Looks of a aerotank, heart of a hybrid: the Hinterland 1 concept car

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

The idea behind the Hinterland 1 concept car is efficiency. This is by no means new in the realm of automotive design, but rarely has a low coefficient of drag looked so, well, aggressive. Put a turret on top of this thing and it could be used to scare children to bed every night. My opinions aside, the idea behind the Hinterland 1 is really a pleasant thing, and the car’s Canadian designers at The Creative Unit and Higgins-Aubé have designed what could be an iconic new eco-friendly ride.

If everything were to work out as predicted (thus far, the Hinterland 1 is nothing but sketches and renderings), the all-electric car would move down the street with a Prius-beating drag coefficient of less than 0.25. As the designers say, “At 120 km/hr, drag accounts for 75% of the fuel consumption, with rolling resistance accounting for the remaining 25% (source: VW-Golf). The importance of an aerodynamic design is crucial for this environmentally friendly vehicle.” It’s no surprise that making a vehicle slippery is key to reducing fuel use.

The Creative Unit envisions two models – one with two seats called the “Mini” and a “Van” that holds six – with a annual capacity of 20,000 vehicles a year. The distinctive look is good for more than fuel savings, writes Martin Aubé, the CEO and Industrial Designer at The Creative Unit: “This original form is also an attempt to find a characteristic image for a Canadian economy electric car that could become a recognizable national icon, rather like our distinctive and characteristic emblems.” Take off, eh.

More – much more – after the break. H/t to Rory.

Gallery: Hinterland Aluminum Electric Car