The smart vision EQ fortwo is a two-seater prototype that anticipates what will be an urban car of the future, electric drive, autonomous driving and focused on sharing. According to smart, the vision EQ fortwo responds to the growing demand for vehicles sharing and is based on data used by the company car2go (which uses smart fortwo electric vehicles): 2.6 million users worldwide.
The users of this prototype need not look for a free vehicle, as it happens today, but it can be called by a mobile device and it is the car itself that goes to the agreed place. According to smart, all similar vehicles would be connected, so that the routes would be optimized, the volume of traffic would be reduced and parking areas would be better utilized.
The user can know that a particular car is the one that comes to pick you up because the EQ fortwo vision can be temporarily customized in several ways. The main one is by means of a frontal panel of dimensions 105 x 40 cm and also by lateral projection surfaces. When the vehicle is not busy, it can display information of common interest; smart says about local events, weather, news or time. Rear pilots can issue information such as warnings about traffic conditions.
The front panel also shows if the car is occupied by one or two people. This is so that those who so wish, can contact other users, using a function that smart calls 1 1, to share the trip. smart says that “potential passengers are proposed from their previously defined profiles and the desired destination at that time, and can be accepted or rejected.” The time spent in the car with the other passenger is considered as a time for exchange and interaction, which contributes the main display of the passenger compartment, as it shows the common interests of both people.
Its dimensions are similar to those of the smart fortwo: 2.70 meters in length, 1.72 in width and 1.53 in height (the smart fortwo Coupé electric drive measures 2.70 x 1.66 x 1.56 meters). The windows have a coating that allows to project information from the inside. The doors open rotating above the rear axle , which, according to smart, saves space and facilitates access.
The battery has 30 kWh of capacity (the fortwo Coupé electric drive is 16.7 kWh). The vehicle moves autonomously to a charging point when it is not busy and, although smart does not specify it, we assume that it also does when it is going to run out of power. smart says the EQ fortwo vision can also be connected to the power grid by induction to deliver power.
This prototype does not have controls for the driver: it lacks steering wheel and pedals; all vehicle functions are controlled by the personal mobile device or voice commands. The cabin is white and the instrument panel has been replaced by a 24-inch screen. Additionally, on each side there is another four-inch screen where the car can project other messages.
The conventional seats are replaced by a seat for two occupants that is upholstered in a material that resembles white leather and, according to smart, it is easy to clean. In addition, there is a retractable central armrest that can also have the function of separating passengers or depositing objects.