Could the future of commuting involve driving subs underwater? According to a concept by BMW Group Designworks USA, this waterborne Mini Cooper was made to travel a local river system.

The LA Auto Show has a theme for its Design Challenge every year. This year is "Biomimicry & Mobility 2025: Nature's Answer to Human Challenges". The BMW Designworks team combined the biggest transportation problem with an untapped and underutilized transportation asset (rivers).



"We knew that traffic congestion was something we all wanted to improve," says designer Anders Thogersen. "And we have all these very big river systems in L.A. that we could use for a new highway system."



The Mini Cooper pods would use a chemical reaction created when salt and fresh water mix in the presence of certain bacteria to create hydrogen fuel. It not only generates energy but also the water intake and output system can serve as the propulsion method for the craft.

Very interesting way to travel indeed.