May Roadster 2006 by Oliver May, Germany

2006: California.

Drawings on Display at Michelin Challenge Design™

Biography:

Oliver May studied Industrial Design at University Wuppertal, Germany and Communication Design at the University of Applied Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany.

He graduated in Industrial-Design developing a design concept for a high speed catamaran ferry. Beside his college activities he started working as a Designer in a broad field of activity from product and exhibition to corporate design for well known companies like Siemens VDO, Mannesmann and Associates.

If there is enough time during his work as a professional he joins design competitions to enlarge his pool of innovative ideas.

Presently residing at Düsseldorf, Germany he enjoys working as a freelance Design consultant for numerous firms covering a wide spectrum of design concepts.

Description:

The main design idea is a fusion of an ecological roadster concept with a combination of hydrogen propulsion and four-wheel drive.

The wheel-hub engine was developed by Ferdinand Porsche nearly hundred years ago and is one of the most exciting yet forgotten concepts in engine technology. Using a single engine in each tire powered by fuel cell stacks in the back of the car can be the next step of ecological car designs. Some experts predict the combination of a wheel-hub engine and fuel cells as the future of modern vehicle design.

California is well known for establishing new trends in automotive design and high class standards of low emission vehicles. The Californian market would be the ideal surrounding for introducing automotive concepts of that kind. Other than most ecological concept cars the design offers a real sports car attitude avoiding that typical “eco-touch”, which is the main fact that lots of ecological concepts failed in the past. Especially for the open minded Californian market there could be a realistic chance of establishing an eccentric lifestyle product with a zero emission engine.

The design stands for pure and archetype like car feeling combined with smooth design lines and a powerful overall optic. This can be the proof that ecological automotive design hasn’t to be at the boring side. It shows the way of merging car-enthusiasm and environmental-friendly future concepts.