Would you be comfortable riding around in a car that drove itself – one that didn’t even have a steering wheel or pedals? Because that just may be the future of urban transport. Here’s a preview of just what that future might look like.
Daimler has released a new video of a fully automated, driverless car in action. The vehicle resembles a slightly more rounded, futuristic version of the Smart ForTwo, with a few notable exceptions.
Most strikingly, the Vision EQ lacks driver controls. The vehicle navigates itself through city streets. In the promotional video (below), it can be seen driving itself to pick its passenger up at work, and after dropping her off, leaving alone.
Passengers schedule rides or summon the car using their mobile devices.
The futuristic car also features digital personalization, greeting its passengers by name and interacting with passersby. At one point the Vision EQ stops at a crosswalk and displays “Go Ahead >>>” for the pedestrians to safely cross.
“The Smart Vision EQ ForTwo is our vision of future urban mobility,” said Smart CEO Annette Winkler. “It is the most radical car sharing concept car of all: Fully autonomous, with maximum communication capabilities, friendly, comprehensively personalizable and, of course, electric.”
Watch the Vision EQ in action:
You can see more details, design photos, and additional videos over on the Daimler website.
The driverless car seems to be imminent, and you can easily see how it would be convenient in many situations. But how comfortable would you be in a vehicle that didn’t have controls that you could take over should the need arise? Please, let us know what you think!
