Stephanie didn’t have a great night of sleep before setting off for work this morning. This fact is noted by the car, which is connected to the health data from Stephanie’s watch. “Should I help you wake up more?” asks her personal assistant. Stephanie says yes and leans back. The assistant sets the interior lighting in the cockpit and in the doors to bright daylight. Stephanie’s favorite song pours out of the speakers. The autopilot scans the surroundings for other traffic participants. No one in sight. The drive can begin.
Stephanie is the fictitious driver who helps the experts in the Electronics Development department at Volkswagen with their work. She helps them envision the needs of the customers of tomorrow and beyond. It will still be a few years before today’s development work shows up in series production. But one thing is already certain: drivers like Stephanie will have functions at their disposal that make the drive more relaxing, entertaining and productive than now. In short, they will be able to count on their vehicle’s assistance.