Are ridesharing wars in vain?
Every time I turn around, Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing dashboards are butting heads with taxi companies. Who has the right to take people from point A to point B? Who can do it for less? Which is the least sketchy option? However it pans out, it seems that we just don’t want to shuttle ourselves around anymore.
Well, folks, it looks like technology has yet again usurped the throne. Mercedes-Benz, of rap video and upscale vehicle fame, has decided to give us a sneak peek at their sleek new F015 Luxury in Motion.
Being expressly crafted to drive itself, it has more of a brain than most people on the road these days. Its LED light system communicates its thoughts to you, based on a color code. In addition, it can even let pedestrians know when they can cross the road safely. That’s certainly more of an effort to express itself than my current car makes through its creaks and squeaks. (No offense, Oliver. I love you.)
Limo style seating. Cool!
One of the coolest features of this concept car is that the inside seating is limo style, allowing you to face the other passengers for more direct communication. The vehicle is controlled using remotes, so you can toss that “hands ten and two” rule out the window.
Don’t get your hopes up too high for owning this model, as it is doubtful that the Mercedes F015 will ever see the light of day in the current market. Google has been pioneering the field, but there are endless legal and logistical hurdles to overcome before this is a reality. However, if this is any hint as to what Mercedes is working on behind closed doors, we have quite an impressive future to look forward to.
It’s important to note that it’s not just Mercedes that has been experimenting in this field – other makers like Volvo have also spoken publicly about the possibilities regarding self-driving cars in recent years. If other automakers decide to jump on this train, if they haven’t already, the roads might resemble an episode of the Jetsons before we know it.
Gabe Sanders
January 15, 2015 at 10:03 am
This is the wave of the future. Like we are shifting to subscriber computer programs we will eventually subscribe to a self driving car service.
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