Volvo has unveiled plans for a fully autonomous electric car, which promises to travel from A to B without the need for a driver.
The Sweden-based car maker revealed its concept for the Volvo 360c this week, which it says would provide a comfier alternative to domestic air travel.
"Imagine a world in which you can avoid airport security, hours of queuing and waiting, and noisy, cramped airliners. What if, instead, you could take your own first-class private cabin that picks you up at home and takes you from door to door?" asks the company in a press release.
Plans for the 360c present four potential uses of autonomous driving vehicles: a sleeping environment, mobile office, living room and entertainment space. Volvo calls it a "holistic view of the future of travel", with no steering wheel or engine taking up space.
"Domestic air travel sounds great when you buy your ticket, but it really isn't. The 360c represents what could be a whole new take on the industry," said Mårten Levenstam, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Volvo Cars.
"The sleeping cabin allows you to enjoy premium comfort and peaceful travel through the night and wake up refreshed at your destination. It could enable us to compete with the world's leading aircraft makers."
The company is even reportedly developing a blanket which acts like a seatbelt - so you can lie and sleep in the car on long trips.
"The business will change in the coming years and Volvo should lead that change of our industry," said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars.
"Autonomous drive will allow us to take the big next step in safety but also open up exciting new business models and allow consumers to spend time in the car doing what they want to do."
Reactions to self-driving cars have been mixed, especially after a woman was struck and killed by a self-driving Uber in Arizona earlier this year.
That car was in autonomous mode, but in this case had a driver behind the wheel, local police told Reuters.
Newshub.
