The iPhone already has the ability to tell you how to get from A to B, but now it will actually get you there. The iChange is the latest iPhone accessory… and it’s a car.
Instead of grabbing your chunky set of keys as you leave for work each morning, you’ll just need to remember your mobile phone and sandwich. The iChange doesn’t have a key slot or button to start-up its engine, but instead is controlled by your iPhone.
What’s more interesting than tossing off some of the car’s functions to an iPhone is the shape-changing nature of the iChange. According to IDG, the iChange is meant to take somewhat different shapes depending on how many passengers are inside, so it can optimize aerodynamics. IDG reports, “In its basic configuration the pod-shaped sports car is a single seater but at the push of a button the rear of the roof pops up to provide room for an extra two passengers. The adaptive body concept is perhaps the biggest innovation in the car.”
The iChange also carries a Harmon Kardon audio system that uses Intel processors, a configurable array, lithium ion batteries, and a zero to 60 acceleration time of 4.2 seconds.
At the heart and soul of the iChange is a lithium battery supply capable of being stacked in two different configurations depending on drive distance. The batteries allow for a 220 km/h (137 mph) top speed and can propel the 1050 kg (2310 lbs) concept to 62 mph in just above 4 sec., the coachbuilder claims. A six-speed transmission borrowed from Subaru sends the power to the forged 17-in. front and 18-in. rear wheels.
Take a tour of its exterior and the iChange’s uniqueness truly makes its mark. Not only does it appear futuristic, but it actually features a slew of next-generation technologies poised to make it in the mass-produced automotive scene. Solar panels on its roof and flanks provide power to the climate control fans, while at the same time charge the essential battery packs.
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