It's a futuristic vision of urban mobility that has been unveiled by The Urban Collëctif, the name of the partnership through which three French players of international stature - Accor, Citroën and JC Decaux - intend to "bring together the best in urban mobility". putting pleasure back at the heart of urban travel. "Although they are still only concepts that prefigure the journeys of tomorrow in major cities, the first products of this partnership invite you to travel through them in an autonomous vehicle, sometimes comfortably installed in a sort of top-of-the-range hotel lounge, sometimes rowing around in a design cocoon dedicated to fitness, or even taking a seat in a revamped double-decker bus.
The idea for this partnership, which came about when the heads of these major companies met at the 2019 Vivatech trade show, is part of a new, more responsible approach to urban mobility. Tomorrow's solutions todayand collectively. " Mobility has to change. By working together, we can challenge the future." says Damien Perrot, Global SVP Design Multibrands at Accor, and the combination of these three big names has led Isabelle Mari, Director of Strategic Projects at JCDecaux, to say " that open innovation is not just about start-ups" . These companies have embarked on an open-ended process based on an open-source model called Citroën Autonomous Mobility, combining a technological mobility solution with a range of services.
Within this framework, each of the players contributes its own expertise, starting with that of the car manufacturer for the basis of this concept, The Citroën Skate. This autonomous mobility platform is equipped with all the technology needed to travel on lanes dedicated to autonomous mobility at a speed of 25 km/h. Equipped with four large wheels, as round as footballs, it is mainly electric and can be recharged by induction, enabling it to operate almost continuously.
This is where high-tech chassis which can be docked with pods dedicated to different services and uses. All in less than 10 minutes. " By imagining an autonomous, electric fleet of The Citroën Skate and Pods to meet targeted needs (...), mobility is being reinvented and improved, both collectively, because it is shared, and individually." describes the collective. As we have seen, the concept is open source, an infinite number of Pods can be envisaged in the future Possible uses include absorbing peaks in demand for transport at peak times or offering solutions at night or during off-peak periods, as well as providing mobile, local services such as a doctor's surgery, a food dispenser or a food truck.
Partners of Citroën, JC Decaux and Accor have already given three examples. JC Decaux, the world leader in urban outdoor advertising, has designed a Pod for urban transport. Taking its cue from street furniture, the JCDecaux City Provider can carry up to five people in a vehicle divided into two areas, one protected from the weather by a canopy and the other glazed and illuminated. This mode of transport can be shared by several passengers, in the same way as Uber does with its Uber Pools, but is also designed for families and people with reduced mobility or visual impairments. USB ports and two interactive screens providing information on the city and its cultural events enhance the experience, while optimising journey times. "The cell offers its occupants the best route between departure and destination pointsthanks to the intelligence of autonomous technology" he added.
Accor's design teams - including Emmanuelle Simon and Federico Toresi for design, Joao Rocco for customer experience and Emlyn Brown, Pullman's 'wellness guru' - have come up with two Pods, two concepts in line with the French group's ambition for enhanced hospitality. The Sofitel en Voyage Pod makes it possible to rethink welcoming passengers at the station or airport or when you're out and about in town, going to restaurants or shopping.
" As soon as you step off the train, you'll feel right at home in the hotel, says Damien Perrot, in charge of design for the hotel group. It's clear that the world we live in matches the brand's positioning, between luxury and the french touchIt features a haute couture body made up of almost a thousand pieces of laser-cut marquetry and a warm, velvety blood orange interior. A code sent in advance is used to open the sliding door, a compartment that opens from the outside and can accommodate two pieces of cabin luggage.
Inside, there's a bar with a bottle of champagne to keep the party going. personalised welcomeThe vehicle is autonomous, and therefore driverless, so two or three people can sit on the bench, as if on a café terrace, watching the cityscape go by while chatting, working and relaxing. As the vehicle is autonomous, and therefore driverless, two or three people can sit on the bench seat, as if on a café terrace, watching the cityscape go by while chatting, working or relaxing.
The Podman Power Fitness, on the other hand, is a much more sporty way of optimising travel time. Adapting the top-of-the-range brand's fitness programme to urban mobility, this Pod enables you to get around town while taking advantage of the time to ride a bike or row a rowing machine. A sort of futuristic bubble, glazed but intimate, the Pullman Power Fitness uses light and sound to create relaxing or active sports sessions, all under the guidance of a digital coach via a holographic screen. The effort you put in also recharges the Citroën Skate's batteries. But don't worry, future users won't need to pedal to move forward!
However, it will not be necessary to be a guest of an Accor hotel to be able to take advantage of these new services, if and when they are introduced, between 2025 and 2030. " The aim is to offer new services not only to our customers, but also to city dwellers, who will be able to book them. to go to the restaurant or to do some sport on the way to the office" Damien Perrot, who already sees other possible variations on this concept: " Why not a karaoke pod with Ibis or a coworking pod with Wojo? "A certain idea of urban mobility that should appeal to millennials.
