IED previews Honda Tomo Concept

As in its tradition, at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) will present a full-size concept car model.

For this edition the car is named Tomo, and was created in partnership with Honda Design as the thesis project for the 13 students of the two-year Master in Transportation Design at IED Torino.

The brief set by Honda was to design the brand’s next “fun” driving, with the aim of creating the ideal means of transport for young people in the next six years.

The result of the research and work done is an electric concept car that can be seen as a hybrid between a smart device and a mobility tool, combining the needs of free time leisure outside the city with the demands of working in an urban setting.

Key values of the project included friendship (Tomo means friend in Japanese), driving fun and respect for the environment.

The car features compact dimensions – a length of 3997 mm, a width of 1893 mm and a height of 1556 mm, with a wheelbase of 2690 mm – and a youthful appearance, with a body style that mixes the lines of a small coupé with the functionality of a pick-up.

The idea for Tomo was drawn from a manga story created by the students of the Master’s in Transportation Design for the 2017/18 scholastic year.

The story is set in 2025 and is centered around Coner, a design student at IED who builds Tomo as an “extension” of himself that will help him in his life as a student and as a urban farmer.

Honda selected the design of Ricardo Alejandro Campos Ortega (Mexico) for the main concept idea exterior, and the work of Rudraksh Banerjie (India) as main concept idea interior, which were both then further developed together with the other students of the Master in Transportation Design for the 2017/18 scholastic year: Tanmay Madhukar Chavan (India), Michele Corneliani (Italy), Shobhanjit Das (India), Alexander Marcel Fröse (Germany), Xiaole Ge (China), Ramón Emmanuel Hernández Cortés (Mexico), Tianchen Huang (China), Sameer Aminullah Khan (India), Saketh Nalla (India), Jay Shrikant Nibandhe (India), Yu-Jie Wang (Taiwan).

The Master in Transportation Design of IED Torino is coordinated by Alessandro Cipolli with the collaboration of Davide Tealdi, IED lecturer, and under the supervision of Luca Borgogno, Design Director Automobili Pininfarina, IED Transportation Coordinator.

The physical model was built by EDAG Italia, while technical sponsors of the project include: AM Costruzione Modelli, Clinic Car Italia, Freeland.car Srl, OZ Racing, Pirelli.

Official statements

«At Honda Design we are always working to create a design that reflects the philosophy of our brand, offering users our experience with fun and freedom of mobility – says Taku Kono, General Manager Styling Design Division Honda R&D. «Starting with the active participation of young designers, through partnerships and internships in Europe and in conjunction with the presentation of the evolution of the Honda Urban EV concept in Geneva, we asked the young IED designers to propose a variation on this theme. It was an exciting, constructive journey both for us and the students thanks to the fusion of the Honda Design philosophy and the creative energy and commitment of the young IED designers».

«With 15 full-scale models presented over the years at the Geneva Motor Show by the Istituto Europeo di Design, visitors have come to expect provocative designs from the school, the only international network of higher education participating in the trade show – says Paola Zini, Director of IED Torino.

«Giving our students the opportunity to work with Honda, one of the world’s top car manufacturers, and then to present the skills, professionalism and values they have acquired during their studies on a global stage is a source of great pride for IED».

(Image Courtesy: IED for Car Body Design)