Volkswagen Group Innovation imagines the journeys of the future, sustainable and on-demand: here is the first concept, electric and autonomous
Maurizio Bertera
An autonomous vehicle halfway between a sedan and a minivan for traveling into the future in total comfort, conceived as a space to work, relax and even sleep while traveling. Just like on a long business class flight. More than a concept car, Gen.Travel appears as a provocation of the Volkswagen group style center in Potsdam (Future Center Europe) led by Peter Wouda, under the supervision of Klaus Zyciora, head of design of the Volkswagen Group who defines it as “one look at the journey of the future showing what autonomous driving will be like. This concept embodies a visionary and distinctive design that also recalls great masterpieces of the past such as our Eduard Rupert Tropfenwagen from 1921 “.
LOTS OF GLASS
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The exteriors of Gen.Travel are divided into two parts: the transparent glass cabin is integrated in the lower section, which houses all the necessary technical and technological solutions. The window edge is located at waist height to maximize the outside view and the gull-wing doors make it easy to get in and out. Comfort is guaranteed by the eAbc (electric Active Body Control) active suspension which calculates vertical and lateral movements in advance such as acceleration, braking or the radius of curves, optimizing driving style and trajectory. Finally, for long-distance journeys, the use of artificial intelligence is also envisaged to take advantage of platooning, autonomous driving in convoy.
THE LAYOUTS CHANGE
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Gen.Travel has a modular interior concept that can be customized for each trip and booked following the ‘Mobility-as-a-Service’ idea. Depending on the configuration, the cabin takes on a different layout and can accommodate up to four people. In the Business mode, designed for business trips, there are four comfortable armchairs and a table in the center, while in Family the table disappears and the modular armchairs. Among the novelties there is the night mode that transforms the armchairs into two beds that can assume a completely horizontal position. Dynamic lighting inside the passenger compartment avoids the danger of motion sickness. As expected, all elements of the human-machine interface are produced with sustainable materials, combined with recycled or natural materials.
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