Volkswagen launches autonomous 'Gen.Urban' concept in Germany

Volkswagen has launched a new autonomous vehicle onto the streets of Wolfsburg, Germany, with the Gen.Urban concept.

The Gen.Urban is a research vehicle which aims to see how passengers experience riding in a self-driving car as it drives autonomously in urban traffic and real-world driving scenarios.

The vehicle doesn’t feature a steering wheel or pedals, while passengers will be able to customise their preferences via an app or directly in the vehicle, including cabin temperature and ambient lighting.

The trial works by a test participant sitting in the driver’s seat, while a trained safety driver sits in the front passenger seat, who can intervene at any time using a specially developed control panel with a joystick.

The Gen.Urban is programmed to take the participant on a nearly six-mile route around Wolfsburg’s city centre, with the journey lasting around 20 minutes.

“The technology for autonomous driving is making rapid progress.” Dr. Nikolai Ardey, head of Volkswagen Group innovation, said.

“With our Gen.Urban research vehicle, we want to understand exactly how passengers experience autonomous driving. Why? Because the key to a positive customer experience is to build trust – through meaningful interaction, a relaxed atmosphere, and intelligent assistance systems that respond precisely to the needs of passengers.”

The Gen.Urban research vehicle will be tested by Volkswagen Group employees and will last for several weeks before the next stage of the project begins.