Science & Tech

‘Urban Escape Pod’ Helps People Retreat from Day-to-Day Life

by Matthew Hart
Dec 22 2020 • 3:08 PM

Here’s something a lot of us have probably wished for at one time or another: a pause button for life. Because when things get dumpster fire-level rough, the idea of retreating from day-to-day minutiae seems endlessly appealing. And while that’ll never be a reality (except in Adam Sandler’s Click), the new Jupe “Urban Escape Pod” does aim to get as close as possible. Although at $17,500, the price for stasis is not cheap.

‘Urban Escape Pod’ Helps People Retreat from Day-to-Day Life_1

Jupe

In a recent press release, which comes via Business Insider, Jupe outlined the design for its urban pod, and its many glamp-esque features. Which, all together, make for a “cosmos-inspired” prefab shelter that has the aesthetics of a sandcrawler from Star Wars mixed with a Tesla Cybertruck. (No surprise, considering SpaceX and Tesla engineers helped to develop the pods.)

As for the stats, the pods are surprisingly spacious at 111 square feet. Jupe also says each unit “boasts cavernous ceiling heights of 11 feet,” and comes with a queen-sized bed. Plus, pods’ front-facing entrances can open into panoramic windows; perfect for gazing at sunsets, or taking one of those Instagram shots that stirs mad travel lust.

These $17,500 Urban Escape Pods allow (rich) people to get away from the minutiae of day-to-day life.

Jupe

The pods’ floorings are Baltic birch wood, and they open into individual storage cubes, which Jupe says are capable of holding approximately “ten large suitcases” worth of stuff. On top of that, each unit also comes with a designer desk, chair, and ottoman. And because pausing life doesn’t mean you have to pause entertainment, it also includes battery systems and solar panels, WiFi routers, and USB charging stations.

These $17,500 Urban Escape Pods allow (rich) people to get away from the minutiae of day-to-day life.

Jupe

Unfortunately, it’s not clear just how difficult it is to stow, tow, or deploy the pods, but it’s undoubtedly a process. The only clip we could find of a pod assemblage is immediately below. And not only does it look like it took a while, but several people as well.

But at $17,500 a pop, there’s probably a special kind of person who’s buying one of these pods anyway. And when we say special, we mean extremely rich. That, or these are for people looking to sell everything and live on the open road. Which, if 2021 is as 2020 as 2020 has been, may actually be a great way to take a permanent vacation. A reservation for a pod is just $99 and it is refundable, FYI.