[How to Create the Future - What I Learned with Audi] The Japanese Audi designers talk about the value of design sense and the future of EVs.

Roughly speaking

1. The power of design has been noticed by Audi designers.
2. Design rules: fewer ones are better.
3. The future of the automotive society predicted by the EVs planned during the Nissan era in the 1990s.

Audi designers realize the power of design.

Recently, cars are becoming more and more eccentric in design. The Iron Mask Age of the 1980s, the Round Corner Era of the 1990s, the Streamlined Age of the 2000s, and the gorgeous advocacy period of the 10's. This boom occurred during the bubble period, but it is possible that all manufacturers will start to stand out and the freshness of their designs will no longer be possible. The long-life design, which has always been loved, is unexpectedly simple. Volkswagen's Beetle, Audi's TT, Nissan's Skyline, and more.

This time, we will introduce the golden rules of design and the future predicted by EV prototypes from the collection of essays by Wada Satoshi, who worked as a car designer at Nissan and Audi.

Compared to Germany, Japan is overflowing with things and is too kind?

After changing jobs to Audi, Wada is shocked by her life in Germany and the nobility of women. There are few items in Germany, and there are no products that are designed to differentiate themselves in detail, such as "gentle XX for women." German women are also said to be noble, unlike the "cute" that is often preferred in Japan.

And as seen in German cars, many German products are rugged and have been made from the core of their designs. It inherits the Bauhaus tradition and is a thorough and rational design. Dieter-Rams, who has been designing for Brown (a home appliance manufacturer famous for its electric toothbrushes), also said to have been influenced by Mr. Wada, for over 40 years, has listed 10 good design terms as follows: In particular, the last rule of "suppressing design as much as possible" gives the sense of the essence of design, that is passed down to Apple's designer Jonathan Ive, which is the essence of design: the less is better.

1. Be innovative.
2. Bring practical use.
3. Be aesthetic.
4. Bring understanding.
5. Be humble.
6. Be honest.
7. It's long life.
8. It ultimately leads to details.
9. With consideration for the environment.
10. Reduce design as much as possible.
    

Nissan's prototype EV vehicle predicted the future of car society

During his time as a Nissan designer in 1998, Wada Satoshi was involved in a prototype EV concept car project (later mass-produced in a bit of a place). Until now, EVs were gaining positions on high-end and commercial lines like Tesla, but in 1998 the role that EVs would play and the future of car society remained uncertain.

The project was stopped due to the lack of profits, and Wada was transferred to Audi, but the concept that Hyper Mini was at the time was taking on is now emerging as a realistic way to solve problems in 2021.

Carbon neutrality with EVs and car sharing with EVs will become the perfect commuter for herbivore and minimalists. Issues such as traffic problems caused by communication between EVs and improvements in software services have already been considered at Hyper Mini. It took 20 years, but a world that can be solved in real life is approaching. In fact, Tesla has added various functions with an OS update, and the latest models can be played on the game.

I believe that the big opportunity for the EV car society lies in the ECU, or software, but what do you think? It is possible to combine cars with services other than cars, or to pursue the original joy of driving. With software, it's low cost and free. As someone who loves cars, this is an issue I would like to undertake.