BMW AG took the wraps off a new concept car on Monday that blends the design of its sporty coupes with that of a luxury sedan and is packed with futuristic technology including a digital “companion” in a nod to the future role of artificial intelligence in driving.
The vehicle, dubbed the Vision Next 100, is the company’s boldest statement yet of its conviction that emissions-free, self-driving vehicles are the way forward for the industry and as such hold the keys to BMW’s future.
The question is: when?
“If it were up to me—tomorrow,” BMW Chief Executive Harald Krüger told reporters at the company’s presentation, adding that it was more likely to arrive “in the next 20 to 30 years.”