Yeah, concepts are concepts-they rarely come to life. But that’s not the point here. This is the SAIC R RYZR EV, and it looks like some real fun. Like a cross between a car and motorcycle; but better. Why can’t EVs be more fun like this? Pod cars are boring. 

The R RZYR makes EVs fun instead of commuter cars

Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation or SAIC is China’s largest auto manufacturer that is producing all kinds of vehicles. But not in the US-at least not yet. This concept is about moving away from the basis for EVs, which are usually cheaper transportation in crowded inner cities. That’s a needed and noble pursuit, but it can produce some boring vehicles.

SAIC’s Advanced Design studio in the Marylebone section of London created this two-seat concept. Director Carl Gotham says the R RYZR is a “visceral vision of the future of urban travel.” He says it is more like a motorcycle but with car stability. 

The R RZYR is “an exploration of unconventional modes of transports for the future”

“R RYZR is a useful, agile, practical, and exciting form of urban transport,” Gotham says. “It combines the aesthetic of cutting-edge technical apparel and augmented reality with futurism. It’s an exploration of unconventional modes of transports for the future – new architectures, new experiences, and new emotions.”

Not many specs were provided by either SAIC or Car China News. There is no frame. A spine runs from the front to back with the seats hung off of either side. The hubless front wheel design is borrowed from show bikes over the years. R RZYR can pivot on both the front and rear arms, so it leans into turns like you would with a motorcycle. 

While not exactly practical, we can envision a few tweaks to make it so

Without windscreens, a driver’s suit, helmet, and visor help give protection from the elements. Drive-by-wire technology is a given. We can imagine the addition of a curved side impact bar that in plan view would almost look like a halo around the passengers. This would increase side impact protection. 

So the R RZYR is a fantasy. It will never see production. But it hopefully gives some foundation to exploring fun ways to use EV technology besides commuter cars. In that typical designer design speak, it represents “the ultimate symbiosis of man and machine; a car that you actually wear.”