The Phoenix Concept - 'Regeneration Passion' was Segio Loureiro's final project for the MA Vehicle Design Course at RCA (Royal College of Art) and received a commendation at the RCA Final Degree Show.This electric sportscar is based on the idea of a reducing energy consumption by adopting alternate energy regeneration systems.
As Sergio explains "Outside the car industry technologies have been developed in order to regenerate power, like kinetic watches, wind turbine, geothermic energy absorption even a sustainable dance floor is developed that regenerates the energy from the bouncing of the floor. Around those ideas I designed a car with a central kinetic axis that generates the power of the movement as the vehicle turns like two attached motorbikes."
At the front a wind turbine generates the wind energy when slowing down the vehicle. The rear wheels have been designed in order to reduce the amount of pieces between the wheels and the engine in order to reduce friction. The suspension system also is designed in order to create a kinetic movement that generates energy.
"Second I thought electrical cars should be designed aiming for sensations and not for speed in order to preserve the batteries longer. "At high speed the battery range drop considerably, so this vehicle would provide sensations at lower speeds."
The design language appeals for drivers that want a different type of vehicle.
"Drivers that have lived in a virtual computer game word that want to drive a vehicle closer to a spaceship, something that can provide them with different sensations." The overall top shape is inspired from the wings of a bat ray, that glides through the water.
About the designer
Sergio Loureiro da Silva was born in Luxemburg 30 years ago, but he has Portuguese nationality.
He studied Mechanical Engineering, focused on Industrial Design, at the Universite de Technologie de Compiegne from 1999 to 2002.
He is currently a student of MA Vehicle Design at the Royal College of Art.
His past experiences include an internship at the BMW Advanced Design Studio in Munich (2000-2001), an internship at Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design in Yokohama, Japan (2007) and a collaboration with Design Studio SPC (Velizy, France) for the development of design proposals for PSA Group.
In 2007 he has won the 6th L'Argus European Design Competition with the Coeur Concept.
Contact details:
e-mail: sergio.loureiro@network.rca.ac.uk
Article Courtesy : carbodydesign.com
