From the company that brings you crazy ideas such as scuba-diving Lotus Elises comes yet another cockamamie concept. Making its world debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show is the Rinspeed iChange, a pie-in-the-sky electric sports car that can transform into a "compact sportsvan."
Just how does it accomplish such a feat? The iChange's piece du resistance is its "electronic trick-tail." The body morphs from a single-seat teardrop shape to a three seat configuration when the car's rear end rises up (according to the release, it does so "as if by magic.") Unfortunately, pictures of the transformation were not included in this initial press release. Propulsion comes from a 130kw-electric motor. Further energy savings will come from the car's low weight and aerodynamic drag. The concept intends to provoke the automotive industry to think about variability and energy demand through this radically flexible vehicle. Although it sounds like marketing folks from Apple joined those on the Obama campaign, the name "iChange" signifies the need for people to re-think their conception of cars.