share on BufferThe ‘People’s Car Project’ (PCP) was launched in China 11 months ago and has so far received 33 million visitors, with more than 119,000 ideas submitted.
Three of the vehicle and technology concepts created by the users were further developed by Volkswagen and are currently on show at Auto China 2012. These concepts are the Hover Car, the Music Car and the Smart Key.
With the Hover Car, an environmentally-friendly two-seater city car which hovers just above the ground, Volkswagen is presenting the study of a zero-emissions vehicle that could in future travel along electromagnetic road networks.
The Music Car expresses the wish of many Chinese for individual automotive design.
Equipped with organic light emitting diodes, the exterior color of the vehicle changes with the driver’s choice of music. The car becomes a means of self-expression and a fashion statement for young drivers.
The Smart Key proposes a stronger integration of online technologies in vehicles: the slim nine millimeter key has a high-resolution touchscreen which keeps the driver up to date on the fuel situation, climate conditions and the car’s security via the 3G network.
The driver can also monitor the vehicle from a bird’s eye perspective through realtime satellite transmission.
The People’s Car Project
“The creative ideas from the ‘People’s Car Project’ give us a valuable insight into the wishes of Chinese drivers,” Simon Loasby, Head of Design at Volkswagen Group China, said.
“The trend is towards safe cars that can easily navigate overcrowded roads and have a personal, emotional and exciting design.”
“The ‘People’s Car Project’ in China marks the beginning of a new era in automobile design”, Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, commented.
“We are no longer just building cars for, but also with customers and at the same time initiating a national dialog which gives us a deep insight into the design preferences, needs and requirements of Chinese customers.”
Due to high demand and the good quality of the contributions, the PCP, which was originally scheduled to run for one year, has been indefinitely extended.
In addition, a new project phase will be launched during the coming months, when users will not only be able to submit their design, personalization and connectivity ideas for tomorrow’s mobility, but will also be able to contribute suggestions about the environment.
The drafts will first be evaluated by the entire user community. In a second step, experts will then assess the concepts and award prizes to the winners.
“In a long-term context the findings of the ‘People‘s Car Project’ will influence Volkswagen’s product strategy,” de Meo explained.
“The design of our models will, however, continue to reflect the tradition of the Volkswagen brand. If at some time in the future we are to produce a vehicle from the ‘People’s Car Project’, it will be a combination of customers’ opinions and brand tradition.”
(Source: Volkswagen)
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