Volkswagen's Gen.Travel EV concept can drive on its own! Aims to replace short-haul flights

Volkswagen Group has revealed a new all-electric prototype called 'Gen.Travel', which is aimed at long-distance mobility, and can drive on its own! The German manufacturer is set to reveal the concept at Chantilly Arts & Elegance near Paris later today.

Volkswagen is calling the Gen.Travel an Innovation Experience Vehicle (IEV). It gets Level 5 autonomous tech, and the company says that the concept vehicles gives an outlook for the mobility of the future. What's more, VW also claims that the Gen.Travel prototype is aimed to be an alternative to short-haul flights.

Klaus Zyciora, Head of Volkswagen Group Design, explains: “The GEN.TRAVEL offers us a glimpse of the travel of the future. It shows us what autonomous driving will look like in the future. The GEN.TRAVEL embodies the visionary design of beyond tomorrow for the mobility of tomorrow. Efficient shaping characterizes the extremely distinctive design. Thus, in an age of technical perfection and virtually unlimited possibilities, ‘form follows function’ becomes ‘form follows freedom’. The automobile will not only be better, but also more exciting than ever before.”

The Gen.Travel has a modular interior concept that can be customized as per the requirement and be booked as a 'Mobility-as-a-Service' offering. Depending on the configuration, up to four people can be transported in the concept vehicle. The overnight-setup allows the conversion of two seats into two beds that can be folded out to a full-flat position.

The Gen.Travel is equipped with an active suspension eABC (electric Active Body Control), that Volkswagen claims calculates vertical and lateral movements such as acceleration, braking, or cornering ahead of time, and optimizes the driving style and trajectory accordingly. Furthermore, the company also says that the lighting system on the vehicle influences melatonin production, which helps passengers fall asleep and wake up naturally.

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