02/14/2018
A new concept of citycar designed for the Chinese market, REDS (Revolutionary Electric Dream Space) is an electric vehicle born from a collaboration between CHTC and the ex-BMW designer Chris Bangle.
The REDS resembles a Smart Fortwo in its dimensions (2,97 m in length) but the similarities end there, in fact it can accomodate up to five people when parked, four when on the go.
From the start the idea was to focus on creating a full-time living space that could meet the needs of Chinese megacities, with traffic at a standstill 90% of the time.
The new citycar is equipped with many comforts, a small table descends form the ceiling, a retractable 17-inch screen and also a remote-controlled foot massager.
To entertain 5 people the driver’s seat swivels 180 degrees around a folding steering wheel, allowing the passengers to get the most out of the available space.
The prototype has been manufactured in Turin, Italy, and also the solar panels installed on the roof of the vehicle are from Turin, they are produced by the Italian company Solbian.
A solar plant made of the best SunPower ™ cells on the market, back contact mono crystalline silicon, with top efficiency and high aesthetic. A peak power of 332 W, spread on 4 panels, two of which have non-standard shapes, in order to follow the roof lines. A remarkable power that can provide up to 2kWh of energy on a bright sunny day.
Two separate MPPT charge controller channel the energy towards the batteries for a better efficiency in case of partial shadows and redundancy if any damage occurs.
To further match the aesthetic and design of the vehicle, the polymeric surface of the solar modules have been marked with a light mesh.
In the next two years the prototype will be thoroughly tested in view of starting the production, which will be carried out by REDSPACE, the CHTC's newly established car company.
