Italdesign Giugiaro Vadho Concept Makes Hydrogen Steamy

TURIN, Italy — Italdesign will be pushing the alternative-fuel message at next week's Geneva auto show with the unveiling of a futuristic-looking, hydrogen-powered concept car called the Vadho.

Based around a unique chassis developed in-house at Italdesign's Turin-based headquarters in Italy, it moves well away from the retro themes explored on the company's last concept car, the Giugiaro Mustang, adopting distinct aeronautic-inspired styling cues, including seating for two within a tandem cockpit fashioned in a teardrop shape down one side of the upper body.

The car to be shown in Geneva is described as having left-hand drive. However, the use of compact drive-by-wire control systems is claimed to mean the Vadho can easily be adapted to right-hand drive. The Vadho does away with a traditional steering wheel in favor of two joystick controls. Power, meanwhile, comes by way of a hydrogen-fueled engine positioned at the rear next to the passenger.

Conceived to highlight the need for ecological propulsion, the Vadho also marks the debut of Italdesign's new corporate logo: a large G in the company's corporate shade of red.