No, this car isn’t a Volkswagen. Not specifically, anyway. Nor is it a car, in the traditional sense. Sedric (that’s short for SElf DRIving Car) is a “mobility concept” for the whole Volkswagen Group.
That means that this four-wheeled contraption doesn’t, like most cars, have a fifth for steering in front of the driver, because this level-five autonomous car never lets any human drive it. Instead, you get in, sit down, enter a location and a ring lets you know when you’ll arrive at your location. So it’s kind of like Sedric lets you download locations (a simile I’m sure has given a Silicon-Valley-type their wings).
Sedric was revealed today at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and is the next step in VW’s post dieselgate plan, TOGETHER 2025. Much like the I.D., Sedric is an all-electric concept, with battery packs under the floor and an electric engine tucked away between the wheels.
2017 Geneva Motor Show Coverage
Its lack of a driver’s seat, though, means that anyone can get in Sedric and go somewhere. According to VW, that makes it perfect for the young and the infirm. In fact, it’s even been designed to be used by people with impaired eyesight. Alternatively, the car could be used by busy parents to, say, pick up their kids from school.
Sedric has also been designed to talk to its passengers and interact with them. That means that you can make spur of the moment decisions along the way, like stopping for a bathroom break. Of course, if you prefer, you can just close your eyes and choose to simulate long distance space travel by waking up at your destination.
Unlike a traditional car, you’ll have the option to buy Sedric or share it. If you choose to buy it, you can get it as one of VW’s many brands. The new concept is designed for four people, with the rear seats designed as a couch (or bench as it’s often referred to) and an OLED windshield that can project images onto the road ahead.
