Late last year, Porsche released a set of 15 different unseen car designs that featured many motorsports inspired models as well as one van in red. Dubbed the Porsche Vision Renndienst, the fully-electric van or “comfortable modular travel cabin” is a study of space and multi-seating.
On the outside, the edgeless and futuristic shape is expected of an electric capsule that is capable of self-driving. However, to maximum ease of passenger entry and exit, the doors are a sliding mechanism.
Porsche also says the side windows are asymmetrical, with the left being a privacy screen while the right has a large window on the sliding door. A feeling of security and comfort dominates the interior which is designed to carry up to six people.
Porsche is planning to offer a smaller EV sedan. Find out more about the project here!
Upfront though is the massive windscreen as well as a moonroof. The dashboard and overall architecture at the front study how occupants will become accustomed to autonomous driving in the future.
Porsche Chief Designer, Michael Mauer, explained, “We don’t assume that our customers want to give up using a steering wheel. When I want to drive, I have more cockpit feeling than in any other car. And when I don’t, the driver’s seat can be rotated 180 degrees—with one swivel, it turns to face the other passengers,”
And thus the central driving position is explored and constructed in detail. The conceptual fully digital instrument cluster looks like it has been transferred down to the Taycan. A central driver’s seat means the two passengers behind have an unobstructed view ahead, as well as their own dashboard-mounted infotainment displays. Meanwhile, the third row consists of a lounge-like bench seat with curved sides which can turn towards each other.
User experience design (UX) will also be a key study area with more emphasis on individuality as the Vision Renndienst is a multi-seat vehicle. The team is dedicated to creating a digital relationship between driver, passengers and the vehicle.
In the next step, Porsche will give the Vision Renndienst a soul. Recalling watching the Knight Rider TV series as a child, Ivo van Hulten, Director of UX, said he “connected with K.I.T.T” as it had a soul. Looking at how K.I.T.T and Michael Knight interacted with each other, perhaps Porsche is hinting about the implementation of Artificial Intelligent (A.I.) on a much larger scale.
The Porsche Vision Renndienst, for now, is currently not destined for production. But with such an interesting concept with mobility as a service in the future, this concept vehicle might just have a chance to serve multiple users.
