Hyundai's Elevate Concept Could Revolutionize Emergency Response
A fully-electric vehicle with “limitless possibilities.”
Hyundai has introduced a forward-thinking new electric concept car known as the Elevate. The Elevate was introduced at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, and was developed to aid emergency response personnel who are forced to tackle rough terrain following a natural disaster.
“Any first responder will tell you that the first 72 hours following a natural disaster are the most crucial to saving lives,” reads a statement from Hyundai. “However, often times due to the nature of the disaster (forest fire, earthquake, hurricane, or flood), it can be difficult for search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid missions to reach and get immediate help to those in need.”
Hyundai’s new concept vehicle was engineered to be a quicker, stronger and more reliable than traditional off-road vessels. Thanks to a driving method known as “active suspension,” the elevate’s four robotic legs and their fully-extended wheels can go across even the trickiest of landscapes while keeping the actual body of the car firmly in-place and sturdy. Two walking modes come with Elevate: reptilian, which positions the legs outwards on any side, and mammalian, which allows the legs to “point out in front and behind the body.”
“When a tsunami or earthquake hits, current rescue vehicles can only deliver first responders to the edge of the debris field. They have to go the rest of the way by foot,” explains John Suh, Hyundai CRADLE’s vice president and founding director. “Elevate can drive to the scene and climb right over flood debris or crumbled concrete. This technology goes well beyond emergency situations. People living with disabilities worldwide that don’t have access to an ADA ramp could hail an autonomous Hyundai Elevate that could walk up to their front door, level itself, and allow their wheelchair to roll right in. The possibilities are limitless.”
You can take a look at some renderings of the Hyundai Elevate concept vehicle above.
At last year’s New York Auto Show, Hyundai Genesis debuted another stunning concept car.
