Watch Merkel And Chinese Premier Test Drive VW’s Autonomous SEDRIC Concept

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang took part in a demonstration on autonomous driving earlier this week, in Berlin.

The two state officials were invited to take a short ride in the Volkswagen SEDRIC Concept, alongside the German brand’s CEO, Herbert Diess.

Right after stepping out of the fully autonomous show car at the former Tempelhof airport, Merkel said that this is a very important sector of the automotive industry, whose “development is in full swing”, adding that “it would be nice if Germany and China were among the leaders”.

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As for the Volkswagen SEDRIC Concept, the German Chancellor commented: “we took a short drive and arrived safe and sound”, describing the experience as “exciting”.

The Chinese Premier is currently in Germany for some consultations between the two nations. During his official visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners, announcing cooperation in various areas, such as autonomous driving, e-mobility, connectivity and mobility services.

Presented on the eve of the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, the Volkswagen SEDRIC (SElf-DRIving-Car) is a fully autonomous Level 5 self-driving vehicle. The study represents the Group’s vision for the future shared mobility, and features some interesting gizmos, including the windscreen that’s basically a large OLED screen.

The SEDRIC can haul up to four passengers on the two rear seats, and since there’s no need for the traditional steering wheel, pedals and other controls, the interior is more like a lounge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=RqD_cX3Gcdw