‘Pokémon’ x MINI Unravel Concept Car ‘Electrified’ By Pikachu
By Mikelle Leow, 25 Aug 2022
This MINI concept wants to be the very best that no car ever was, and it’s achieving this by harnessing the electrifying cuteness of Pikachu, plus “gaming features.”
In an unexpected tie-in, the automaker took to Gamescom’s Opening Night Live to preview the all-electric, experimental ‘Aceman’ hatchback with a ‘Pokémon Mode’.
With this setting on, riders will be greeted by an animated OLED dashboard, all visually powered up in neon by Pikachu’s electric shocks.
The conceptual car even has a built-in “mobile cinema” with a projector that can screen Pokémon episodes, presumably when the EV is parked.
There’s also the ability to plug a gaming console into the Aceman. Neither MINI nor Nintendo has elaborated on what this means, but it’s possible that the projector—or even the cockpit—could be used to screen gaming visuals. Though, there’s really no need to overthink this as it’s just a fun concept (evidently, its creators haven’t).
It’s highly unlikely that the Pokémon car will ever make it to market, considering that Tesla has been under great scrutiny for bringing video games to its own vehicles. More than anything, the Pokémon-inspired model is a marketing-charged (pun intended) metaphor of MINI’s plans to go fully electric by 2030.
According to the company, the car is also a reminder to “play on” and “never stop playing.” Again, these are expressions. You should always keep your eyes on the road while driving.