Video: Volvo’s 360c reinvents travel

The new Volvo 360c concept reimagines the way people will travel.

Four potential uses of such autonomous vehicles (AVs) are proposed – a sleeping environment, mobile office, living room and entertainment space.

The AV would be like your own first-class private cabin that picks you up at home and takes you door-to-door using electric, connected and safe travel.

Volvo Cars says it could open up new growth markets, for example in the multi-billion dollar domestic air travel industry.

The concept capitalises on the absence of a steering wheel and a combustion engine, reconfiguring the traditional two or three rows of passengers.

It also introduces a proposal for a global standard in how AVs can safely communicate with all other road users.

“The business will change in the coming years and Volvo should lead that change of our industry,” Volvo Cars president and chief executive officer Hakan Samuelsson says.

“Autonomous drive will allow us to take the big next step in safety but also open up exciting new business models and allow consumers to spend time in the car doing what they want to do.”

The 360c represents a potentially lucrative competitor to short-haul air travel, especially shorter routes of around 300km.

In the US, for instance, more than 740 million travellers embarked on domestic flights last year.

Several busy domestic air routes, such as New York to Washington DC, Houston to Dallas and Los Angeles to San Diego, are more time-consuming by air than by car when including things such as travel to the airport, security checks and waiting times, Volvo says.

“The 360c’s sleeping cabin allows you to enjoy premium comfort and peaceful travel through the night and wake up refreshed at your destination. It could enable us to compete with the world’s leading aircraft makers,” Volvo Cars corporate strategy senior vice-president Marten Levenstam says.

“We regard the 360c as a conversation starter, with more ideas and answers to come as we learn more.”

The 360c carries implications for the future of travel, city planning, infrastructure and modern society’s environmental footprint. It also looks at how people engage with friends and family while on the move, and how they can recapture time while travelling in the cities of the future.

Fully autonomous cars will be introduced in a mixed traffic situation where driverless cars will share the road with other road users.

The 360c addresses this challenge with a system comprising external sounds, colours, visuals, movements, as well as combinations of these tools, to communicate the vehicle’s intentions to other road users.

This means it is clear at all times what the car will do next, although the 360c will never issue directions or instructions to other road users, the company says.

“We strongly believe this communication method should be a universal standard, so all road users can communicate easily with any autonomous car, regardless of which maker built it,” Volvo Cars Safety Centre vice-president Malin Ekholm says.

The Volvo 360c concept could provide an on-demand subscription service too.

Fully autonomous and electric travel offers a range of advanced safety and environmental benefits, such as less pollution, less traffic congestion, and related health and lifestyle advantages for those living in cities. It also opens up possibilities for more residential freedom, reduced pressure on real estate pricing and more affordable home ownership, Volvo says.