No thanks, I’ll pass.
Ah, the future. Across human history, people have long speculated what the future would look like. And for Hyundai, it seems to be lots and lots of pods.
They showcased two potential vehicles. The first, the smaller of the two, are individual pods. Called Personal Mobility PnD pods, they operate off of “Plug & Drive” platform, also shown off at CES. The one shown is meant as personal conveyance, but Hyundai envisions different tops for other use cases. The pods move autonomously, but do come with a joystick for manual driving. Hyundai claims a drive time of one hour, with a two hour charge cycle.
The larger of the two is a large shuttle meant to transport these pods around town. It holds about 8 of the smaller pods. Frankly, it seems a lot like a bus with extra steps. Oh, and also demonstrably worse for its size. Then again, short of a alley of clowns, how many people can you actually fit into a cargo van; probably still more than 8, but that probably relies on a decided lack of comfort.
Overall, the smaller pods seem best for people with limited mobility. Especially as they offer a fair degree of comfort for the rider, limited drive time notwithstanding. It’d also probably be a major plus to alcoholics, since it would get them out from behind the wheel. That said, the future Hyundai has on display here is… oddly generous towards these pods. they’re not exactly sidewalk friendly, if we’re being honest. As to whether any of this actually sees production, though, is anyone’s guess.
Source: Auto Blog
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