The dark blue beauty is the new Guangzhou Auto
iSpace concept, as it was unveiled on this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show. The
iSpace previews an upcoming electric car that will be build by a joint venture
between Guangzhou Auto and internet giant Tencent.
Production is set to start as soon as next year.
Companies plan to make several variants of the iSpace; big and small, for city
use, for airports, for transport, for tourism, etc etc. Some variants will be
fully autonomous, others partially, depending on the area where the vehicle
will be used.
Wheels are painted in red with a blue wheel cover.
The car on show had Guangzhou Auto badges; there were no Trumpchi badges on
thecar, indicating Guangzhou Auto and
Tencent will probably come up with a new brand name.
A steering wheel and two big pedals popping out of
the red floor. This particular car is definitely not the fully autonomous one…
The iSpace will have a permanent connection with Tencent internet services such
as WeChat and QQ. Drivers will be able to share selfies and their route.
Tencent is also developing an app for car sharing and apps to book the iSpace
when it is available as a rental car, for example at a tourism destination.
Vehicles will be able to communicate directly with each other, sharing
information about traffic conditions, the weather, and what else might be
important.
The iSpace is a great idea, although not exactly a
new idea. Many other car and internet companies are working on similar concepts
and some are on the road already. But for a Chinese car maker it would be the
first, and there is definitely a huge markets for vehicles like this in China.
So if Guangzhou Auto and Tencent can pull it off, they might have a winner in
hand.
