This Guy Wants Us to Commute in Autonomous, On-Demand Pods

When Tommaso Gecchelin envisions the future of urban transportation, he, like many people, imagines a system of driverless electric cars. But in Gecchelin’s vision, the system is modular. Its boxy vehicles are flat-sided, identically sized, and can link up and disconnect on the fly. He calls the concept "Next," and foresees it providing both on-demand rides and shared public transportation, like a futuristic cross between Uber and the city bus. Imagine a Next pod pulling up to your house in the morning, before scooping up your neighbor, and then, once it’s on a main road heading for downtown, affixing itself to another couple pods. Everyone goes to work, together.

Next also calls for a third feature: privately-owned pods, owned and operated by businesses, that riders can summon to indulge in on-the-go services like grocery pick-up or coffee delivery. This, combined with its personal- and public-transportation features, makes Next a veritable sundae of Silicon Valley-flavored lifestyle goals. On-demand rides and services? Check. Electric vehicles? Check. Autonomous electric vehicles? Yes, of course.

Full Story: http://www.wired.com/2015/11/this-guy-wants-us-to-commute-in-autonomous-on-demand-pods/