Automotive

Here's what you won't be driving in 2030

Here's what you won't be driving in 2030
From lounge chair to bed
From lounge chair to bed
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From lounge chair to bed
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From lounge chair to bed
The Cadillac InnerSpace Concept explores sleeker, sportier styling that's still very much Cadillac
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The Cadillac InnerSpace Concept explores sleeker, sportier styling that's still very much Cadillac
The display can play augmented reality, entertainment or health/wellness content
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The display can play augmented reality, entertainment or health/wellness content
Hyundai's Concept Seven, a rolling private lounge
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Hyundai's Concept Seven, a rolling private lounge
Huge coach doors
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Huge coach doors
Kia debuts the Concept EV9 at the 2021 LA Auto Show
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Kia debuts the Concept EV9 at the 2021 LA Auto Show
The three modes of the Concept EV9
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The three modes of the Concept EV9
The Pullman Power Fitness pod for the Citroën skate incorporates rowing and exercise machines inside the glassy bubble
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The "Pullman Power Fitness" pod for the Citroën skate
The "Sofitel En Voyage" pod for the Citroën Skate
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The "Sofitel En Voyage" pod for the Citroën Skate
The Smart Pod uses what Buick calls a glass latice architecture
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The Smart Pod uses what Buick calls a glass lattice structure
Two large reclining chairs and what appears to be a tea cabinet between them
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Two large reclining chairs and what appears to be a tea cabinet between them
The M.Vision 2Go concept is the first vehicle to demonstrate Hyundai Mobis' e-Control Module tech
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The M.Vision 2Go concept is the first vehicle to demonstrate Hyundai Mobis' e-Control Module tech
That looks kind of dangerous, but the windshield only pops open when the Urbanaut is parked, creating something of an open-air lounge space
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That looks kind of dangerous, but the windshield only pops open when the Urbanaut is parked, creating something of an open-air lounge space
Inside the "Chill" oasis
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Inside the "Chill" oasis
A more relaxing way to travel and glamp
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A more relaxing way to travel and glamp
Like its VisionVenture camper van concept, Hymer's Concept Galileo includes a deployable deck ... we really hope Hymer is working on some type of production deck
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Like its VisionVenture camper van concept, Hymer's Concept Galileo includes a deployable deck ... we really hope Hymer is working on some type of production deck
Multi-point articulating legs allow the Hyundai Elevate concept to walk over rubble, large rocks, collapsed highway gaps and more
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Multi-point articulating legs allow the Hyundai Elevate concept to walk over rubble, large rocks, collapsed highway gaps and more
With the legs retracted, the Hyundai Elevate looks like any other pod-car concept
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With the legs retracted, the Hyundai Elevate looks like any other pod-car concept
Zeva's one-person eVTOL aircraft: a tail-sitting flying saucer design with some interesting advantages
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Zeva's one-person eVTOL aircraft: a tail-sitting flying saucer design with some interesting advantages
After debuting the ID. Buzz at NAIAS 2017, Volkswagen later announced its intentions to pursue production
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After debuting the ID. Buzz at NAIAS 2017, Volkswagen later announced its intentions to pursue production 
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Love the idea or hate it – and apparently plenty of us do hate it – driverless cars are on the way. While it will still be some time before we reach full recline-and-relax level 6 autonomy, Tesla and others are out there gathering the mountains of real-world data generated by semi-autonomous cars that's needed to make this happen. In the meantime, designers are anticipating the day they'll be unshackled from the constraints of driver and steering wheel by creating concepts that redefine the car, inside and out. Here's a taste of what's in store.

The living room on wheels

Driverless cars will change the way we think about owning a vehicle. Taxi pods are likely to become the norm for most of us, and kids born in 2022 probably won't even learn to drive at all. But those with the inclination and the resources will definitely have some luxurious living-room-on-wheels designs to choose from over the next decade ... and if there's a steering wheel at all, it'll be fully retractable.

People-moving pods

If the boxy buses, trains and taxis that form the backbone of modern public transport are anything to go on, communal transport pods might be fairly utilitarian affairs. But the shift away from personal ownership and the efficiency of connected cities where traffic jams are a thing of the past could also free up designers to innovate in surprising ways.

Forget roads

Self-driving vehicles will also make it much easier to go beyond city streets. Who needs to be an experienced off-road driver, or a pilot for that matter, when a highly trained algorithm can do the job. Campervans will take you to your destination – and maybe even climb mountains – while in the bullish air taxi market, China's eHang has already completed tens of thousands of autonomous test flights.

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5 comments
5 comments
paul314
If you're going to have a living room on wheels, why even have an apartment or a house? Imagine enormous fleets of mobile homelets filled with gig workers shuttling among brief in-person appointments. Maybe they cruise by a take-out restaurant for meals, and pull up in a glorified parking garage/laundry/shower facility for sleeping periods. O Brave New World...
guzmanchinky
I would love a car right now that is fully autonomous when I want it to be, but lets me drive when I feel like it, and while I'm driving, prevents me from crashing. Best of both worlds...
Username
Although these are amusing, when in the last 100 years has a "vision of the future" ever come to be?
Chuck
How does one wear seat belts in these vehicles? Just because the car drives it’s self doesn’t mean there will be no accidents. Perhaps less frequent accidents due to human error, but mechanical failures, road conditions, weather disasters, etc. will still be a problem.
ljaques
Hey, I thought Guz already owned a Tesla. I really want one of those Hyundai Elevates.
If I saw a Pullman Power Fitness pod Skate rolling down the street, I'd run for cover. It looks like a really nasty alien weapon.