CES 2016: Volkswagen Keynote

Alan_uk

A2OC Donor
CES 2016: Volkswagen Keynote (6 Jan 2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJd89yQ001Y

45 mins long. First 5 mins all apologies re the emissions scandal.

Then on to the future. Its:
- affordable electric
- fully connected to the cloud
- automated driving
- new user experience (makes you happy!!)

Two examples vehicles are given: near term the e-Golf Touch and further out The Buddy.

e-Golf touch (at 12 mins. in): operated by hand gestures and voice commands; integrated with smart phone apps as the car is always on-line. Real time monitoring. Extended range (unspecified). Availability within 2016.

VW Buddy (at 24 mins) the Beetle successor. Electric (up to 233 miles). Embodies new architecture: batteries in the flat floor and variable bodies on top. All passengers can build their own infotainment package for a trip and then they are merged together when they enter the car. No door handles: electric doors are opened by gestures or voice commands; Driver's console is 3 large screens. It integrates with the smart home (supported by LG). A special rear compartment opens to allow couriers to drop off parcels.

At 37 mins short cartoon about the future with self driving, self parking, self charging, self thinking cars. VW has signed MoU with mobile-i. High resolution cameras in VW cars will continuously update in real time maps so that other VW cars will know of the changing environment.

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I can't say that the audience seemed that enthusiastic. Not surprising when contrary to saying driving VW vehicles in the future will be fun and make drivers happy, it was portending a world of high automation and autonomous cars. Ford has been saying similar and mooting a move into on-demand self driving car rental and Google has said it sees this as a market as well. So no guarantee that VW can transform itself in time (IF this is the way of the future, given all the regulatory hurdles)
 
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