Rinspeed Snap CES concept is a car with hot-swappable bodies
Rinspeed once again lives up to its reputation for building ridiculous concepts.
The Swiss company Rinspeed is known for building some out-there, very forward-thinking concepts, and the one heading to CES 2018 is no different.
At CES in January, Rinspeed will unveil the Snap Mobility concept. The name comes from the idea that bodies can be attached to a generic platform to give one vehicle a whole bunch of versatility.
At the base of the vehicle is the "skateboard," which contains the vehicle's computers for data processing, as well as the majority of pieces that Rinspeed claims are "susceptible to wear and aging," which likely refers to the power train. It's likely that the skateboard is both electric and autonomous, because every concept is nowadays.
It's a little pie-in-the-sky, but it brings about some interesting questions as to how vehicles will change when autonomy is ubiquitous.
Resting atop the skateboard is the "pod." This is where passengers or cargo will spend their time. These pods can be removed from and attached to the skateboard with ease, permitting a single vehicle to adopt a number of bodies for specialized purposes. In the teaser rendering, Rinspeed shows a passenger-oriented pod alongside a cargo-only delivery pod.
Not only can you swap the bodies out when you want, Rinspeed imagines that updating your car could be as easy as swapping out the skateboard alone. If there's a more powerful or efficient skateboard available, you won't have to ditch all the pods along with it. Ideally, at least -- you know how companies love to sell you as much stuff as possible.
CES kicks off one week later this year, with press days starting on Sunday, Jan. 7. Be sure to keep your eyes pointed at both Roadshow and CNET, because we're basically living there for the week.
