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Rinspeed bringing kooky SNAP concept to Geneva

Skateboard with a passenger pod on top, and mint for your beverages

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For 40 years, Rinspeed has brought its other-dimensional take on cars to the Geneva Motor Show. This year, Frank M. Rinderknecht will showcase his 24th concept, the transforming Snap "mobility ecosystem." The vehicle breaks down into a "skateboard" platform containing the electric drivetrain, with a swappable, customizable passenger pod atop. Rinspeed designed the Snap to stretch a vehicle's useful life in quickly changing times; when EV mechanicals and software progress too far beyond the those in the "high-wear chassis" skateboard, the chassis can be replaced with modern hardware and software that supports the passive pod.

Those pods can be outfitted for numerous and varied uses, from shopping to camping to mere urban travel, with a "fully connected user experience for occupants." In the case of urban travel, six projectors flash messages on the windows to communicate with the outside world and boarding passengers who have been approved via iris scanners. The structure even comes with an autonomous personal assistant — because it doesn't count as futuristic anymore if it doesn't come with a cyborg gopher. The Snap's built-in helper will be "happy to help with running errands, carrying purchases, or handle other tedious tasks." Of if not exactly happy, at least efficient.

A rider has plenty to explore before getting to the assistant, though. Every person on board gets three displays: one "Personal Control Panel" for individualized settings and personal messages, two others for route information and entertainment from a rider's personal cloud content. There's leather seating, portable storage, wireless charging, and potted mint and strawberries for mid-voyage infusion beverages.

We probably won't see the Snap outside of the Geneva halls, but as a vision for the future, we're on board.

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