Amidst a stream of thousands of pedestrians stood a car that evoked astonishment, enthusiasm and curiosity from the crowd. This was not the usual product presentation for a new car model: this was the "EDAG Light Cocoon" - a car of the future, giving us a sight of the world of motoring and mobility tomorrow.
Mobility concerns us all. And these days, mobility is changing rapidly. It's no longer just about the car, tram or train as products. The parking situation in big cities, environmental pollution and, not least, the new mindset of the "always-on" generation require joined-up thinking when it comes to the mobility issues of the future.
A task that is as complex as it is thrilling. With new technologies, such as "autonomous driving" and, above all, the total integration of the car into the digital world, new tools are now available to revolutionise our thinking about mobility and make it fit for the future. A rethink is required in big cities, in particular. Everyone feels this and knows it to be true.
EDAG Engineering GmbH Marketing Manager Michael Pollner explains the motive for the event: "We deliberately left our secret development offices and went out to show people our concepts for the future. The resonance was overwhelming. Not only was our Cocoon photographed over 20,000 times during the 12 hours in Stachus Passage, but we also had fascinating discussions with the people of Munich. For us, as developers, it was exciting to learn what people want and perceive about mobility issues."
Under the slogan "Munich. Mobility 2025", three lively podium discussions were conducted in Stachus Passage, presented in detail by development engineers, automobile experts and research representatives from EDAG. In the first round of talks, automotive expert Björn Habegger and innovation driver for software solutions Heiko Herchet from EDAG showed how exciting and essential a subject "mobility for tomorrow's urban population" is. We all have to deal with data. And not just on our smartphones. All over our city landscape, sensors are in place that capture noise, emissions, the traffic situation, weather conditions and movements. But who do these data belong to and who uses them?
As experts in tomorrow's mobility, Bavaria Parkgaragen Managing Director Claus Schnell and future city designer Steffen Braun from Fraunhofer IAO posed questions in the second podium discussion on the theme of "The car of the future in the city of the future." What will we actually get up to in our spare time, if we all drive autonomous cars? Who will be responsible for accidents in the future: the driver, the car or the manufacturer?
The series of podium discussions was rounded off by HR management expert Simone Dappert, Human Wealth Managing Director Rainer Brune and other future work gurus . The audience were given answers to the difficult complex issues of work 4.0, women in technical professions and the requirements of generation Y.
The three podium discussions highlighted which mobility, automobile and traffic scenarios already await us in the near future.
As a visible symbol of the changed mobile world , Wiesbaden development provider EDAG showcased its concept car "EDAG Light Cocoon" - a car with a printed and fabric-covered chassis, which demonstrates that tomorrow's cars can not only be produced differently but can also be designed considerably more easily . The highlight was back-lighting technology that makes the skeleton-like, organic structure visible, which lit up Stachus Passage.
Visitors were also able to dive into the networked world of tomorrow's car with "virtual reality glasses". Visualisation specialists from the Feynsinn team - an EDAG Group brand - enabled the people of Munich to experience how the car in autonomous driving mode helps drivers to use their driving time more efficiently. In future, the car will become a second office or a second home in which you can access your private and business data, work, conduct video conferences or connect your "smart car" to your "smart home."
With its impressive and vivid presentation in the centre of Munich, EDAG brought its competence and passion for future mobility to a wider public with a look behind the scenes at the exciting future of car development.