Asahi Kasei to Debut AKXY2 Concept Car in U.S. at Detroit Auto Show

Asahi Kasei, a diversified Japanese multinational company, will present its latest autonomous EV concept car, AKXY2, for the first time globally at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sept. 14-15 in the main concourse of Huntington Place Convention Center.
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The AKXY2 concept car from Asahi Kasei in the U.S. at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. // Courtesy of Asahi Kasei
The AKXY2 concept car from Asahi Kasei will be debuted in the U.S. at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show. // Courtesy of Asahi Kasei

Asahi Kasei, a diversified Japanese multinational company, will present its latest autonomous EV concept car, AKXY2, for the first time globally at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sept. 14-15 in the main concourse of Huntington Place Convention Center.

AKXY2 offers solutions to reduce the environmental impact of automobiles. Virtually everything that can be seen, touched, and interacted with is made from Asahi Kasei original or collaborative technology.

“The biggest challenge we had in the planning process for AKXY2 was identifying how to provide features that hit all three of the main themes (sight, touch, interaction) harmoniously,” says Mike Franchy, director of North American mobility at Asahi Kasei America.

“That is one of the advantages of being in business for over 100 years — we have an expansive portfolio of products which touch on this theme and integrate them into a complete vehicle concept. While a few of the technologies are still under development, like our water-based hard coating, we have been able to actually apply them to AKXY2, making a realistic depiction of what the future of mobility can be.”

The concept behind AKXY2 collects the evolving needs of car occupants into themes revolving around sustainability, satisfaction, and society — the “3 S’s” by which Asahi Kasei projects will abide with the goal of changing the way occupants use cars and how they will more thoroughly integrate into our lives. AKXY2 will also be fully customizable in a similar fashion to the living room of our homes.

The door folds out and the canopy extends upward to facilitate an open area for socialization resembling a home patio. Conversely, closing the door and canopy provides an isolating atmosphere that can turn the interior into a very relaxing, private space. The way AKXY2 is used depends entirely on the dreams and desires of each individual occupant and should feel like a mobile extension of your own home.

In addition to AKXY2, Asahi Kasei will be featuring several other innovations as well with experts at the venue to deep dive into the technology.

The Senseair Alcohol Sensor is an extremely accurate touch-free system that can detect alcohol on a driver’s breath in real time and be seamlessly integrated into vehicles. SunForce is a lightweight, thermal-insulating foam with flame-retardance, high dimensional accuracy, and ability to in-mold electronics, ideal for multiple uses in EV battery packs and battery manufacturing.

Lastan is a lightweight, flame-retardant nonwoven material ideal for preventing thermal propagation of lithium-ion batteries. SoForm is a glass fiber reinforced, scratch-resistant polypropylene that has low gloss, low emissions, chemical resistance, and structural performance.

Cubit is a 3-D honeycomb fabric that can replace a portion of polyurethane foam in vehicles. The front and back surfaces can use recycled polyester fiber that can be recycled again, and some grades of Cubit use plant-derived raw materials for roughly 40 percent of the connecting thread.

Polycarbonate (PC) Glazing is a water-based hard coating that can provide the necessary durability for PC to replace glass on vehicles, reducing total vehicle weight by 40 to 50 percent. DinamicaPure is a premium microfiber resembling suede which is solvent free and uses partially recycled content.

Dates for the 2022 Detroit Auto Show are:

— Media Day, Wednesday, Sept. 14

— AutoMobili-D and Industry Tech Days, Wednesday, Sept. 14 and Thursday, Sept. 15

— Charity Preview, Friday, Sept. 16 (6-11 p.m.)

— Public Show, Saturday, Sept. 17 through Sunday, Sept. 25