VW SEDRIC School Bus Concept Is An Autonomous Shuttle For Kids

One year after Volkswagen unveiled the original SEDRIC concept, the company has taken the wraps off the new SEDRIC School Bus.

Unveiled during Volkswagen Group Night at the Geneva Motor Show, the SEDRIC School Bus follows in the footsteps of the SEDRIC 42 and is a fully-autonomous electric vehicle that can transport kids without a driver.

Volkswagen didn’t say much about the model but it has a yellow and black livery with stylized graffiti that calls it the “Cool Bus.” While the exterior styling echoes previous SEDRIC concepts, the interior has a two-person lounge seat and a large OLED entertainment screen that promises to make the journey to school “seem shorter for the younger generation.” The model also has two aluminum boxes which double as seats and provide an area for storaging backpacks or other items.

Since the concept is fully-autonomous, Volkswagen says parents could simply call up the bus when their kids are ready to go. The bus would then travel door to door picking up other kids before transporting them to school.

While a four-seat pod isn’t ideal for transporting hundreds of students, the concept’s purpose is to reinforce the idea that autonomous driving technology will provide mobility for all, even those too young to have a drivers license.

Volkswagen also noted, “big strides have been made in the development” of the concept’s autonomous driving system and these improvements mainly focus on recognizing the surrounding environment and analyzing traffic data. Volkswagen says these lessons will help them as tackle problems such as congestion, air quality and traffic safety in cities.