We’ve glimpsed the future — and it doesn’t require a driver’s license.
The idea that the driver’s seat, steering wheel and dashboard could soon become as outdated as vent windows and bench seats no longer seems far-fetched. As self-driving technology advances, it’s easy to imagine a time when knowing how to drive will be as rare as knowing how to use a rotary phone, order a set of Encyclopedia Britannica or balance a checkbook.
So, what does this mean for the future of automotive interior design? Envisioning the car as a rolling living room isn’t new. Designers have been sketching up such concepts for decades. But which vision will become a reality and, more important, which will you prefer?
The tech interior
Without a driver, the current forward-facing front bucket seat construct becomes superfluous.
I imagine any number of reconfigurations, from a kitchen table-like seating pattern to a full-on gaming lounge.
I picture a series of screens in place of windows, large enough for multiple gaming consoles or a 65-inch entertainment center. Imagine a whole 360-degree viewing experience like Disney’s Circle-Vision 360 exhibit. Only in this case, the screens display a beautiful sunny summer afternoon or moonlit sky as the car whisks you to work on a dreary January day.
Workaholics may find a place to escape the hectic distractions of a home office in favor of a rolling tech sanctuary, allowing uninterrupted workflows as they travel to their next meeting or conference.
Day traders might surround themselves with monitors displaying the latest crypto info, market trends or Jim Cramer’s “Mad Money.”
The retro interior
Instead of being surrounded by tech, maybe the car interior of the future will be the place we go to escape it.
Without the human element, traffic accidents will become extinct, taking with them the need for seat belts and child safety seats. In their place, I imagine any number of comfy configurations, from Barcalounger-style seating to a semicircular couch complete with tufted velour cushions, a built-in refrigerator and a banging audio system.
Or maybe your idea of serenity is a darkened space filled with incense and elevator music, with a few books thrown in for good measure.
Hate flying? No problem. Just load up the vehicle with a few beds and sleep through the night as your self-driving Howard Johnson Motor Lodge delivers you to your destination.
The anything goes
Like all those home improvement shows on HGTV, I imagine the self-driving automotive mantra will be, “Where there’s a budget, there’s a way.”
Picture a self-driving car but in van form. Such a platform could host a small gym with a stationary bike or treadmill and maybe even a juice bar.
Or perhaps you’re all about maximum relaxation. In this case, how does a somatic flotation tank sound?
Got kids? Let’s go with vinyl booth seats, rubber-mat flooring, cabinets for toy storage and maybe a soft-serve ice cream machine.
Don’t have kids? Switch the soft serve for a wet bar.
Miss the ‘70s? You might even rock a 21st-century van theme featuring a thick shag carpet, copious black=light posters and a waterbed.
The possibilities are endless.
Joe Tralongo is an automotive writer for Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, based in Missoula, Montana. He has been covering the automotive industry since 2000.
The Steering Column is a weekly consumer auto column from Cox Automotive. Cox Automotive and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are owned by parent company, Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises.
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