The Jidu ROBO-01 concept car will have a uniquely shaped steering wheel, an ultra-wide display, and a very high-tech cockpit, the latest set of posters shows.
(Image credit: Jidu)
Baidu's (NASDAQ: BIDU, HKG: 9888) car-making arm Jidu Auto has teased the interior design of its robot car concept in the latest images, just a week before its June 8 unveiling.
A set of posters released by Jidu shows its first concept car, the ROBO-01, with a uniquely shaped steering wheel somewhat similar to the Yoke rectangular steering wheel used on the Tesla Model S.
The steering wheel appears to use indicators in several places, with the text "ROBODRIVE" in the upper left suggesting that this area may display information about the vehicle's assisted driving status.
Unlike the iPad-like center screens currently used by many electric vehicle (EV) makers, the Jidu ROBO-01 concept uses an ultra-wide screen that displays information including remaining mileage and charging progress.
One of the posters reads "Real-time emotional response, unprecedented 3D immersion", suggesting that the concept may showcase innovations in color and sound settings in the front area of the cabin.
The Jidu ROBO-01's rear seats and ancillary structures also have a unique shape and are equipped with multiple ambient lights.
The poster reads, "Maybe this is the sci-fi feeling smart space you crave," implying that Jidu may try to create a sci-fi feeling through ambient lighting, high-tech seats, and a center armrest console.
In addition to the two interior design images, Jidu's posters include an image of the rear of the ROBO-01 concept, showing it to be an SUV or hatchback rather than a sedan.
The concept uses an eye-catching rear wing design with a run-through light strip. Its taillights appear to be LED matrix light clusters, thus having the potential for light language interaction.
No further information is available on the Jidu ROBO-01 concept, which will be unveiled at its inaugural JIDU ROBODay event on June 8.
Jidu has previously said that the robot car concept is inspired by spaceships, has the ability to drive at a high level of autonomy on highways and city streets, and has a cockpit with a high level of intelligence.
It's worth noting that only a fraction of these flashy designs on the concept car will probably be used in the final production model.
On May 25, Jidu CEO Xia Yiping said on Weibo that the company had started casting body molds for its first production vehicle, officially moving from model design to the preparation stage of vehicle production.
In a conference call after announcing its first-quarter earnings report on May 26, Baidu co-founder and CEO Robin Li said Jidu is targeting the family passenger car market with a price tag of around 200,000 yuan ($29,680).
In China, cars priced at around RMB 200,000 are seen as striking the best balance of affordability and specifications, and one of the largest total addressable markets.
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