Volkswagen has developed a strange obsession with exclamation mark. After the up! they announce a new car named eT!
This one’s a revolutionary research vehicle showcasing what the future holds for commercial cars. The eT! is the result of a joint project betweenVolkswagen Group Research, German Post Office and the University of Art at Braunschweig.
This being a car of future, the first and foremost feature is the zero emission powetrain. But that’s not enough to call the eT! a revolution. Nope, for that you need something more amazing.
And it seems the eT! has got one. The car can be operated semi-automatically, meaning it can drive itself in certain ways. What’s even more fun is the car’s ability to respond to its driver’s voice commands! He or she simply goes Follow Me or Come To Me, and the car does that like a trained Labrador!
As an alternative, the driver can direct the car’s movements via a ‘drive stick’ from the passenger’s side that also offers a standing seat and quick access to the vehicle. The electrically opening sliding door opens to 2 different stages; this enables extremely quick entry into the vehicle as well as quick access to the mail parcels. This makes unnecessary walking movements around the vehicle a thing of the past.
The eT! has a flexible design and be converted for all conceivable business uses.
Prof. Dr. Jurgen Leohold, Director of Volkswagen Group Research: “We analyzed process flows and customer needs in detail, and from these analyses we derived ideas on how the segment of delivery and courier vehicles could be further developed over the long term. In this context, we focused on zero-emissions driving and available space in urban areas, semi-automatic driving functions that offer relevant support and simplify work processes and the integration of new communication technologies. On top of that, we also set out to design a very emotionally appealing commercial vehicle. To attain these goals, our teams not only looked towards the future from the past, but also worked from a future perspective to implement an advanced development concept based on technologies available today.”
