MAIDEN VOYAGE ON LAND
Road Trip Heatherwick Studio launches an environmentallyfriendly electric car that transforms into a multifunctional living space.
With a global shortage of living space, developers are
there’s a greater factor. “Airo isn’t simply another
increasingly looking to innovative design solutions to
electric car that doesn’t pollute the air. Instead, using
create multi-functional spaces for work, rest and play.
the latest HEPA filter technology, it goes further by also
Having become common practice in residential and
vacuuming-up pollutants from other cars as it drives
hospitality projects, the idea is now gaining ground
along,” he explains. “Designed to simultaneously
in the automotive sector, as shown by Heatherwick
address the global space shortage, Airo is also a multi-
Studio’s unveiling of Airo.
functional room with extra space for dining, working,
Designed for IM Motors, the vehicle features a
gaming or even sleeping. As a new room for our lives,
customisable interior that can be configured in a
with a changing view, Airo is a car intended to transport
variety of ways to serve the needs of the traveller as
us to a cleaner and better future.”
they take to the road. A foldaway screen transforms the
Stuart Wood, Partner and Group Leader at
space into a gaming pod, while the seats rotate from
Heatherwick Studio, adds: “Transportation and mobility
a traditional driving position to face inwards for social
are not only going through a technological revolution
activities – such as dining on the four-leaf table. Come
but also a social one. There’s a new ethically conscious
nightfall, the table folds away and the contoured seats
generation who expect a car to do so much more than
fully recline to form a spacious double bed, and thanks
just offer transportation from one place to another;
to the latest technology, the fully-glazed roof becomes
they want a device that fulfils and expands upon their
opaque on command for total privacy.
functional needs and meets their values. Until now,
The fully electric vehicle comes with autonomous and
the functionality of a car has been narrowly defined as
driver-controlled modes and the interiors have been
a fuel and space guzzling luxury that none of us can
designed with the utmost attention to detail. But for
afford to continue. We conceived Airo to re-imagine
Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio,
the lifestyle-car-environment balance.”
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