It might sound strange to equip a car with a drone and a washing machine, but Skoda specially designed this concept for cyclists. The Czech car company’s first product was not a car, but a bicycle called Slavia back in 1895. It then went on to produce motorcycles that won races and broke speed records, and eventually moved into the four-wheel world.
The bicycle DNA, though, remains strong and the company has sponsored the Tour de France for over 15 years. Skoda also designs cars that cater to the needs of cyclists and to also be considerate towards two-wheeled vehicles on the road.
Its latest concept, the Karoq Velo, is brimming with integrated features, which importance to a cyclist was determined from a survey of 1,500 riders. The obvious “want” is, of course, an exterior bike carrier as well as an in-car storage system (check and check).
Even with the interior bike mount and after being packed with a cyclist’s complete tool kit, the Karoq Velo can accommodate three more passengers.
Cycling can be a lonely sport, but the Karoq Velo lets you record videos of rides easily. The Follow Me drone has recognition technology and sensors to tail the cyclist on his/her ride; it returns to the car by landing on a magnetic landing pad, and the car’s in-built Wi-Fi hotspot allows immediate uploading of the footage to, say, Youtube.
Of course, one of the most uncomfortable thing at the end of a long, hard ride is the sweat-soaked, mud-splashed attire—27% of the survey respondents said so. So, Skoda added a miniature high-pressure washing machine—all damp clothing can then be washed immediately, keeping cyclist and car interior smelling nice and fresh.
We know that this is just a concept and it is aimed at cyclists, but there is often a need to do laundry—ketchup on your t-shirt after visiting a drive-thru or wine stains during a night out needs immediate attending to. So, we vote “WANT IT” for the washing machine on wheels.
