The Nimbus e-Car is a smorgasbord of cultural references: a bit of VW Bus here, some Jetsons aerocar there, a dab of lunar rover across the bottom and a smidge of deep sea submarine up top, and you’ll pretty much be there.
It may look comical, but Brazilian designer Eduardo Galvani believes his e-Car could change the world, automotive and otherwise.
“When driving a car, [a] human may experience a subconscious process that modifies some perceptions of itself, feeling as if the machine was a part of its own body which increases natural capacities, as recalls the Centaur ancient Greek myth.” writes Galvani.
So, in non-Vulcan language, the car enhances the abilities of man, allowing us to push through boundaries and accomplish things that were once thought impossible. Like the wheel, the spear, or the cellphone, the car a part of our evolution, our progression as a species.
“This may be a psychological reason why some people [like] cars very much,” he continues. “As more power and autonomy has your car, more power and autonomy may have you.”
Inside, the carbon fiber and titanium e-Car is not-surprisingly packed with cutting edge technology. There’s onboard Wi-Fi, a removable 7-inch Central Display and Controller, a Multifunction Convex Driver Dashboard, and an Auto-Pilot system that allows all five passengers to relax and enjoy the scenery, whether it’s the valleys of Yellowstone or the Apenninus mountain range on the moon.
The e-Car keeps its occupants safe as well, with 6 airbags, side protection bars, and a tall, isolated cabin called Safe Virtual Position that keeps passengers far from the ground.
A car this futuristic wouldn’t make sense with a big gas-guzzler under the hood, so Galvani has designed a fuel-efficient hybrid system. A 180-horsepower electric motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery, and is constantly charged by a gas-powered micro-combustion generator. The Nimbus also gathers power from regenerative braking and roof-mounted solar panels, which will theoretically return a fuel efficiency rating of 180 miles-per-gallon.
“By the same way, [the] more ecological your car is, more ecological may be you,” says Galvani.
The Nimbus may look like something out of a Pixar film, but that’s not far off: the space-age concept only exists in .jpg form at the moment and there are no concrete production plans at this time.
(Images © Eduardo Galvani)
