Volkswagen has unveiled the autonomous, level 5 driving prototype Gen.Travel. The battery-electric design study is intended to show what alternative long-distance mobility could look like in the future.
VW Gen.Travel
Volkswagen
Volkswagen’s Gen.Travel study shows how short-haul flights could be eliminated in the mobility of the future. The battery-electric Innovation Experience Vehicle (IEV) drives autonomously at level 5, and the crossover vehicle with its eye-catching glass dome is intended to represent a new vehicle category between sedans and MPVs (Multi Purpose Vehicles), according to Volkswagen. “With the Gen.Travel, we can experience today what will be possible in the near future with innovative technology,” said Dr. Nikolai Ardey, Head of Volkswagen Group Innovation. The four-seater’s modular interior concept can be customized for any trip and booked as a mobility-as-a-service offering.
For business trips, the conference setup with four armchairs and a large table in the middle is ideal. For longer trips, two seats can be converted into fully fold-out beds. A new restraint concept is also designed to ensure safety when passengers are lying down. For family travel and to entertain the children, the front seats can be configured with Augmented Reality (AR). A dynamic lighting concept reduces the risk of kinetosis (motion sickness), as does the eABC (Electric Active Body Control) active suspension system, which adapts the driving style by predictively calculating acceleration, braking or curve inclination. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and platooning are also used in the process. The design study was presented at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance at Paris.