It’s a pretty common joke on the EV forums: Elon Musk hates trains. Musk hates trains so much, in fact, that he would have proposed the Hyperloop project specifically to disrupt a high-speed rail project in California, all with the aim of selling more cars. Well, it seems Tesla CEO Technoking is in good company among his fellow automakers – and the new VW GEN.TRAVEL concept proves it.
Everything except trains
“Volkswagen defines mobility for generations to come – sustainable and digital,” says Volkswagen Group Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Nikolai Ardey, who says the concept is intended to replace “short-haul flights”. like that 9-minute flight Elon Musk took last summer. “In the group-wide Volkswagen Innovation Research department, we are taking this idea forward, showing how our customers can experience mobility in the future, for example as a service. With GEN.TRAVEL we can already experience today what will be possible in the near future with innovative technology. Door-to-door travel to a new level. Emission-free and stress-free.
It strikes me as absolutely shocking that Volkswagen would come up with a concept like this – but concept cars have a long history of nonsense. And, as silly concepts, this one doesn’t seem as silly as some others. As such, I’m inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. That said, this self-driving software superstar has something of the former VW Group CEO’s vibe about it, and it’s hard to imagine a ‘driver’s car’ guy like the former chief. from Porsche, Oliver Blume, giving this thing the OK, even as a concept.
As a wacky, far-in-the-future concept, there are certainly worse ways to spend the five-hour drive between Cleveland and Chicago, for example, than in a comfy reclining seat while your GEN.TRAVEL takes you from A to B. And, if this robotaxi future that we are constantly promised comes true, we may be able to see it for ourselves! “The GEN.TRAVEL offers us a glimpse of the journeys of the future”, explains Klaus Zyciora, Design Manager of the Volkswagen Group. “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 limitless possibilities, “form follows function” becomes “form follows freedom”. The automobile will not only be better, but also more exciting than ever.
Good enough. As for me, I think I would prefer to have a train.
Amtrak Observation Car Walkthrough
spring | Pictures: Volkswagen Group.
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