Geneva Motor Show 2017: Volkswagen surprises with Sedric, a driverless taxi

As the action begins at the Geneva Motor Show, we bring to you all the updates from the floor. The Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, March 7, kick-started with the unveiling of Volkswagen Group's first self-driving Car -- the Sedric.

Sedric was conceived, developed and built at the Volkswagen Group Future Center in Potsdam in collaboration with Volkswagen Group Research in Wolfsburg. Sedric demonstrates how a new integrated mobility system could function in the future.

The Sedric is not really a car but almost gives the impression of a driverless pod and is the prevue of the Level 5 automated driving (requires no human inputs and can make its own decisions). For now, Sedric is just a concept and there is no information on when we can see this in metal.

"To avoid any misunderstanding: the Volkswagen Group will not be building its own cars in the future, either. That is something our brands excel in. But our concept car stands for a new self-image and a new form of collaboration and know-how transfer in the Group", Matthias Müller, CEO of the Volkswagen Group said.

Sedric, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, is an all-electric and fully autonomous transport that only takes a single touch of the OneButton to drive up and collect its passenger. Sedric independently performs all driving tasks; it is smart and has no steering wheel, pedals or cockpit.

"We are convinced that fully-automated vehicles will make life in our cities better, more eco-friendly and above all safer. Sedric gives the first concrete foretaste of that today. Sedric is a trailblazer and idea platform for autonomous driving. Many elements and functions of this concept car will reappear in vehicles from our brands in the coming years," Müller added.