• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Sections A-Z
    • Agriculture
    • Aircraft
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Automation
    • Autonomous vehicles
    • Business
    • Computing
    • Construction
    • Design
    • Drones
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Engineering
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial robots
    • Industry
    • Infrastructure
    • Investments
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Marine
    • Material handling
    • Materials
    • Mining
    • Promoted
    • Research
    • Robotics
    • Science
    • Sensors
    • Service robots
    • Software
    • Space
    • Technology
    • Transportation
    • Warehouse robots
    • Wearables
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • AMD Xilinx
    • BlueBotics
    • Elite Robot
    • RGo Robotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
Dirk Lappe, technical director, Porsche

Porsche CEO rejects autonomous cars, but his tech director’s comments suggest interest

February 18, 2016 by Abdul Montaqim

porsche mission e
The Porsche Mission E, the company’s first all-electric model, scheduled for launch at the end of the decade
Luxury sports car maker Porsche could be going past a big road sign that says “This way to driverless car technology” without even slowing down because the man in the driving seat is steadfastly keeping his machine on a path which has a long tradition, stretching back to the very earliest days of motoring.

Oliver Blume is not alone among high-end car company bosses in feeling something of a mixture of indifference and incredulity at the current wave of interest in and development of driverless car technology.

The Porsche CEO is adamant the company has no plans to build an autonomous car, saying: “One wants to drive a Porsche by oneself. An iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road.”

The company does, however, incorporate some vehicle automation technology into its cars, but Blume’s statement seems to sound like an emphatic “no” to going full speed and joining the artificial intelligence-driven race towards a fully autonomous car. He even said the idea of a driverless Porsche was like a “Rolex for boiling eggs”.

Must be some sort of German proverb. Not sure I understand.

Dr._Oliver_Blume_CEO_Porsche_AG

Anyway, Blume’s comments are slightly at odds with remarks made by the company’s chief technical director, Dirk Lappe, who seems to be yearning for the company to go in the autonomous direction.

Lappe spoke at length about his vision of autonomous driving technology, saying that he sees it as central to the objective of making cars more environmentally friendly, which seems to be important to him.

“Many people immediately think of autonomous driving when they think of the car of the future,” says Lappe. “I would like to point out that the car of the future will always be strongly influenced by environmental concerns and the imperative to reduce CO2 emissions, and will require massive investments and substantial efforts on the part of us engineers.”

Sounds like a pitch to the boss for more funds for autonomous car development.

Lappe goes on about saving the world: “Future vehicles will have energy consumption values that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago and comprise smart concepts that utilize renewable energies in appropriate ways for individual mobility.

“It is also important to bear in mind that mobility cannot be separated from deliberations on the environment and energy in general, but must be an integral part of the overall global strategy for decarbonization. From this point of view, autonomous driving is, to my mind, more of an application in the context of smart mobility concepts that contributes to CO2 reduction, but not an end in itself.”

Dirk Lappe, technical director, Porsche
Dirk Lappe, technical director, Porsche

Then he gets back to autonomous cars again. “The new mobility services being announced in Silicon Valley that will allegedly flow from the advent of autonomous vehicles, or potentially changing business models due to new players emerging as competition to the conventional automotive industry, are, for now, either of secondary importance, or indeed counter-productive, in resolving the CO2 problem.”

And he dreams about the interiors. “The interior of the car of the future will look different. The interior will be designed to enable both autonomous and non-autonomous driving. The operating concept will change radically.

“Even steering wheels will look different than they do today and will fulfill additional functions. New types of user interfaces are just around the corner. We’re prepared for this and are massively expanding our software capabilities.”

And he speaks about connectivity, an essential feature of autonomous cars. “We at Porsche Engineering want to play our part in making the future better and more sustainable,” he opines. “Everyone will be moving around significantly more efficiently than today. That applies both to the consumption and emissions of the vehicles, but also to a more pleasant travel experience thanks to the connectivity of the vehicles.”

But then instead of being controversial and perhaps challenging the boss, Lappe holds out an olive branch, saying that he too believes that human drivers want to drive their own cars. “There will continue to be areas in which autonomous driving makes little sense or the human simply does not want to have the external control element.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: News Tagged With: autonomous, blume, car, driverless, driverless cars, driving, lappe, mobility, oliver blume, porsche, smart mobility, vehicle automation, vehicles

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • ICON sees 20 percent production boost and 40 percent cost reduction through Formic robotics
  • Dexterity releases new version of robotic palletizing software
  • FPT Software partners with Viessmann to establish itself in Asia
  • Horizon and Wind River partner to develop autonomous vehicle solutions
  • LK Metrology launches new range of robotic measuring arms
  • FireFly Automatix launches ‘first’ commercially available autonomous electric mower
  • Cumberland community group launches autonomous shuttle pilot program
  • SoftBank and Symbotic establish new ‘warehouse-as-a-service’ joint venture
  • FAA approves Reliable Robotics’ autonomous flight certification plan
  • Exploring Innovations at Virginia Tech: A Glimpse into the Future

Most Read

  • Snapchat Plus Planet Order 2023 Explained
    Snapchat Plus Planet Order 2023 Explained
  • How to Track a Phone Number on Google Maps
    How to Track a Phone Number on Google Maps
  • Why is Money Important in Our Lives?
    Why is Money Important in Our Lives?
  • The Future of Personal Computers: What to Expect in the Next Decade
    The Future of Personal Computers: What to Expect in the Next Decade
  • CEVA Logistics adds 57 Exotec Skypod robots to two of its logistics centres
    CEVA Logistics adds 57 Exotec Skypod robots to two of its logistics centres
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Sarcos and Blattner develop autonomous robotic solar construction system
    Sarcos and Blattner develop autonomous robotic solar construction system
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Rocsys raises €33 million for its robotic electric vehicle charging system
    Rocsys raises €33 million for its robotic electric vehicle charging system
  • SoftBank and Symbotic establish new ‘warehouse-as-a-service’ joint venture
    SoftBank and Symbotic establish new ‘warehouse-as-a-service’ joint venture

Overused words

ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile operations platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse work

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • ICON sees 20 percent production boost and 40 percent cost reduction through Formic robotics
  • Dexterity releases new version of robotic palletizing software
  • FPT Software partners with Viessmann to establish itself in Asia
  • Horizon and Wind River partner to develop autonomous vehicle solutions
  • LK Metrology launches new range of robotic measuring arms
  • FireFly Automatix launches ‘first’ commercially available autonomous electric mower
  • Cumberland community group launches autonomous shuttle pilot program
  • SoftBank and Symbotic establish new ‘warehouse-as-a-service’ joint venture
  • FAA approves Reliable Robotics’ autonomous flight certification plan
  • Exploring Innovations at Virginia Tech: A Glimpse into the Future

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

February 2016
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
29  
« Jan   Mar »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT