Icona Design Nucleus Autonomous Concept
The Italian design company Icona announces its debut at the 88th Geneva
International Motor show, unveiling a worldwide premiere: the autonomous driving concept vehicle Icona
Nucleus.
THE concept
Nucleus represents the synthesis of futurism and a human-centered mindset. It takes the Icona Neo Concept
one step further by reconsidering the very way that we use a vehicle.
Neo introduced us to tomorrow, Nucleus will introduce us to after-tomorrow.
The Icona Nucleus embodies Icona’s vision for the future of mobility. First seen in 2015, the Icona Neo concept
demonstrated a very tangible tomorrow for the electric vehicle. With its fully autonomous driving level five,
the Nucleus jumps two generations ahead. Inside the vehicle, the absence of a driver does not only mean the
absence of a steering wheel and a dashboard, but the opportunity for a new understanding of mobile living
spaces, where the focus is no longer the road but the destination.
Technology should be felt but not seen and so a “less is more approach” has been used, resulting in a fluid and
sculptural body that combines the needs of both aerodynamics and ergonomics. Beyond its technological
innovation, Nucleus also shows us the future for the next generation of cars. A generation that aspires to be
socially responsible through respect not only for the natural environment but also for the human environment.
Mobility in after-tomorrow will be very different from today, with a large number of shared, self- driving, electric
vehicles which will serve as individual or small group shuttles between mass mobility infrastructure and large
hub destinations. Yet, the future will remain multi-faceted and cars will continue to reflect our needs as well as
Icona Nucleus, the ultimate self-driving living room
express our individuality. With a fully autonomous self-driving car, we can make so much more use of it than
the current family car: it will take you to the airport, come back to pick up the kids from school then later take
the grandparents to a doctor’s appointment. The car will spend much less time parked, and will be much more
usefully employed on the road. One car will replace several cars, and by nature will be an excellent place to be:
its use and versatility will be directly reflected in the multiple possibilities of its interior design.
Esse ntial extertior design
“A seamless gliding first class form of transportation” says Samuel Chuffart, Global Design Director of Icona.
The mono-volume exterior is unlike any vehicle you have ever seen. The shape looks purposeful and beautiful.
The profile and surfacing look as though the vehicle was shaped to move efficiently and quietly through the
air. Being fully autonomous, there is no side glass in the traditional sense, rather semi-transparent bodycolor
panels that allow the occupants to see out from the vehicle but remain shrouded for privacy while traveling.
The upper glass from windscreen to the complete roof is asymmetrical, divided into fully transparent and semitransparent
glass, giving a distinct visual cue that this vehicle is something truly different.
The Icona Nucleus is a self-moving executive lounge: the body side is characterized by long elegant sculpting
which emphasizes the luxury nature of the vehicle. Like a protective bubble, the Nucleus protects and embraces
its passengers, at the same time offering a stunning view of the outside, thanks to an extremely wide glass
surface which constitutes the majority of the upper body.
The graphically asymmetrical body is divides by two portions marked by a diagonal line which crosses the
roof from front right to back left, dividing the transparent and partly semi-transparent glass. Just one large
entry is granted, to the right, on the safe side. It includes the main sliding door and the oyster roof opening to
accommodate the passengers in a walk-in access.
With a length of 5.25 meters and a width of 2.12 meters, the Nucleus stands at 1.75 meters high on 27 inch
wheels. Its slick aerodynamic design with full underbody diffuser and wheel arch aerodynamic blade extensions
bring the CX to just under 0.22, a very good number that definitely helps its rolling resistance and energy
consumption. Its in-wheel motor technology helps to optimize the space inside the Nucleus and its hydrogen
range extender can bring the autonomy to 1200 kilometers.
Luxury lounge- like inter ior
Now that all occupants are passengers, their interaction and the individuality of their personal space become
a priority. Individual preferences can be catered for, as seating arrangements are flexible. The road is there and
can be seen, but it is no longer the focus of each and every passenger, as in a cinema. This first class traveling
lounge is not a foreign concept if we consider air travel. The flexibility of movement for each individual, along
with the Infotainment guided by the car computer, gives a sense of luxury well beyond the material and finish
that will be expected from such modern and sophisticated vehicles.
This is not too dissimilar to the iPhone, which changed what we consider a phone to be: doing a lot more with
what seems in appearance to be less.
The Nucleus can easily accommodate six people. Seats can be adjusted to different use, rotating to face the
desk or the rear passengers in the front, strongly reclining to the rear and even transforming into a couch on
center. The large seats in the front and in the back make it as comfortable and cozy as a luxury living room. If
you are heading to a five-star hotel, sitting in the Nucleus will make it seem as if you are already in your room. A
small table and all necessary spaces and connections for a laptop are available, as well as a wet bar so that even
the shortest trip can be effectively used for business or leisure.
Being a large luxury car, the inspiration of Nucleus has come as much from the Concorde airplane as from a
yacht. A gliding speed form that travels elegantly through the landscapes of cities and countryside. A flair
which may after all take us back to the true romance of the image of travelling in the 1930’s; a time when there
was no aggressive design to illustrate people’s driving ambition. In spite of actual dynamic capabilities that
would naturally be well beyond what was possible for a driven car of that size, Nucleus shows a more mature
and peaceful world waiting for us.
Technical data Icona Nucle us
STYLE AND DESIGN
Icona
ENGINEERING
Tecnocad Progetti
MANUFACTURING
Cecomp
POWERTRAIN
Propulsion: Electric AWD
Power: 600 hp
Drivetrain: 4 Elaphe L1500 in-wheel 110 kW motor in wheel
Battery: 6 Coils (300 kg) by Bolloré Blue Solutions
Hydrogen Range Extender: 5.3 kg Capacity at 700 ps
DRIVING SYSTEM
Level 5 by HoloMatic
PERFORMANCE
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 3.5s
Combined Range: 1200 km
Drag Coefficient: Cx = 0.22
AMENITIES
Infotainment: Personal Control, Center Travel Dashboard, Multidisciplinary Media System
Business: Mobile Office Access Kit, Wireless device charger
Refreshment: Front wet bar
DIMENSIONS
Length: 5259 mm
Width: 2115 mm
Height: 1742 mm
Weight: 2050 kg
Wheelbase: 3310 mm
4
Front & Rear tires: 205 35 R 27 Run flat System
INTERIOR
Seats: 3 in High Luxury configuration or 6 max adults
Ingress & Egress: Curb-facing walk-in access