Strange as it sounds now, while the industry mindset focuses more toward electrification, autonomous driving, and viewing the car as a simple conveyance instead of a desirable expression of personal mobility and freedom, the very idea of the humble steering wheel is called into question.
To answer it, sports car makes are typically the ones we turn to as their cars can no longer exist without driver involvement being a key factor in a purchase decision. Porsche is also embracing new technologies and will likely introduce some form of autonomous capability in their future cars, but they are also quick to defend it as being supplicant to the driver’s whims and inputs.
Put simply, in a statement delivered by Lutz Meschke, the company's head of finance and IT, says that Porsche will be the last company to ditch the steering wheel - keeping it around as long as it’s legal. Granted, we might still be a long way from autonomous driving systems advanced enough to warrant having legislation get in the way of a steering wheel installed in our own car to presumably save us from ourselves, but this future has been posited again and again.
“We see digitalisation and autonomous driving not as a threat but as a tremendous opportunity. Autonomous driving and Porsche go together very well – we interpret it in a way that is typical of Porsche and combine what it means to be Porsche with the opportunities offered by new technologies.”, says Meschke.
While most drivers today can’t even imagine ceding full control over their cars to a machine, they can see the convenience of selectively handing the reins over during particularly monotonous stretches such as during traffic jams and long highway journeys. It’s time we would otherwise not get back, so why not have the car do the tedious work then.
“It’s attractive to be able to use the drive into the office during rush hour for my first virtual meeting. Or imagine you have dinner plans and are running late – and you can let the car park itself automatically. That’s really useful. In traffic jams and when it comes to parking, the functions of automated driving will soon be “must haves”.”
Porsche is also looking into making its cars, electric or hybrid or powered by internal combustion exclusively, updatable on software - essentially pushing new features or improvements over a wireless connection much like a smartphone receives app or operating system updates. Tesla has been known to make use of this concept with its Model X and Model S.
However, the German brand sees over-the-air software updates as a means to slowly upgrade the spectrum of Porsche vehicles by joining various modules of autonomous driving. This, presumably, would apply not only to the newest models but even slightly older ones with the necessary array of sensors and onboard computing power.
“Imagine that you could use a software update to download a few more PS over-the-air at short notice if you want to head to the racetrack on the weekend – or dynamic headlights if you are headed for a long night drive.”
Of course, laying the groundwork for these advances and paradigm shifts will arguably be the most difficult phase in these plans, which is why Porsche is heavily investing in delivering new ‘services’ to go along with the ‘hardware’ (its cars). The survival of many automakers does indeed hinge on how accurately they can predict the tides of change in how its customers fit cars into their lives, enticing them with even more value as those needs morph into a more solid next stage.
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