How this Amphibious Car Could Help Avoid Traffic on the Road

An autonomous amphibious car concept could change the way we drive and help avoid traffic on the road.

Designer Bernardo Pereira revised his autonomous amphibious vehicle concept CROSSER in early 2025, building on the original version he introduced in February 2024.

The electric van-style vehicle was designed to switch between roads and waterways, giving passengers a way to bypass traffic by simply driving into a canal or river.

The updated version of CROSSER addressed several design flaws from the first concept.

Pereira moved the doors above the waterline, increased the vehicle’s width for more interior space, and lowered the seat height to make the cabin feel more grounded.

He also developed a mobile app to support a future taxi service, allowing passengers to hail rides, track journeys, and unlock doors using their smartphones.

Pereira said: “The goal is to rethink how we navigate cities where road and water routes intersect.”

CROSSER remained a modular vehicle.

The concept allowed it to switch formats, a two-seater for solo or couple commutes, a pick-up truck with rear cargo space, or an emergency response vehicle.

In the latter configuration, the vehicle offered a mixed-mode cockpit with both manual steering and assistive autonomous features, enabling drivers to take control when needed.

The interior matched the vehicle’s modular thinking.

It featured symmetrical cabin layouts that could be swapped depending on its use. The cabin itself had a smooth, rounded rectangular shape, creating more usable space and allowing extra equipment like speakers to be installed if required.

The seating plan included four seats in total, two on each side, with ample legroom in the middle that doubled as temporary storage space during rides.

On the outside, CROSSER featured NFC-enabled doors.

Booked passengers could unlock them by placing their phones near an LED screen embedded in the frame.

Once seated, sensors under the cushions detected their presence and automatically slid the doors shut.

A continuous exterior screen wrapped around the vehicle, hiding the autonomous driving cameras and sensors.

These technologies helped CROSSER shift seamlessly between land and water modes.

When entering or exiting waterways, the vehicle slowed down and rotated its front wheels 30 degrees to adjust its trajectory.

On returning to the roads, the suspension system adapted in real time to match the terrain.

Pereira aimed for CROSSER to achieve Level 5 autonomy on both land and water.

The vehicle came fitted with a full suite of navigation tech, including RADAR, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors and thermal cameras that collectively built a live 3D image of the environment.

Safety played a major role in the second iteration.

Real-time monitoring enabled the vehicle to detect collisions or impacts and instantly deploy airbags inside and outside the cabin.

CROSSER could not begin a journey until all passengers had fastened their seatbelts, and each person had access to an emergency stop button located above their seat.

If the vehicle ran into trouble on water, it deployed an external flotation system automatically, giving passengers time to await rescue.

Beneath the surface, CROSSER has a reinforced hull filled with polyurethane foam for buoyancy.

There were five sections with hydrojet outlets for propulsion, along with four water intakes and propellers to manage flow.

Pereira also adjusted the slope and height of the hull’s ridge to increase stability and steering accuracy while afloat.

The vehicle’s weight was balanced using aluminium and magnesium alloy throughout the main frame, with batteries positioned centrally near the wheel axles.

Each wheel housed an electric motor located behind the brake discs.

A waterproof charging port was discreetly built into one corner of the car’s body, ensuring safe charging even in damp conditions.

While CROSSER is still a concept, Pereira’s design pointed towards a future where city commuters could move between streets and waterways without changing vehicles.

The blend of smart technology, modular interior layouts and amphibious adaptability placed CROSSER in a new category of urban transport—one where the limits of terrain no longer applied.