Peugeot Inception EV gets video game-like steering input with advanced display

At CES 2023 Peugeot unveiled an electric vehicle projecting its vision of what future cars will be like. While we are unlikely to see an exact road-legal version by the manufacturer anytime soon, it will definitely inspire future technologies.

That said, the aesthetics in the 2025 models could have a likeliness to the Peugeot Inception EV concept. The ride boasts level 4 autonomy and on the inside, it is cocooned in exciting technology and luxury. Peugeot’s goal is to have the sci-fi Hypersquare steering control on its next-generation vehicles before the end of the decade.

Designer: Peugeot

The next-generation i-Cockpit of Inception highlights the Hypersquare control system, destined to radically change how steering wheels will be in the future. To be more precise, the mechanical connections of the wheel are substituted with the steer-by-wire system. Thus, resulting in a rectangular steering wheel with a mobile device-like display in the middle to beam vital information. Now that seems more like a video game control put onto a drivable car. All the essential controls like climate change, music volume, or drive mode are actuated by moving the thumb only on one of these divided segments on the display. This keeps the driver distraction-free for maximum focus on the road.

This driver-dedicated interior space is high on comfort, and in self-driving mode, the steering retreats back into the dashboard for an inviting look. The airy cabin is complemented by the panoramic Narima glass measuring 78 square feet. The glass going all around the middle is treated to the same metal oxide layer that adorns the helmets worn by NASA astronauts. Hence, the peculiar yellow tint retains thermal heat.

According to Peugeot, the electric car is built on Stellantis’ four future BEV-by-design platforms for low sedans. The gut is powered by an 800-volt, 100kWh battery, easily capable of going 497 miles on a single charge. Keeping future needs in mind, the vehicle can be charged via induction technology in mere five minutes. The power for Inception is delivered from the dual 680-horsepower electric motors. We are talking about an impressive acceleration of 0 to 100 in less than 3 seconds!