Without a doubt, this car is futuristic. Indeed, what does it look like? Does it look at least like a car? The journalist from the Telegraph said, it is the most unattractive car since the Trabant, now that hurts, at least it hurts the Trabant.

Now, we don't want to push the comparison with an inflatable rubber-doll too far, but when Niclas Hayek, suggested building the sub-compact Smart, first to VW then later Mercedes, the concept was at least, miles better.

Whereby, all it is, is a sort of cabin, no steering wheel and no pedals. It does one lap on a staked out and carefully surveyed course, then allows it's selected passengers, senior citizens, mothers with children and visually impaired persons, to alight again.

Of course, a vehicle like this would be a gigantic step forward for the last mentioned person, indeed, let's not get too optimistic. Who honestly believes, that in the year 2020, driverless driving will be introduced? The legal hurdles alone, could not be overcome in all the countries in question.

Already the above mentioned Hayek, found this out quite painfully. The complete new development of a vehicle is extremely difficult, even for the professionals. Some time ago Greenpeace converted a Renault Twingo, to speed-up the automobile industry concerning the emission of CO₂. I wonder if this chopped-down version would have passed a crash-test.

Of course, this vehicle, it's questionable whether or not it should be allowed to be called a 'car', shows us where our independency ends. A single cabin on rails would probably feel about the same. If one were to lay more rails and automate the entire thing, there would hardly be any difference to the Google car.

Would it still be even any fun at all, to sit in a vehicle, where one only has to enter an address? How long will it take, before we behave like backseat drivers, moaning about its sedate way of driving? The carmakers have already reacted. They now do not define their target as being autonomous driving, but as the absolute avoidance of human errors, which as we know, are the biggest accident potential.

A tragic accident like that of James Dean, who sped into inattentive oncoming traffic, could then no longer happen. Indeed, Dean and his mechanic were on their way to a race, and also that made no sense at all anymore. Almost since the beginning of the automobile era, there have been motor races, and now suddenly no more?

Google and Apple, how on earth could you develop anything like this? Your main aim, up to now, has been to make a profit. In this case, it's probably not going to work. The fact that a motor car is a transport medium, is only a small part of the whole business. Indeed, basic mobility can be had for as little as € 7000 for a new car. Why then do people spend many times that amount for a car? And why do people buy fast sports cars in countries that have a general speed limit?

Perhaps the biggest mistake that was made under the description of "real socialism" that was practiced in the German Democratic Republic, was not only the poor chain of supply. The fact that one had to wait until one had reached the age of 65, to be able to travel freely, probably weighed a lot heavier. Take from the people, even a small part of their freedom, you may find that you're in for a very nasty surprise, even if the folks in the Google car were so enthralled ... 06/14