A new self driving car concept will transform the car into a fully connected office and meeting space, so that car journeys will become a time for professionals to do business and driving will no longer be dead-time away from work or home.
This is the concept behind flexible workspace provider Regus’ partnership with Rinspeed, a Swiss creative think tank and mobility lab for the automobile industry, in the development of the concept car, the XchangE, which will be displayed at the Geneva Motor Show this March. The concept backs Regus’s own drive to help people work on the road, and links to the growing network of Regus Express locations on Europe’s motorway network. Its “third place” (not the office, not home) work options could include the car, as well as other transport hubs.
The design of the XchangE allows the two front seats to swivel backwards, creating a mobile work and meeting space for four people. The car’s advanced technology and infotainment systems allow passengers to connect to their office, work productively, or make a presentation using a laptop. The result is a comfortable and confidential space that turns a traffic jam on the way to the airport into productive time ‘at the office’.
As well as helping people do business on the move, the self driving car offers professionals more flexibility over their working schedules. With business completed wherever they are and whenever it suits them, there’s less need to take work home or miss out on family life.
Already, businesses that offer more flexible working to their staff see clear benefits. In Regus research among over 20,000 people globally, 75% of business people say flexible working boosts productivity.
Regus’s involvement with the XchangE concept complements its other innovations to help people work more flexibly. Its Regus Express strategy has already brought walk-in business facilities and workspaces to the road and motorway network, and other transport hubs – including railway stations, motorway service stations, and, in a pilot with Shell, petrol stations throughout Berlin.
Andre Sharpe, global product and business development director at Regus, commented: “Regus has long been committed to developing the Future of Work. Now this innovative car will change wasted time into productive time. People already work on the road, thanks to Regus. Now, with the XchangE, Regus’s third place network could encompass the car itself as well as the roadside. A consultant or sales rep could fit in 7-8 hours of productive work each day, using a driverless vehicle, Regus hubs on motorways, and our network of business centers. It’s another illustration of Regus’s commitment to leading the workplace revolution.”
Frank M. Rinderknecht, founder and CEO of Rinspeed Inc, added: “Autonomous cars no longer require drivers to watch the road, so there’s an opportunity to make more meaningful use of their time. Regus’s expertise in helping people work more productively and flexibly makes it the ideal partner for developing this new concept.”
