This French carmaker's shape-shifting electric SUV can become longer or shorter depending on your travel needs

One of French automaker Renault's newest creations, the Morphoz concept, isn't your average electric crossover.
It can shape-shift, stretching itself out for long trips and shrinking for city driving.
The SUV can travel 249 miles in "city mode," Renault claims, while boasting a range of 435 miles in "travel mode."
The Morphoz isn't meant for production, but it demonstrates what's possible when carmakers take advantage of flexible electric powertrains.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Lots of cars claim to do it all, but this new electric crossover truly is two vehicles in one.

The Morphoz a new concept car that French carmaker Renault announced on March 2 has some neat party tricks, even if the car isn't destined for production. Like "Transformers" but less cool, the Morphoz stretches for longer voyages and shrinks for quick trips around town.

In city mode, when compact size takes priority over long range, the Morphoz assumes a smaller footprint and can travel a claimed 249 miles on a charge. Renault claims this should suffice for 90% of the driving people do.

For the 10% of the time when drivers need more range and cargo room, the Morphoz offers a travel mode. With it, the Morphoz expands to make room for extra luggage and a beefier battery pack, which ups range to an estimated 435 miles.

The Morphoz is just a concept car, so it's unlikely anything resembling it will head to market soon. But it's proof that carmakers can and should take advantage of the flexibility of electric powertrains to build exceedingly practical, modular vehicles.

Take a closer look at the shape-shifting SUV below:

See the rest of the story at Business Insider