Automakers have established that the future of driving will be characterized by a complete lack of it on our part. Level 5 autonomy will allow cars to drive themselves, which means certain automakers are already removing the steering wheel from their vision of the future.
One such automaker is Cadillac. General Motors, which owns Cadillac, pulled out of the 2022 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show, now underway in Las Vegas, choosing to go digital for the presentation of the latest entry into the Halo Portfolio. It’s called InnerSpace, and it’s absolutely gorgeous and impossibly luxurious. It is also a rich person’s living room but in the form of a car.
While other carmakers choose to leave a steering wheel as an optional in their concepts slash visions of the future, Cadillac is definitely of the opinion that, once full autonomy is reached, it won’t be desirable any longer. With the driving experience gone, what do you propose for a replacement? The InnerSpace concept offers wellness, relaxation, and entertainment as possible alternatives.
This way, the journey becomes as important as the destination, if not more. The InnerSpace concept is a two-seater, long and swept-back coupe whose cabin is a mobile lounge. Take that in the most literal sense because Cadillac replaces the seats with a loveseat slash bench, with leg extensions and a reclining position. The idea is that, once you’re inside, you’ll want to kick back and just enjoy the ride.
Photo: Cadillac
Cadillac says a bunch of fancy words about the InnerSpace, like how it “repurposes” the time used while traveling, offers wellness benefits, and a high-tech space that remains essentially Cadillac-luxurious. They’re not exaggerated, but an equally accurate description is that this is a fancy lounge on wheels, and even the renders show it. There are lush fabrics on the bench, and the dashboard has been replaced by what looks like fancy cabinets holding – what else? – slippers, extra blankets, and throw pillows.
To gain access inside, the roof lifts up at the same time as the doors open outwards. The seats pivot outwards as well to facilitate entry. The concept uses the Ultium Platform’s wireless battery management system, which spreads the battery modules throughout the cabin and, this way allows for a low profile and more interior volume to be used for the passengers’ comfort.
The windscreen is a large, immersive and panoramic SMD LED display with voice-activated controls. The InnerSpace features technologies like biometric input and AI machine learning, as well as GM’s Ultifi software platform, allowing for over-the-air updates and endless customization of the driving (riding?) experience. Suggested themes are Augmented Reality Engagement, Entertainment, and Wellness Recovery, but the user will ultimately be able to update the vehicle over the air with their preferred themes and other features.
The InnerSpace concept rides on Goodyear’s new EV-designed tires with SoundComfort technology, which reduces soundwave resonance from the rubber, and provides for a quieter and smoother ride. To counter the disconnect between the user and the vehicle, tire metrics are accessible via the large screen. Assuming you run “maintenance” on this luxury ride on your own or would care to interrupt the ride to do it on the way.
Photo: Cadillac
“Electrification and autonomous driving will fundamentally change the role of vehicles and the experiences customers have with them,” Bryan Nesbitt, GM executive director, Global Advanced Design and Global Architecture Studio, states in a statement. “We’re exploring where that will go with these innovative concepts, envisioning mobility as an ally of wellness, giving customers the ultimate luxury, more personal time rather than taking it.”
Two things are clear from this: number one and the most important, Cadillac is throwing ideas about the self-driving future to see what will stick; and number two, Cadillac believes more personal time means more screentime. Granted, passengers still have the option to look out the window, but when you have so many options of being entertained online, why bother?
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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