Though General Motors has had a rough few years, what with bankruptcy, you couldn’t be blamed if you thought that the company was just trying to get through the short term. It may surprise you, then, to hear that the company was actually one of the world’s most reliable sponsors of foresight, constantly scanning science, tech, demographic and ecological trends to inform new products and practices.

The press release for the Electric Networked Vehicle, pictured here at the CES show in Las Vegas, sounds like it was penned directly by a futurist:

Shanghai – By 2030, urban areas will be home to more than 60 percent of the world’s 8 billion people.  This will put tremendous pressure on a public infrastructure that is already struggling to meet the growing demand for transportation and basic services.

General Motors and its strategic partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), share a common vision for addressing the need for personal mobility through a radical change in personal urban transportation.  They are exploring several solutions for tomorrow’s drivers.  Among the most promising is a new vehicle form called EN-V.

I look at it and think it taps two megatrends – urbanization and aging populations. You can see it equally comfortable to zip around downtown Ho Chi Min City or the adult retirement/entertainment community.

And cripes – LOOK AT IT. This is futurist bait!