Project Title: FORD MODEL i
Winner of Scholarships 2010-11, Master Professional in Transportation Design, School of Design, IED Turin

The year is 2018 and Washington, DC is troubled more than ever by severe traffic jams that have plagued the city for decades. With increasing numbers of college graduates working in law, economics and even politics, many thousands now live in nearby counties in Maryland and Virginia and commute to Washington daily. At the same time, the Metro buses and trains are so overwhelmed and overpriced that the need has arisen for private transportation to once again offer the freedom it once did.

The Ford Model i is a concept that fulfills the needs of Washington’s young professionals for an environmentally clean, premium-looking vehicle with enough room to carpool with a few friends, but small enough to park on the crowded city streets where they work. It is a four-passenger SEV (solar-electric vehicle) built in relatively small volume using advanced technologies such as SLS forming, efficient GreenSun panels and optical ceramics, in a local Ford mini-facility that caters to DC-area residents. This is inspired by the Model T—produced in its time through a novel process—and allows the Model i to remain affordable even with a wide selection of color and material options for various components directly from the mini-facility. The resulting number of possible combinations virtually guarantees that every Model i is unique.

Of course, style and eco-friendliness aren’t everything, and DC drivers in their 20s want a capably performing vehicle. The Model i addresses this via 3 ride settings: Sport, City and Snow, with electronically switchable wheel motors. City (FWD) is the default setting ideal for everyday commuting, while Sport (RWD) is adapted for freeway driving and cornering agility, and Snow (AWD) aims to improve mobility during winter storms like the one that happened in 2010. The offset suspension that makes this possible is also designed to tilt the car during turns for a dynamic driving experience.

Inside, the Model i defies convention by giving each front occupant a customizable OLED touch display with network capability. The driver’s screen incorporates linked rotary grips with thumb controls. The grips are part of a by-wire steering system and provide a quicker, safer response than a steering wheel. The passenger gets downloadable audio-visual entertainment. These screens fold away to permit entry and exit straight out the front end, when the windshield door slides open.

If a longer trip must be made, the infrastructure of 2018 Washington allows a Model i driver to exchange a low battery unit with a fully charged one at a designated station as an alternative to charging overnight. Together with its array of other features, this concept tackles DC’s ongoing commuting issues while offering the up-and-coming generation an innovative personal transport solution.