VW Gen.Travel: Driverless concept aims to end the short flight

Volkswagen has debuted its Gen.Travel concept vehicle at the Chantilly Arts and Elegance show.

The concept, revealed at the event alongside the Renault Turbo 3E concept, looks forward to an age where drivers are no longer needed – an idea that’s been thrown around for some time, most publicly by Tesla.

The future of cars isn’t so much about power, driving range, or feel, but sustainable mobility for the masses.

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The Gen.Travel concept is all about carrying occupants in maximum comfort with minimal interaction. It boasts level five autonomy, defined as needing no human interaction during operation, effectively an alternative for short-haul flights not unlike Volvo's 2018 360C concept.

Head of Volkswagen Group Innovation, Dr Nikolai Ardey, elaborated on VW’s future, saying: “With its ‘New Auto’ strategy, Volkswagen defines the mobility for generations to come – sustainable and digital.“

One of the most obvious ‘new VW’ things about the Gen.Travel concept is the lack of a badge. Instead of the famous VW logo, the insignia just reads “Volkswagen Group”.

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Between sedan and MPV

The Gen.Travel is very much a design study. VW doesn't claim driving range, power, or any specifics. Rather, it’s about imagining the future of mobility.

Four chairs are fitted, with a table able to be erected in the middle for business conferences with up to four occupants. On longer trips, two chairs can fold into beds with the user’s eyeline below the Gen.Travel’s windowline for privacy.

The innovative shape gives the Gen.Travel plenty of glasshouse to let sun in on a nice day, while gullwing doors provide easy access.

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Under the skin, VW says the concept has ‘active body control’ that works with artificial intelligence and live mapping to predict the road ahead and adjust suspension settings accordingly.

To increase driving range, the VW Gen.Travel will be able to identify like-minded AI vehicles on the road. Eventually, they will be able to join up, forming a peloton – VW calls this ‘platooning’ – where the vehicles can draft one another to lower energy consumption.