Yes, you’ve seen General Motors’ EN-V urban pea pod concepts before — but you’ve never seen one badged as a Chevy before. Since Chevrolet is celebrating its 100th anniversary, the powers that be decided an EN-V wearing a bow-tie helps preview Chevy’s next 100 years, while showcasing the company’s “vision to meet the growing demand for safe, connected, zero-emissions personal transportation.”
“For 100 years, the Chevrolet brand has been focused on making advanced technology that improves customers’ lives accessible and affordable, and the Chevrolet EN-V will continue that tradition,” said Chris Perry, vice president, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy, in a prepared statement.
“By 2030, more than 60 percent of the world’s 8 billion people will live in urban areas,” Perry continued. “The Chevrolet EN-V represents a possible solution for global customers living in markets where alternative transportation solutions are needed.”
According to GM, the EN-V, which looks a little like the company’s 1983 Lean Machine concept blended with a Segway, is designed “to address environmental issues and help alleviate traffic congestion, parking, safety concerns and energy consumption.” The automaker says its next EN-V concept will address customer wants, such as climate control, interior storage, and inclement weather capabilities.
“The Chevrolet EN-V has the potential to reinvent transportation in key markets by creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of electrification and connectivity,” said Chris Borroni-Bird, GM’s director of Advanced Technology Vehicle Concepts. “It provides an ideal solution for petroleum- and emission-free urban transportation that is free from congestion and crashes, and more fun and fashionable than ever before,”
GM isn’t wasting any time to get its vision of the future started. Earlier this year, the automaker signed a memorandum of understanding with the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co. Ltd. (SSTEC), to integrate the next EN-V into the Tianjin Eco-City’s power, communications, and physical infrastructures. The automaker will explore locations around the globe for other pilot programs as well as the United States, according to Borroni-Bird.
The EN-V would be a strictly urban commuter, seeing as its lithium-ion battery pack only offers 24 miles of range from a single charge. The vehicle calls for will advanced GPS functions, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication network, and distance sensors to avoid collisions — but, it’s also hoped the vehicles could function completely autonomously.
Is this the shape of things to come? Is there an EN-V in your future? Only time will tell, but what say you? Would us use a pod car to commute to- and from work? Tell us your thoughts in the space provided below.
