Lukas Wenzhöfer, 26, is a student at the University of Design in Pforzheim/Baden-Württemberg and was one of the participants in Opel’s “Rocks-e Design Hack” competition. The brief was very interesting, consisting of proposing an extreme variant of the small Opel model based on the Citroën Ami. Finally, Wenzhöfer’s project turned out to be the winner and Opel, in reward, will make his proposal come true: the Rocks E-Xtreme.
And what is the Rocks E-Xtreme?
What the industrial design student did was transform the Rocks-e into a radical all-terrain vehicle. It looks like a remote-controlled toy car and also one of those buggies that race on dirt tracks in the United States.
- The axles have been widened towards the ends for a more stable and powerful stance.
- The clearance was modified, which allows us to see a wider articulation for the suspension, in fact, a double wishbone scheme was placed in the front
- On the outside, a cage was placed to protect the passenger compartment, where a pair of auxiliary headlights and a huge rear spoiler are mounted.
- A fluorescent yellow color was chosen with black graphics
“The Opel Rocks-e allows young people to move and enjoy a driving experience without limits. My prototype collects all these points and takes them to the extreme. Its off-road capability increases the feeling of freedom to reach any destination. And its increased sportiness promises increased driving fun to show that electric mobility is more than just a common sense solution.”explains Wenzhöfer. “It was important to me to strike a good balance between the most attractive details and a clean overall impression that would preserve the basic character of the Rocks-e and remain true to Opel’s design language: ‘bold and pure’”adds the 26-year-old.
Mini data sheet of the Rocks-e
- Length: 2.41m
- Width: 1.39m
- Height: 1.52m
- Weight: 471 kilos, approximately.
The Rocks E-Xtreme does not change its powertrain from the original model. That is, it has a 6 kW electric motor that allows it to reach a maximum of 45 km/h. It has a 5.5 kWh battery, which can be fully charged in 3.5 hours connected to a household socket. Now, you can also use a public charger or a WallBox, much faster and more convenient. Its autonomy, according to the WLTP cycle, is 75 kilometers, plenty for urban use.
the finalists
Two other projects that stood out are Kazuki Sakurai’s “Rocks-e Urban e‑Racer Concept”, clearly inspired by motorsport, and Theo Philippot’s “Rocks-e Snowmobile”, equipped with a compass, ski rack and luggage rack with photovoltaic panels. . Both models were also highlighted by Opel, looking like viable alternatives for their development, especially the e-Racer.which could eventually inspire a potential racing category.