We have so far not even touched upon the elephant in the room, the giant big autonomous elephant. So far, we have reached level three (Conditional Driving Automation) autonomous capabilities in cars like Mercedes and Tesla, but their performance varies depending on road conditions We are still not at the point where in a level five autonomous vehicle you could realistically let the car drive itself, or indeed where there is no option to drive it yourself. The implications of this are enormous, and will make us question the concept of mobility itself. With a self-driving car, your vehicle will become a room by itself, freeing up the space within to be whatever you want it to be. It could be an office, a living room or even a bedroom. Volkswagen for instance has made efforts towards this since the beginning of the electric era. The Sedric concept from 2017 envisaged an interior space as a canvas for your creativity, with the manufacturer only your provider. Tata is looking to enter the bridge space, between an analogue car to which you give your entire attention, and a mobility device which acts as a tool for your convenience. Autonomous driving can be a game-changer, but we are still years away from true self-driving cars. In the meanwhile, thinking about how we change our interactions with the car, with a view towards the freedom such self-driving cars can bring, is a good and indeed, necessary beginning.
