Volkswagen has taken the wraps off the new SEDRIC School Bus. Unveiled during Volkswagen Group Night at the Geneva
Motor Show, the SEDRIC School Bus follows in the footsteps of the SEDRIC 42 and
is a fully-autonomous electric vehicle that can transport kids without a
driver.
Volkswagen didn’t say much about the model but it
has a yellow and black livery with stylized graffiti that calls it the “Cool
Bus.” While the exterior styling echoes previous SEDRIC concepts, the interior
has a two-person lounge seat and a large OLED entertainment screen that
promises to make the journey to school “seem shorter for the younger
generation.” The model also has two aluminum boxes which double as seats and
provide an area for storaging backpacks or other items.
Since the concept is fully-autonomous, Volkswagen
says parents could simply call up the bus when their kids are ready to go. The
bus would then travel door to door picking up other kids before transporting
them to school.
While a four-seat pod isn’t ideal for transporting
hundreds of students, the concept’s purpose is to reinforce the idea that
autonomous driving technology will provide mobility for all, even those too young
to have a drivers license.
Volkswagen also noted, “big strides have been made
in the development” of the concept’s autonomous driving system and these
improvements mainly focus on recognizing the surrounding environment and
analyzing traffic data. Volkswagen says these lessons will help them as tackle
problems such as congestion, air quality and traffic safety in cities.
