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VW ID.4's Light Doesn't Resemble K.I.T.T.'s for No Reason, Here's What It Does

EVs may not be as alien as some people make them seem, but they do open new possibilities that regular internal combustion engine-powered cars couldn't offer.
Volkswagen ID.4 light bar 80 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
That said, a strip of LED lights at the base of the windscreen sure isn't one of them. In fact, other manufacturers have toyed with the idea long before, though in slightly different ways. For instance, Mercedes-Benz used to have a set of physical lights that worked together with the parking sensors (not every car had a color display back then), while Volvo used something similar, but mostly to tell you that you were about to crash.

Volkswagen's version, however, with its 54 multi-colored LEDs, can probably do all that, and definitely a lot more. It's a very simple and low-cost solution that can add a big benefit for the driver, and we wouldn't be surprised if we saw it added to other models in the future, perhaps even ICE ones.

First of all, if Volkswagen doesn't do everything it can to release it with the option to use K.I.T.T.'s voice, it'll be a big, missed opportunity. The good thing is even if the manufacturer won't do it, it's only a matter of time until someone with the required skills will put the mod out there.

So, the idea is that the new ID.4 can pretty much act as your assistant and take a wide range of voice commands. As far as this part is concerned, the only thing the light will do is pulsate like an oscilloscope to offer the voice some visual representation.

The LEDs are discreet enough not to distract the driver's attention but visible enough to transmit various information. The most obvious one would be live directions for the satellite navigation, acting like some simplified head-up display that doesn't require the driver to take their eyes off the road at all, letting the peripheral vision do all the work.

Since the lights can be visible from the outside, too, they're also used to display the vehicle's charging status while plugged in. Sure, you can get that kind of information on your phone too, but believe it or not, sometimes looking at something in the real world can be quicker and easier than using your smartphone for it.

Even if the range of possibilities is somewhat limited right now, it can easily be expanded via ulterior updates. However, Volkswagen should focus on keeping it simple and intuitive; if you need a manual just to figure out what the light bar is trying to tell you, then its whole point is lost.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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