Photo courtesy Zihang Zheng
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
Metropolitan cities all around the world have become a similar sad picture of rush, traffic jams, and parking issues. Public transport, no matter how efficient, is still not equipped to handle the increasing flow of people. In the wake of this, space-efficient transportation solutions have become a central focus of urban planning discourse. Architects and industrial designers are occupied with developing innovative alternatives. The industrial designer of the Toyota-Kinto 98% Concept Mobility Solution, Zihang Zheng, believes he has just struck gold. The international reception of his concept also suggests that this might be the end of parking issues in big cities.
Let’s look into what he has to offer with his concept of stackable vehicles.
The concept draws inspiration from a familiar source—the design of shopping carts, which can be easily stacked in grocery stores. By reviewing how vehicles are parked and used, Zihang’s award-winning design challenges traditional automotive principles and introduces a new approach to spatial organization for urban transportation. The goal is simple. To be able to have more cars parked in the least amount of space and to increase the number of people using a car, rather than the growing one-person-one-car problem.
Zihang’s work is not just about creating innovative designs but about making a tangible difference in modern life. His focus is on equipping people with modern technology to navigate the fast-paced urban environment. As an industrial designer, he is recognized for his innovative solutions to urban challenges, including AI-powered robots for managing dog waste and wearable technology for individuals with visual impairments. His portfolio is a testament to his commitment to design, which serves real-world needs with inventive form and function, making his work relatable to the audience.
Zihang developed the Toyota-Kinto 98% Concept at Toyota Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, California. This project, initiated as an independent concept under the Toyota-Kinto brand, was supported by the help and encouragement of the Toyota design team, showcasing his collaborative skills and ability to work within a team.
“My biggest inspiration was my own frustration—sitting in traffic and circling endlessly to find parking,” admitted Zihang when questioned about what led to his decision to address this problem. He cited a Bloomberg study explaining the pertinent parking issues in Los Angeles, California. The study reveals that 200 square miles of land are allocated for parking, compared to 140 square miles for roads, yet an average driver still spends 85 hours annually searching for a parking spot in the city. For the industrial designer, this was a case of poor planning.
The Toyota-Kinto 98% Concept has garnered international recognition, demonstrating its tremendous success and potential for even greater impact. Zihang was honored with a Gold award at the International Design Awards (IDA), a Silver award at the New York Product Design Awards (NYPDA), and also won in the Transportation Design category at the London International Creative Competition (LICC). The concept’s success continues to soar, as it will be showcased at The Utopia. International A’Design 40×40 Exhibition, AI Industrial Revolution, in New York City from August 30 to September 5, 2025.
About the design reaching new places, the industrial designer happily shared: “It’s deeply gratifying to have this work recognized by such respected institutions. These awards are a powerful reminder that innovation is worth pursuing, especially when the problem is so common and the solution so unconventional.”
Zihang’s background in industrial design significantly influenced the development of the 98% Concept. Using advanced software like Blender, he created detailed models that serve dual purposes: as aesthetic explorations and engineering simulations. This iterative approach enabled him to tackle complex mechanical challenges, such as ensuring the stacking mechanism operates effectively in real-world scenarios, while also refining the vehicle’s visual identity.
The design embodies the principle of “form follows function”, with each component serving a practical purpose. Its different, appliance-like appearance highlights its functional direction—not aimed at luxury or style, but instead designed to be a highly efficient commuting solution within an autonomous ride-share framework.
The Toyota-Kinto 98% Concept addresses sustainability on two fronts. Environmentally, it minimizes land use by reducing parking requirements and decreases energy waste through optimized vehicle movement. Socially, it offers a scalable mobility solution that relieves commuting stress, lowers costs, and improves urban transit accessibility, especially in densely populated areas. By integrating ride-share systems, this design envisions a future where transportation is shared, automated, and optimized for the majority of the population.
This project demonstrates how industrial design can drive systemic change. Rather than just reimagining existing solutions, it introduces a new design and mechanical framework for future mobility—one that is modular, smart, and highly adaptable to urban environments.
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