What does the future hold in store for the automobile industry? Movies such as “I, Robot” or “Minority Report” give the imagination free reign. Everything’s conceivable, from intelligent roads and hovering cars that take the occupants from A to B with no physical intervention on the part of the driver or the “pilot”, who spends the journey watching the latest news on a display integrated in the windscreen, to applications controlled by voice or eye sensors.

These spectacular visions of the future contrast with present-day issues: climate change, social injustice, the inexorable growth of cities, scarce resources and an aging society.

At Volkswagen Group Research, Wolfgang Müller-Pietralla, Head of Future Research and Trend Transfer, and his team analyze social and technological developments. Internal cooperation takes many forms: for example, the team works together with Group Market Research and Analysis to describe customers’ future needs.

“We can’t predict what will happen in future, but we are able to assess the trends that will be critical in shaping tomorrow’s world,” Müller-Pietralla explains.

Here are some examples: by 2050, the world’s population will have grown to an estimated nine billion. Up to 70% of these people will live in cities. Mega cities will develop above all in the emerging Asia markets that are crucial for Volkswagen, markets with high energy demand. This means that the importance of alternative powertrains, as well as intensive traffic management systems, will grow.

One solution for Western mega cities is electric vehicles. As Müller-Pietralla comments: “For us, strategies for the successful deployment of electric vehicles are high on the agenda.”

In future, the car will function as a pilot, co-pilot and coach all rolled into one. The car works out alternative routes and ensures that the occupants can make meaningful use of their time even when stuck in traffic jams, catching up on office work, for example, or simply relaxing. More than ever, vehicles will be customized to meet the individual wants of their occupants.

The future will also see growing numbers of small and very mobile one-person vehicles on the roads. At the same time, intelligent network traffic systems will ensure the smoother and safer flow of traffic.

All in all, then, as Müller-Pietralla puts it: “Driving will be fun in the future, too. What’s crucial is that we can inspire people with our products and that mobility remains affordable for our customers.”

Supported by Volkswagen Future Research, transportation design students at Pforzheim University presented their visions of tomorrow’s mobility at this year’s spring exhibition. Here are some examples.