The
NeuV Concept, a two-seats electric car is able to drive itself
unaided. Pronounced "new-v," the small car is suposed to function as
an automated ride-sharing vehicle during that 96 percent of the time when it
would have otherwise sat idle in its owner's garage.
We keep hearing how car
ownership is going to change and how we won't be bothered with letting
strangers sit in our cars, but to our 2017 minds, that sounds a little hard to
swallow at the moment. Perhaps the moment the car starts earning more money
than the rest of the family combined, we'll change our minds. And spend that
money on another car just for ourselves.
The NeuV (New
Electric Urban Vehicle) comes with an AI assistant. Apparently, Honda's version
seems to be a female AI because it's called HANA (Honda Automated Network
Assistant) and it should be able to monitor the driver's emotional state and
make various recommendations based on what it reads.
Design-wise, the NeuV is as simple as they get,
opting for that minimalism that you really can't go wrong with. On the outside,
the concept is definitely futuristic, but it's still easily recognizable as a
car, though maybe not necessarily a Honda.
Since this is an autonomous car, it's the interior
that counts. The NeuV is a Level 4 vehicle, meaning it keeps the regular
controls as well for whenever the human driver wants to take over - and when
they do, they'll be glad to know the car has a headerless windshield and
heavily sloped side windows for maximum visibility.
The dashboard is essentially a large touchscreen
that both the driver and passenger can operate. Despite its compact dimensions,
the NeuV seems to have a decent storage space behind the seats, meaning it will
take care of most people's daily needs, as long as kids aren't involved.
