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New autonomous ride-hailing ‘taxi’ aims to become the new iconic emblem of London
A design company has unveiled its vision for the future of autonomous ride-hailing taxis with its ‘New Car for London’ concept.
The new autonomous vehicle designed by PriestmanGoode aims to accommodate a wide range of user needs for journeys up to an hour around the streets of London. The designers also explore how the vehicle might serve its communities.
The design firm says that they acknowledge the unique role that transport design can play as an emblem of a city or country. The new autonomous vehicle, displaying the word ‘TAXI’, would pit its functionalities against the already iconic status handed to London’s wheelchair accessible black taxis and highly trained drivers.
Paul Priestman, Chairman of PriestmanGoode, said: “Autonomous vehicles are at the heart of future mobility solutions. Tech companies and car makers are working on developing vehicles that address emissions challenges and user needs. We wanted to create a vision for what these future vehicles could look like, focusing on ride-hailing services. Future car interiors are looking increasingly like luxury suites, and our vast experience in designing First Class aircraft interiors means we understand what passengers want and how to maximise comfort, space and flexibility of use. Meanwhile, our experience working in the public transport sector also means we understand the requirements around ease of maintenance.”
Dan Window, Creative Director, says: “Cities risk losing their unique identity as a result of the globalisation of the major ride-share apps. We wanted to address this.
“While our new concept could be adapted to any global city, the vehicle you see here has been designed with London in mind.
“The idea is for the New Car for London to live alongside the city’s existing transport icons, like the tube, the double decker bus or the black cab, and create a new offer that adds to London’s great transport landscape.”
