While the development of new cars is a very private affair, the development of ones that drive themselves seems to be quite public. And why wouldn’t it, when it’s basically just a way for CEOs to brag about the complexity of the models they sell.
Following Daimler’s lead with the S-Class, Renault is also developing its own autonomous mobility solutions. By 2020, the French company normally known for making little Clios wants to put self-driving cars on Europe’s roads. This is their first try, the Next Two prototype, a Zoe EV that can handle everything by itself up to a speed of 30 km/h or 18 mph.
Everything is done via the usual combination of sensors and computers. Honestly, you’re not going to find it interesting unless you work for MIT and like to write software for robots on weekends.
About the only smart thing about the car is that because the driver is now a passenger, they’ve fitted a conference center in there so he can do… business things as he waits for the 30 km/h to take him where he wants to go.
"With Next Two, we wanted to combine the worlds of delegated driving and connectivity. Not only will autonomous driving enhance safety but it will also free up time for drivers. Being connected will enable them to make the most of this extra time by providing them with access to new in-car services such as video-conferences, on-line shopping, travel information and more,” says Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Did I tell you about the CEOs? Hope this one does a little better than the Zoe itself, which is well short of sales expectations. Renault’s money could have gone towards hybrid engines, a replacement for the 1.5 dCi or parking sensors that don’t lie, but instead they want to be Mercedes.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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