Renault wants to bring an autonomous vehicle to the market by the year 2020 and is already testing the technology with a Renault Zoe-based prototype called Next Two.

The French carmaker believes autonomous vehicles are the future, as they will improve safety, reduce driver stress and tiredness, as well as save fuel. Renault’s Next Two places an emphasis on connectivity which is linked with the delegation of certain driving functions, giving motorists useful extra free time while improving safety.

“With Next Two, we wanted to combine the worlds of delegated driving and connectivity,” says Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn.

“Not only will autonomous driving enhance safety but it will also free up time for drivers. Being connected will enable them to make the most of this extra time by providing them with access to new in-car services such as video-conferences, on-line shopping, travel information and more,” he added.

Next Two allows the driver to sit back and relax by taking over driving functions in congested traffic up to 30 km/h (18.6 mph) on main roads, as well as parking the car completely autonomously in car parks equipped to cater for automated vehicles – including finding a parking space.

When freed from driving, people can use the car’s open source connectivity system that can pick up all available networks (3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, etc.) and is compatible with all operating systems.

You can see how the Renault Zoe autonomous car works in the following videos, including one demonstration from the CEO himself, Carlos Ghosn.

By Dan Mihalascu

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