Volkswagen is clear that the future of the car is electric and autonomous; In fact, the German company recently announced the creation of a division focused on the development of this type of vehicle, which will work closely with its software unit (CARIAD) to speed up the launch of technologically advanced cars.
The Wolfsburg firm aims to become the world’s largest electric car maker by the middle of the decade, overtaking BYD and Tesla along the way. In addition, the Volkswagen Group is, together with its Ford partners, the main shareholder of the autonomous driving company Argo AI, a rival of Aurora and Waymo (Google) in this thriving sector.
The recently presented GEN.TRAVEL prototype condenses Volkswagen’s vision of the future, as it is presented as a 100% electric and autonomous solution destined to revolutionize the way we travel. This futuristic vehicle with gull-wing doors is a kind of transport capsule rather than a normal car, combining elements of a sedan and a minivan.
Conceived as an alternative to short-haul flights, the Volkswagen GEN.TRAVEL has a huge glass surface with the aim of offering passengers the best possible view of the outside. The passenger compartment does not have any type of manual control (steering wheel, pedals…), so we could consider it to have autonomy level 5 (although it is unlikely to be functional).
The Volkswagen GEN.TRAVEL is a design exercise
The vehicle equips a user interface with augmented reality and a personal assistant with Artificial Intelligence. Emphasizing sustainability, the brand has used natural and/or recycled materials in the interior. In addition, seat upholstery has been made using 3D printing, a technology that will gain weight in the industry in the coming years.
As we have indicated before, the GEN.TRAVEL drinks partially from the minivans; for this reason, it has a completely modular cabin that can be configured in various ways (four conventional seats, an office to work, a cozy living room, and even two beds for overnight trips).
Passengers will be able to consult the information about the trip through augmented reality glasses. The Volkswagen GEN.TRAVEL is scheduled to make its debut during the Concours d’Elegance de Chantilly 2022, which will take place on September 24 and 25 in France.
