Toyota Unveils All-Electric Concept uBox Aimed At Generation Z

Apr 14, 2016 06:22 AM EDT | Victor Thomson

Toyota unveiled today an all-electric concept car called uBox, at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress and Exposition in Detroit.

The uBox concept car is targeting the Generation Z buyers. The project was developed by the Japanese automaker in collaboration with graduate students at Clemson's International Center for Automotive Research.

At the moment, the Generation Z is composed mostly of people still in their late teens. They are the first generation to be raised in the era of smartphones, born from mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, according to The New York Times.

Market analysts consider that, despite their age, an impressionable bunch of people belonging to the Generation Z will soon take into consideration big-ticket purchases like cars. For this  reason, according to Motor Trend, carmakers started to shift their attention from millennials to Generation Z next group of money-makers.With its uBox concept car, the Japanese automaker Toyota is getting a head start on trying to figure out what kind of automobile the future Gen-Z buyers want. According to Toyota, the typical customer for their all-electric uBox concept car is a young entrepreneur who needs a vehicle that provides career-centric uses such as office space during the week, and recreation on the weekend.

Toyota's uBox concept is a five-passenger utility car customizable in various ways, according to the owner's taste. In its interior, the car provides the possibility to make custom three-dimensional printing.

According to Digital Trends, the uBox will feature a sharp, square design, with LED lights. The car seats are mounted on sliding tracks.

An all-electric powertrain can be also used as a power source for tools and mobile devices. Seats can be easily removed to provide some for extra space.

The uBox will feature a large glass roof supported by a structure made of aluminum bond with composite carbon fiber. The manufacturing technique to create this structure is an industry-first.

The project uBox project called Deep Orange will span over two years. The all-electric concept car is targeted at Gen-Z buyers of the year 2020. 

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