- Canary Wharf-based event worked in partnership with Royal College of Arts to showcase young design talent
- Exciting submissions focus on the packaging benefits of electric powertrains
- London Motorexpo 2012 expected to attract a record 425,000 visitors
The organisers of London Motorexpo (11-17 June; motorexpo.com), have announced that Michal Vlcek, a first-year student in the Vehicle Design department at London’s Royal College of Arts (RCA), has won the competition to design an innovative electric-powered car of the future.
RCA students were tasked with designing the electric vehicle of 2032, using the packaging advantages of an electric motor to move way from the formulaic styling of many modern-day passenger cars. The judges’ only other stipulation was that the concepts should be capable of accommodating four adults and their luggage.
Vlcek impressed the judges with the quality of his artwork and the lateral thinking of his ideas. The electric motors that power the car are installed within the wheels themselves to maximise interior space, and the rear lights are mounted on aerodynamic vanes that also help improve the car’s stability. Instead of traditional doors that can interrupt the car’s exterior lines, Michal’s design opts for an innovative hinged access at the nose to allow occupant access from the rear of the car.
Highly commended was the submission from Israel-born Nir Siegel. His design was for a quirky and petite city car, which places the driver in the centre of the cabin for maximum visibility, aided by an unusual diamond-pattern seating arrangement.
Graeme Carver, CEO of Motorexpo, commented, “Motorexpo is a celebration of all things automotive, from supercars to the latest electric and hybrid models, so it’s great to be able to commission some innovative concepts for the show.
“The creative talent displayed in this competition is a credit to the RCA and to the students themselves, who I’m sure have great careers in the motor industry mapped ahead of them. I have no doubt we will be seeing some of their designs made real at future Motorexpo events.”
Motorexpo has always moved with trends in the wider automotive industry, with a number of electric and hybrid powertrain vehicles being displayed and available for test drives during the 2012 event. Motorexpo differs from traditional motor shows in that it is free to enter and allows visitors to get up-close to, and even interact with the 250-plus vehicles being exhibited.
Organisers are expecting a record 425,000 visitors to view more than 250 cars on display at Motorexpo 2012 – including a number of vehicles being shown for the first time in the UK. Cars making their UK motor show debut will include Jaguar’s XF Sportbrake premium estate, the all-new BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class compact car, and the all-new second-generation Kia cee’d family hatchback.
Most cars on show – including many of the latest electric and hybrid powertrain models – can be sat in and, as an added attraction, visitors can even get behind the wheel of many cars for a full test drive around the Canary Wharf leisure district and the wider public road network.
There are no tickets and no queues, with easy access to the event via one of the wide variety of transport options available. Visitors can take the bus, London Underground or Docklands Light Railway. Alternatively, there’s also space for 2,900 cars within Canary Wharf’s four underground public car parks.
Motorexpo is open daily at Canary Wharf from 10am to 6pm (Monday 11 to Saturday 16 June) and 11am to 5pm on Sunday 17 June.
