Volkswagen accelerates development of autonomous driving through tests in Wolfsburg

The Future on Wheels: Volkswagen Tests Urban Autonomy with Gen.Urban Prototype in Wolfsburg

In the midst of the transition to electric mobility, car manufacturers are not ignoring the next big revolution: autonomous vehicles. Although self-driving cars are not yet the norm, the Volkswagen Group is preparing intensively for this moment, starting a new testing phase in its heart, the city of Wolfsburg.

The protagonist of this ambitious exercise is the Gen.Urban, an autonomous research prototype, designed not for sale, but to explore the essence of the human experience in a driverless vehicle.

Passenger Experience: The Main Focus of the Tests

The aim of this project goes beyond simple technological demonstration. An interdisciplinary team from Volkswagen Group Innovation, consisting of designers, human factors specialists, software engineers and materials experts, is looking for answers to crucial questions:

• Comfort and Trust: How do passengers, especially the elderly and children, feel in a vehicle that has no steering wheel and pedals? How to build trust in self-driving technology?
• Personalized Interaction: What should the optimal interaction between vehicle and occupants look like?

Gen.Urban offers a personalized travel experience, even before setting off. Passengers can adjust settings such as cabin temperature, ambient lighting or seat position (which adjusts automatically) either via an app or directly from the vehicle. Its digital interior can be adapted to individual themes using artificial intelligence (AI), adapting the head-up display, lights and sound. This underlines a human-centric approach that puts user comfort and interaction at the forefront.

Steering Wheelless Prototype: Gen.Urban

The Gen.Urban prototype is deliberately built without a steering wheel and pedals, in order to force participants to fully experience autonomous mobility.

• Driver's Seat: Test participants, initially employees of the Volkswagen Group, sit in the driver's seat, thus testing expectations and comfort levels without control.
• Test Route: The nearly 10-kilometer route takes about 20 minutes and includes the typical challenges of urban traffic in Wolfsburg - traffic light intersections, roundabouts, residential and industrial areas, heavy traffic and possible road construction sites
• Safety: Although the vehicle drives itself, a specially trained Volkswagen engineer is in the passenger seat. He constantly monitors the car and can intervene at any time using a special control console equipped with a joystick.

A Long-Term Vision

The tests in Wolfsburg, which will take place over several weeks, represent a concrete step towards the development of Level 4 and 5 autonomous mobility solutions. The detailed data collected on user behavior and their interaction with the vehicle will be used to shape future interior design and user experience (UX) concepts for all brands in the Volkswagen Group.

The development of autonomous vehicles is not just about technology, but also about creating a new travel experience, where time spent in the car becomes free time and mobility is accessible and safe for everyone. The Gen.Urban project in Wolfsburg marks a key milestone in achieving this goal.