The soapbox was developed by engineers and designers from the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center (HMETC) using affordable and easily-available materials.
Intended to promote quality time for customers, families and friends, Hyundai has made the instructions available to download so the vehicle can be built at home.
“In recent months, spending time together as a family has become more valuable to people. We wanted to create a fun project that would give families and friends an enjoyable project that brings them together,” said Andreas Christoph-Hofmann, Vice President of Marketing & Product at Hyundai Motor Europe.
“Of course, the Hyundai Soapbox had to stay affordable, so our designers developed it using materials that can be easily found in a local DIY store.”
The Hyundai Soapbox is a motor-less vehicle designed by Hyundai experts that is nonetheless fairly easy to build.
Designers and engineers at HMETC conceived the model in the company’s workshop, and built a prototype to ensure the feasibility of the design. In order to keep it accessible, the HMETC team was careful to only use materials which were readily available at an average hardware store. They also paid attention to the total cost of materials to make sure the design stayed affordable.
According to the responsible team, it was an interesting project for the Hyundai engineers and designers. It gave them a chance to be creative on a different type of development than usual.
“In the car industry we get so used to thinking within certain boxes, but this time, the door was open,” said Thomas Bürkle, Head of Hyundai Europe Design Center. “With this project, we were free to be creative and think outside the box.”
The Hyundai Soapbox was designed just like a regular car. First, a team of engineers built the chassis. Then, a team of designers sketched ideas, first on paper and then as 3D computer models. They came up with different designs, chose one, and started building. Lastly, another team worked on colour and trim.
When looking to other Hyundai models for inspiration, the 45 concept stood out for its straight lines and geometric shapes, as well as the Hyundai design identity “Sensuous Sportiness”.
As a basis, 45 provided the general direction and inspired the final soapbox design. Aspects of 45 can be seen in the surface treatment of the soapbox body, such as the flat panels and wedge-shaped silhouette.
The soapbox is made out of wood, metal rods, and connecting materials such as brackets and screws. The wheels are from a wheelbarrow. It has joysticks for steering and a simple mechanism for braking.
The Hyundai Soapbox is made primarily from environmentally-friendly materials such as wood and metal.
Though the soapbox is built for the size of a child, due to clever engineering, it can also carry an adult’s weight.
