It’s a new concept vehicle born out of a collaboration between Toyota and a group of graduate students.
The target: the next generation of car buyers known as Generation Z.
The new ride: the uBox.
The concept car with an all electric powertrain was developed by graduate students at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research, according to a statement from the automaker.
The partnership was part of the school’s Deep Orange program that throws students into the auto development process from start to finish.
Two years ago, they started working on creating a utility vehicle for the year 2020. This week, the uBox was unveiled. The car with its bold design also has an interior that can be rearranged for a variety of purposes.
The dashboard and even door trim can be personalized and changed with the help of 3D printing technology.
Toyota applauded the students for breaking the mold when it came to the uBox's roof where carbon fiber rails bonded with aluminum to support the curved glass.
“The roof pultrusion was something unexpected and very interesting when they first started talking about the concept,” said Toyota Executive Program Manager Craig Payne in a statement. “The fact that they were able to achieve an industry-first manufacturing technique as students speaks volumes for this program.”
If you’d like to check it out in person, the uBox will be on display in the Cobo atrium through Thursday.
