Automaker introduces futuristic concept van with revolutionary features: 'This is Travel 4.0'
Chery, a Chinese automaker, is shaking up the adventure car space with its new Journeo concept van, according to New Atlas.
The idea for this half-electric hybrid vehicle is practically a transformer that can take you from city life to a sightseeing road trip in one fell swoop.
The company calls the experience "Travel 4.0," and sure enough, the car's design is chock-full of features you've probably never thought a car could have.
For example, its front seats swivel around to create a pop-up living room with a loveseat-esque rear bench. That bench can also turn into a daybed by swinging the seat backs to the sides. Where to put your head, you ask? The inside of the doors are removable cushions, New Atlas explained.
Up top, a large glass roof and extra big rear windshield let as much of the views inside as possible. There's no shortage of space to stretch either; the front dashboard retracts and a rear pod slides out to give the interior nearly 5 feet of extra space. This setup is rightfully called "lounge mode," per New Atlas.
As the outlet reported, the exterior of the Journeo has some other tricks up its sleeve for enhanced on- or off-road adventuring. A trunk in front — also known as a frunk — stores a mobile kitchen and grill. The grill panel can also drop down to create a curved outdoor bench, and a thin rooftop carrier deploys a flower-petal awning for a bit of shade.
The car's concept is not as rugged as some van-lifers might look for, but it does have an adaptable air suspension system that can adjust based on road conditions. On top of that, Chery estimates a future iteration of the design will be capable of a 1,550-mile range when both its battery and fuel tank are full, which would be a major plus for any road-tripping driver, per New Atlas.
This all just goes to show what's possible in the innovative world of electric cars, from cutting-edge designs to immense savings on gas bills and tailpipe-pollution-free driving.
Interested buyers in this particular EV will have to wait for the design concepts to make it into a real car — but the Journeo is convincing enough to one day be a competitor to other electric multi-purpose vehicles, according to New Atlas.
"Amazing concept," one commenter on Chery's Instagram promotion wrote.
If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you?
Cost
Battery range
Power and speed
The way it looks
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
"Yes. This is exactly what I want," another added.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
33 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Rare Earth Magnet Shortage Threatens Shutdown of U.S. Car Factories
Auto executives across the globe have raised urgent concerns that an impending shortage of rare earth magnets from China used in an extensive number of car parts threatens to upend vehicle production in weeks. Earlier this month, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing Volkswagen, Hyundai, and General Motors, expressed unease regarding the impending shortage in a letter to President Trump. The letter listed automatic transmissions, throttle bodies, alternators, various motors, sensors, seat belts, speakers, lights, power steering, and cameras as among the many components affected by a rare earth magnet supply shortage, Reuters reports. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation and The Vehicle Suppliers Association cited reduced production volumes and complete shutdowns of assembly lines as severe outcomes of the scarcity. The Chinese government halted exports of rare earth magnets on April 4 during its trade war with the United States, but American officials anticipated China's mid-May trade war truce with the United States would reopen rare earth magnet access. However, United States trade representative Jamieson Greer said Friday that American officials: "haven't seen the flow of some of those critical minerals, like they're [China] supposed to be doing," according to The New York Times. China's embassy in Washington responded, saying the United States was abusing export controls in the semiconductor sector. An American official familiar with the United States and China's trade talks earlier this month in Geneva said discussions didn't involve export controls, Reuters reports. This same official claimed Beijing was moving slowly on promises to resume rare earth export licenses. India also hasn't received the licenses, putting the country on pace to pause auto production in early June. Europe has received some license approvals, but its Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Jens Eskelund, said the amount is insufficient. A rare earth mineral shortage would most impact United States automakers, and a separate New York Times report notes that some Chinese rare earth magnet makers have stopped production while waiting for permission to resume exports. China controls over 90% of global processing capacity for the magnets used in industries like auto manufacturing, fighter jet production, and home appliances, according to Reuters. The United States makes essentially no high-performance rare earth magnets, but small factories are scheduled to begin production this year in South Carolina and Texas. One operational mine in Oklahoma relies on China for processing. Small sales and profit margins have reduced many countries' desire to produce the magnets, with worldwide sales being a small fraction of larger industries like copper mining. While the United States auto industry will be most affected by a rare earth magnet shortage, the issue is global. To make matters worse, permit applications to China can require hundreds of pages of documents. German auto parts manufacturer Bosch said its suppliers are experiencing difficulty dealing with China's export license procedures. Despite receiving some licenses, Europe is still facing significant supply chain disruptions, and India could halt all auto production early this month. In response, the European Union is fast-tracking its mining and mineral initiatives to reduce its dependency on China. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg co-leads $15.5M Series A for AI video ad platform
DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg's venture fund WndrCo co-led a $15.5 million Series A round for Creatify, an AI video ad platform. Creatify's AdMax platform uses AI to quickly generate dozens of video advertisements, which are geared toward social media marketing -- AdMax analyzes high-performing social video campaigns on apps like TikTok and Instagram to shape its output. Tech industry titans have been bullish on AI advertising. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently spoke about his ambitions to automate all of advertising with an AI ad tool, which would test thousands of ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads users. This degree of automation may seem drastic, but it is not a foregone conclusion. While Katzenberg has been an entertainment industry executive since before DVDs were invented, his bets are not always correct -- he was also the founder of Quibi, the short video platform that infamously raised $1.75 billion and shut down six months later.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Trump administration is delaying a 25% tariff on Chinese-made graphics cards
Graphics cards and motherboards assembled in China are avoiding President Donald Trump's import taxes, for now. In a three-page notice published Saturday in the Federal Register, the Office of the Trade Representative said it was 'appropriate' to extend a moratorium that won't subject vendors of electronics equipment to tariffs on graphics cards and graphics processing units. The measure stems from a long-running Section 301 investigation into Chinese economic policies and whether they are harming American companies. That federal probe started under the first Trump administration, and it would apply a 25% tariff if officials conclude that Chinese companies had an unfair advantage. The 25% tariff has been inactive due to a string of reprieves from both the Biden and Trump administrations. China remains the world's largest electronics manufacturer, according to the International Trade Centre; the nation is still subject to a minimum 30% import tax by the Trump administration, barring some exemptions. Major tech companies including Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) were spared the brunt of Trump's 'reciprocal' tariffs in April. A federal court battle is now brewing over the fate of those tariffs. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
