Local Motors/BMW Urban Driving Experience Challenge – design phase has begun

The first phase of the two-phase challenge organized by Local Motors and BMW, began last week (September 25) and Local Motors has released all the details about the design brief and the prizes.

Participants are asked to submit design ideas for features and functions of urban mobility in 2025. This task is detailed through three specific challenges:

• Think about and anticipate user needs in the future that will be defined by impending lifestyle shifts in the urban environments.
• Conceive of and design premium vehicle features or functions that will address and solve these environmental and lifestyle changes.
• Redefine the concept of urban mobility – how users will live and evolve in this future urban environment.

Since the contest is focused on quality of ideas, participants can submit their works using either high quality renders, sketches or animated GIFs – or any combination of these.

There are 10 available prizes, for a total amount of $15,000.

• 1st Prize: $7,500 and trip to Munich and lunch with Managing Director of BMW Group Research and Technology.
• 2nd Prize: $2,500
• 3rd Prize: $1,500
• 4th to 10th Prize: $500

The submission deadline is October 16, 2012. The winners will be announced on October 31, 2012, and the second phase will begin in mid-November.

Below we report the official brief. For more information visit Local Motors’ The Forge website.

The Context – Megacities

Urban Environments in Flux:

Every year cities are becoming more densely populated, trending toward what are becoming known as megacities Such urban environments face quickly developing, previously unencountered challenges; intense congestion, limited parking, stifling pollution, safety, and security are some of the problems that will shape the future of urban mobility.

Lifestyles are Shifting:

The concept of vehicle ownership is changing and so are attitudes towards car sharing services. The lifestyle of urban inhabitants is also rapidly changing. Connectivity, efficiency, environmental concerns, and social consciousness are becoming key priorities for the urban driver. Active and mobile lives, filled with short distance travel, are becoming standard.

(Source: Local Motors)