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The Volkswagen eT is a concept van developed in conjunction with the German Post Office that could one day make delivering packages a much easier task.
The eT is a fully electric van with in wheel motors that free up interior space. Interestingly, it is also loaded with hi-tech sensors and software that allows it to be operated semi-autonomously.
VW says the van is able to follow the Postie as he or she walks to each house, allowing them to retrieve articles from the vehicle on the run rather than heading back to where the vehicle was parked.
The eT also has a canine-like ability to respond to demands. The idea is that if the Postie gets ahead of the vehicle, pressing a button will make it come to them.
If the Postie would rather drive the vehicle manually, without having to get in and out of the van, it is possible to use a `drive-stick' located on the passenger side of the vehicle.
There is what is described as a "standing seat" which is a kind of bench, with no-backrest, which allows for great ease of access along with the sliding door that can stay open for low speed work.
The idea here is that the Postie would prefer to get in and out of this side frequently as it faces the pavement. The eT has an electronically operated sliding door on the right-hand side for ease of access.
VW says the electric eT will be put to work as part of a study to see whether the technology is ready for real world work. The electric vehicle chief at VW, Rudolf Krebs, says the eT is not going to put into production in the short term but does point to commercial vehicles of the future.
"We must make plans today for what the world of lightweight commercial vehicles might look like starting in the second half of this decade, including with regard to electrical drives," he says.
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