(VW)
Heel!
Not you, Fido. I’m talking to the truck.
Volkswagen is developing a commercial van that not only runs on electricity, but can play follow the leader with its operator.
The eT! (exclamation point included) has a semi-auto pilot system that allows it to follow a person down the block as if it were an obedient pet. The vehicle was conceived in partnership with the German Post Office and is meant to make life easier for people working in the delivery services industry.
Read: Volkswagen Type 2 Van Returns to Europe
For those not interested in having a van tailing them around all day, the eT! also offers a Batmobile-style “come to me” feature that lets the driver summon it to their position at will. There is also a “drive stick” located on the passenger side of the van that offers convenient, low speed manual control of the vehicle without the need to walk all the way around to the driver’s seat after every stop.
The eT! is only a concept at this stage and specifications on the electric drive system have not been revealed. However, Volkswagen is planning to test a functioning version of the vehicle so some of its features could one day find their way into real-world applications.
Now if VW can just develop a dog-repelling system the postal workers of the world will be all set.