We know, the world of Electric cars can be a little bit confusing to keep up with. Adding to the laundry list of new EVs launched and/or previewed at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show is this: The IM Airo. But to distinguish it from the herd, it has an ingenious trick up its sleeve that might just make it the next eco-warrior four-wheeler waiting in the wings.
In case you didn’t, IM is a new brand
under Zhiji (Responsible for the wireless-charging L7). And Zhiji is a joint
venture between SAIC, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech, and the Alibaba Group, while British
design company Heatherwick Studio is responsible for the Airo’s design.
The design team at IM seems to have pre-empted this statement with the air-cleaning tech displayed on this radical concept. More pod than a car, this autonomous concept acts like a giant air purifier. The idea is that it’ll go one step further than having zero local emissions, offering a solution to the pollution around it. It carries with it (what we can only assume is a super-sized version) HEPA filter, as it sucks away the toxic gases from the dino-burning cars around it.
In addition to being a mobile clean-room,
this concept is autonomous, meaning that it doesn’t conform to the “car” norms.
You get massive, sliding glass doors and rotatable seating that’s lounge-like.
Thankfully there’s still a steering wheel and controls allowing for at least
some kind of “manual override.” The founder of Heatherwick Studio, Thomas
Heatherwick, described the Airo as a “multi-functional room with extra space
for dining, working, gaming or even sleeping.” According to the designer’s
website, the car/pod is slated to enter production in 2023.
