Discussion on:

In Melbourne, a shape-shifting car

The configurability is good because currently, we must buy the vehicle that meets our largest need, even if we rarely use the capability. Occasionally need to carry 7 passengers? Then a small CUV won't do, you have to have a full size crossover, even if you only carry those 7 a few times per year. The addresses that issue. But I'd have to say that many moving parts in the structure sounds like a recipe for rattles!

I would still rather drive it myself.

"Occasionally need to carry 7 passengers?"

Have you ever heard of Hertz, Avis, National et al, Alan? Makes more sense to me to rent for a few days than to buy a bus just because I need to haul 50 people along occasionally. LOL

I love to drive, but in the city I would love to be able to keep on commenting on blogs instead of driving in a traffic jam!

let's see: a steering wheel that's not fixt in place? wait-and-see with that. a new configuration for face-to-face conversation? we're trying to do away with distractions, not add to it. self driving? what happens to my illusion that i'm in control? that's for the future; for the present i can park my own car, thank you. am i so lazy, incompetent and insecure that i'm going to hand over this skill? and the mistaken idea that automation will make us safe? totally? what about being rear-ended? finally, doors that will save me from oncoming traffic? if i'm stupid enough to get hit, the world may be better off w/o me. i've been exiting in traffic lo these many years. finally, all this will have to wait until we perfect turning our succeeding generations into robots. in sum, i do like some of the features (safety and otherwise).

I think this idea of automated driving is a good idea. The population is aging and this could keep us oldsters in getting around. As the technology is made more bug-free and useful, it could be that driving deaths will become a relic of the past. But I would like to have a manual override. I dislike the thought that the car could be "taken over" by a hacker or rogue cop.

"It is equipped with wireless connectivity to other road users (cars or pedestrians)"

Oh yeah, here we bicyclists get ignored again. Bonehead move.

The vehicle will have wireless connectivity to anything in its surrounding which also has wireless capabilities, which includes a bicyclist who carries a wireless device. But, perhaps you can, or someone else can, think of a way to add a wireless capability to a bicycle, which then makes it capable of being recognized by the "smart car". But, a bicycle is normally used by a pedestrian, otherwise known as a person, who might be carrying a wireless device, which would make the need for wireless capabilities on a bicycle, redundant and unneeded.

Why not keep all of its features, but, make it also with fossil-fuel capabilities.

If the vehicle was going to be worthwhile purchasing for city or local driving, then, it would be a lot more desirable if it came with longer-range driving capabilities. And, it might even have less weight to lug around, since, batteries plus electric motors are, in a lot of cases, heavier than a small 4-cylinder gas-powered engine.

Also, a shape shifting car would not lessen the amount of weight of the vehicle, which means that, no matter the size or shape, it's still costing as much when it comes to energy usage.

The biggest drawback is that, even by 2015, and perhaps for many years after that, renewable energy sources will still be a lot more expensive than the less expensive and much easier to attain, fossil fuels.

The XO may be more attractive than the current EV options, but, it will still have the same negatives when it comes to the power sources to make it go.

On long, boring trips, or in traffic tie-ups, hands-free driving sounds great! One might even take a nap on the longer trip! However, I, myself, will NEVER trust a machine to make all the proper decisions, and be completely automatic. The same goes for aircraft.....there MUST ALWAYS a pilot in command, who should be continually aware of everything around him/her. Auto-parking, auto-lane control and collision avoidance.....great! BUT, you STILL need someone awake and aware, for those situations NO MACHINE can cope with....and, don't worry, Murphy's Law says there WILL always be one!

Personally, I enjoy driving, and would NEVER buy one of these 'road cocoons' that insulate you from the road and everything around, just so you can TEXT/watch DVDs/sleep/whatever! One thing I WOULD like is the ability to arrive somewhere, get out, and let the auto go find a parking space (like New York City!). Then, when you get ready to leave, it comes back for you!

This is bound to give me "Range Anxiety"; especially if I can't read the battery level meter.

What a beautiful design!
But it looks so complicated to manufacture!
What happens with all those joints when they come together for rain, wind, sooth? they should fit to perfection within each other, also without creaking noises and that will make a very expensive final product, won't it?