

China Hi-Tech Group Corporation (CHTC) enlisted Bangle to create a prototype for an electric vehicle. This prototype is aimed at affluent Chinese professionals looking for a fourth space outside their homes, offices and social haunts.

It is to be a car that maximises the time spent inside the car, including when it is parked or in traffic.

Hence, Bangle came up with the Revolutionary Electric Dream Space (Redspace). Redspace is 11 inches (27.9cm) longer, 10 inches (25.4cm) narrower, eight inches (20.3cm) taller and has a wheelbase 17 inches (43.2cm) shorter than its expected competitor – the Smart Fortwo.

While the Fortwo only seats two, Redspace can seat four while in motion and up to five when parked. The driver’s seat swivels and the steering wheel tilts up, so you can transform this car into a customisable cubicle, perfect for creating a small workspace. There are also solar panels on the roof to convert energy to power internal functions such as the air filtration system, thus leaving a smaller footprint. The Redspace is powered by electric motors and can reach a maximum speed of 120kph (China’s highway speed limit). No technical specifications have been released since its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year, but it being a Bangle design is expected to be enough to generate interest.