History 4
Where one stands in the development of autonomous cars in 2017 can be seen quite clearly in one of the spearheads, the Renault Symbioz. It is as long as a Mercedes E-Class, but has significantly more space inside due to the passenger compartment being moved forward.
It is based on a platform shared with Nissan and Mitsubishi. We question whether there is a carbon base plate under the 72 kWh batteries. After all, they can supposedly be charged inductively to 80 percent of their capacity in 20 minutes,
leaving losses aside here.
| Allegedly cost several million euros. |
The name also has something to do with the load, which suggests a symbiosis with a kind of pavilion in the middle of the greenery. In the first part, the car drives along a kind of garden path onto a rotating platform, which simultaneously allows a lifting to the second floor, from where it can roll out onto a kind of roof terrace above another part of the pavilion.
The car is designed to intelligently share the power supply with that of the house. When going for a drive, the car is positioned with the front facing the door without having to maneuver. Various videos show the occupants of the car on what begins as a conventional trip. The invited journalist at the wheel, next to him an engineer who constantly monitors the vehicle, another expert at the back left who tells him what to do and finally the cameraman at the back left.
Getting on the motorway in the rain is a challenge. There is hardly any sensor technology outside, apart from cameras instead of exterior mirrors and a roof antenna that extends to the rear window. The car is rated as level 4, which seems a little exaggerated considering the number of people accompanying it.
But the car does a good job despite the weather when it soon switches on autonomous driving. The fact that the passenger then switches on the windshield wipers indicates that he has a responsible job. The driver is handed a pair of augmented reality glasses from behind. This helps him to get a little closer to the computer's knowledge collection.
Apparently the car even tells the driver how long he is now released from his duties. However, this probably requires programming a destination. It's a shame, actually, because the car could offer a lot of driving fun with its 500 kW (680 hp). This is also conveyed by the equipment with a beautiful, continuous display that runs semicircularly around the steering wheel and the sound system from Devialet.
However, the version tested is obviously different from the one shown at trade fairs, because in autonomous mode the steering wheel does not disappear under the dashboard. The entire interior with the seats also does not correspond to the trade fair version equipped with a marble table and swivel chairs.
Incidentally, the entire stretch of highway is specially designed for autonomous vehicles. So there is communication via the antennas here with those of the test vehicle. The cameraman's observation that the vehicle's controls react much faster than the driver would normally do is interesting. A factor of 5 was agreed upon.
This becomes completely clear when it comes to entering a toll station. The first thing you notice is the hectic steering wheel movement. Since the camera is also looking at the passenger's joystick, it becomes clear that he has nothing to do with it. Wait briefly in front of the barrier and the car then accelerates to the specified maximum speed with its enormous engine power.
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