Hyundai Develops ‘Transformers’-Like Walking Car

Hyundai’s New Horizon Studios is developing a walking car called the Elevate. This is not the first time we’ve heard murmurs about the project, though we now have a definitive answer that it’s moving forward.

The Elevate was first announced at last year’s CES event and we now know that it won’t be the only vehicle of its kind. Aside from turning cities into cutscenes from Star Wars, Hyundai’s executives promise these vehicles will also serve their purpose in emergency settings. Not only will the Elevate be able to walk, it will also be capable of scaling walls up to five feet high and stepping across gaps up to five feet wide.

So, how long until UberEats will bring your soggy food in a walking car? Can you put spinners on the feet? Can you fit an exhaust that sounds mean when it jogs? Unfortunately, there are still many unanswered questions. What we do know more about  is how it works. Hyundai says they are: “building vehicles to traverse off-road terrains with unprecedented mobility through a combination of robotics and wheeled locomotion technology.” The testing will continue at the New Horizons factory in Silicon Valley, California.

According to Vice President John Suh, most of these capabilities come courtesy of extendable legs that are connected to the body of the vehicle. “We aim to create the world’s first transformer-class vehicle, also known as the Ultimate Mobility Vehicle”, said Suh. Its uses and timeline are largely speculative at this point, so check back with us for more updates and all automotive news.