The market launch of the first true electric car for the masses, the Volkswagen ID.3, is nearly upon us, yet the Germans still seem not to have finished telling us all there is about the vehicle. Scheduled for start of deliveries from mid-2020, the EV will bring more than enough range, a decent price and, it seems, communication based on light.
One of the features of the car is the ambient light system fitted inside. One that, unlike other similar gadgets, not only illuminates, but is there to send coded messages to the driver, colored depending on the situation.
Using an LED strip that runs the length of the cockpit, the Volkswagen ID.3 can give a heads-up to the driver about a number of things. For instance, once people are in the driver’s seat, the LEDs light up to let humans know the car is ready to go.
But it does more than that. The system, called ID. Light, can send visual, colored signals telling anyone paying attention when it’s time to apply the brakes or answer the phone. It also blinks from time to time, recommending a lane change for whatever reason.
ID. Light supports voice control, and it sends a signal every time the assistant responds to either the driver or the front passenger.
The light strip is color-coded. Depending on the situation, green can mean the battery is full, and red usually translates into a warning of some type.
“For all its innovativeness, ID. Light functions intuitively by using familiar colours,” said in a statement Valentina Wilhelm, User Experience Designer at Volkswagen.
“This use of light, makes the vehicle more ‘personable’ and is a very simple and intuitive way of communicating.”
Volkswagen said nothing about ID. Light being offered as standard or as an extra for the ID.3.
Using an LED strip that runs the length of the cockpit, the Volkswagen ID.3 can give a heads-up to the driver about a number of things. For instance, once people are in the driver’s seat, the LEDs light up to let humans know the car is ready to go.
But it does more than that. The system, called ID. Light, can send visual, colored signals telling anyone paying attention when it’s time to apply the brakes or answer the phone. It also blinks from time to time, recommending a lane change for whatever reason.
ID. Light supports voice control, and it sends a signal every time the assistant responds to either the driver or the front passenger.
The light strip is color-coded. Depending on the situation, green can mean the battery is full, and red usually translates into a warning of some type.
“For all its innovativeness, ID. Light functions intuitively by using familiar colours,” said in a statement Valentina Wilhelm, User Experience Designer at Volkswagen.
“This use of light, makes the vehicle more ‘personable’ and is a very simple and intuitive way of communicating.”
Volkswagen said nothing about ID. Light being offered as standard or as an extra for the ID.3.