Rolls-Royce has unveiled its first driverless vehicle, a concept car that promises to help its owner announce their importance to the world.
The Vision Next 100 is an autonomous vehicle aimed at “the most discerning and powerful patrons in the world”. It has no steering wheel and a silk “throne” from which its occupants can watch the world go by, The Guardian reported.
Rolls-Royce said the zero-emission model, codenamed 103EX, showed the company “rejects the notion of anonymous, utilitarian and bland future modes of mobility”.
In a statement, Rolls-Royce promised an interior made only of “the most precious and contemporary elegance”.
Instead of a driver, passengers can give orders to a virtual assistant named Eleanor.
Eleanor will act as a concierge “imbued with her own artificial intelligence” and capable of reminding the owner not to miss meetings and even bringing the car around to the front of their house at the start of a journey.
Amid the fanfare accompanying its unveiling, Rolls-Royce did not say how the vehicle, due to hit the streets in the 2040s, would be powered or how it would cope with speed bumps.
The Vision Next 100–the brainchild of Giles Taylor, Rolls-Royce’s director of design–was unveiled at the Roundhouse arts venue in north London on Thursday.
“It is an expression of our intrinsic understanding of the possibilities for a true luxury brand and the desires of its customers,” Taylor said.
