Automakers are these days all investing their efforts in developing self-driving cars that could go around the cities offering rides. The latest one to be included in the list is Jaguar, following the like of Chrysler, Honda, Smart and Volkswagen, just to name a few.
Jaguar has recently revealed its take on the idea and has introduced a concept, called the Future-Type at the Jaguar Land Rover Tech Fest at the University of the Arts, London. However, this concept car of Jaguar still features a steering wheel, as the automaker doesn't see the actual driving becoming a thing of the past, as of yet.
In the connected world of tomorrow, a fleet of cars like the Future-Type could be available for consumers on-demand via a subscription or a club membership-like service. The cars would have different kinds of flexible seating options. For example, if a small group of people is going for the ride, they can summon a Future-Type with "social seating," where the seats face each other.
The customers will be able to summon the cars via Sayer, a voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) steering wheel, which also acts as a personal companion. Sayer will work out when a car needs to arrive at your door step and it will even give you advise on which parts of the journey you might enjoy driving yourself.
Sayer will also be capable of performing multiple tasks including playing music and booking a table. It would even know what's in your fridge. It would also act as a social media and connect with the profiles of other people in your life, such as friends and family, allowing you to easily check what's happening and stay connected.
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However, we are not going to see a Future-Type anytime soon. As per Jaguar, this type of vehicles could be expected to arrive in the market around 2040.
"Future-Type offers an insight into the potential for driving and car ownership in the future," said Jaguar design boss Ian Callum in a statement. "It's part of our vision for how a luxury car brand could continue to be desirable, in a more digital and autonomous age," he added.
