vehicles and self-driving cabs. On this front, Renault has
taken significant steps and made progress developing
their autonomous prototypes. Their commitment to these
projects is shown through the EZ-series of autonomous
concept vehicles on display at the Viva Tech show. These
vehicles are still under development and it will be another
couple of years before they’re available to the public in
Europe. However, it’s unlikely that these cars will come
to India anytime soon. Self-driving vehicles depend very
heavily on GPS, road signs and other such factors, which
we lack. This was made very apparent to us by the Renault
engineers who accompanied us during our drive.
That’s from the view point of the working of the car,
but for driving enthusiasts like us, self-driving cars of the
future will make the car a mere object of transportation.
They will stop being an integral part of our daily lives,
where we wake up looking forward to our next big road
trip. Of course, you cannot hide from the sheer convenience
that a self-driving car would offer, besides increasing our
productivity and giving us some time to relax after a long
day at the office. But it’s not the most exciting thought that
crosses my mind today. LTop left: The EZ-Pod concept aims to transform last mile
mobility. Above: The EZ-Flex is an electric mini truck, which can be
customised based on requirement. Left: The control centre for Zoe
cabs at the Paris-Saclay university campusTHE CAR DETECTS
PEDESTRIANS AND
OTHER ROAD USERS
AND AVOIDS THEM OR
SLOWS DOWN