Regular readers of this website may have noted that quite a lot of carmakers have been giving us a peek into what lies ahead within the next five to ten years. Yet no one is arguably bolder than Jaguar Land Rover, which not only shows us the future of mobility for the next few years, but practically puts a crystal ball right in front of our eyes and gives us a glimpse of motoring for 2040 and beyond. This can be seen in the Jaguar Future-Type.
The concept car is more than just a collection of metal and electric powertrain that can drive itself. Jaguar Land Rover says the Future-Type will be an intelligent vehicle that will offer occupants the freedom to stay connected even while on the move. Moreover, it will provide a unique mobility solution that will change the way we use our cars.
At the heart of the Future Type is Sayer--the intelligent steering wheel. Named after the designer of the iconic Jaguar E-Type, this piece of kit is more than just your ordinary tiller. It is an intelligent companion that uses Artificial Intelligence that enables it to carry out various commands. One can ask it to summon the car, look for the fastest route, book a table at one’s favorite restaurant, or even wake one up to go to their appointment.
Sayer, Jaguar Land Rover notes, will live with you in your living room. This will not only allow it to be close by to assist you, but it will likewise enable it to perform one very important function—grant access to the on-demand service club. You see, individuals will have the option of either sole membership of a Future Type, or use the car on-demand. What this means is that a whole community can share the car and use it only when needed.
A family of four, for instance, can ask Sayer to book a four-seat Future-Type for a trip out of town for the weekend. Once inside the vehicle, the car can choose the best route and even give the driver the option to go fully autonomous or enjoy the drive—albeit safely with various driver assistance systems.
When we say driver assistance systems, we refer to the wealth of connected car technologies that allow the Future-Type to communicate with other vehicles on the road. This will help ease traffic, as well as avoid accidents as cars will supposedly be more courteous to each other.
Moreover, each occupant can choose to either stay connected with the outside world, rest, or get some work done within their own orbit inside the vehicle. Even the driver can do all this, thanks to fully autonomous technologies.
While all this is simply a pipe dream, it is really a cool way to envision just how the next generation would get around.
