GM is lifting the veil on their design studio and giving us a peek at two previously unseen concepts
- GM has unveiled the PEV2 and PEV3 concepts, crafted as eco-friendly city cars from a few years ago.
- These tiny studies boast distinctive seating arrangements and prioritize maneuverability and space efficiency.
- They showcase GM’s past exploration of innovative EVs designed specifically for urban needs.
GM Design has quietly launched a new “From the Vault” series, which gives us a look at some never before seen projects. The first to be unveiled is the Urban Active Project, which is effectively a vision of a city car in the same vein as the Smart ForTwo and Renault Twizy.
The project started around three years ago and focused on the needs of customers who reside in cities such as New York, London, and Shanghai. According to GM’s research, many drivers in these cities travel less than 40 miles (64 km) per day, drive solo, and never exceed 40 mph (64 km/h).
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This pushed the company to develop two new concepts known as the PEV2 and PEV3. Both measure 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long and hold two or three people.
The Personal Electric Vehicles (PEVs) were envisioned as small, sharable EVs. The PEV3 was notable for featuring a central driver’s seat with a passenger seat located shortly behind on either side. The PEV2, on the other hand, had a central driver’s seat and a lounge-like passenger seat behind it.
Little else is known about the concepts, but they were envisioned to be Chevrolets and were created by studios in Michigan and California. The company also noted they could “park nose-in to the curb, saving valuable urban parking space.”
Unlike some concepts, running prototypes were built to “demonstrate the efficiency, interior spaciousness, and fun experience potential.” As you can see, the models have an expansive greenhouse and a minimalist interior. The PEV3 appears significantly wider than the PEV2 and GM noted the latter was a “leaning vehicle.” This suggests the car would lean side to side, similar to a motorcycle rider.
