Volkswagen is changing its strategies for future cars and is now making a push for electric cars. The company is planning to extend its I.D. concept family that came into highlights in the Paris Motor Show earlier this year. The company showed off a brand new design that — drum-roll please — comes with a retractable steering wheel.
Volkswagen’s latest concept car takes the form of a tall, boxy van whose design seems to be heavily inspired by the original, rear-engined Bus introduced in 1950. The full concept will be revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.
The I.D. concept has been designed with autonomous driving in mind. The steering wheel retracts into the dash at the simple push of the Volkswagen logo, and the driver becomes a passenger as the task of driving is delegated to laser scanners, ultrasonic and radar sensors, and cameras that scope out the road ahead.
It is being assumed that the second concept car will take the form of a van. Three factors have led us to believe this second I.D. concept could be a van. First, VW says it has a mutli-functional, flexible interior. Second, the company claims it forges links between the legendary origins of the Volkswagen brand and its electrifying future. And finally, that teaser shot, which we think is a front view, sure looks like a throwback to an old VW bus.
Seeing the concept it seems as if Volkswagen is ready to enter the fray again and this time with newer technologies and futuristic designs. Volkswagen also says the I.D. Concept will be set up for fully autonomous driving in the future.
The company is planning to reveal more information about the concept at the Detroit Auto Show, that is expected to run from January 8th to January 22nd, 2017.
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