Swedish car manufacturer Volvo is planning a future in which owners of self-driving vehicles will be able to sit back and enjoy a movie on Netflix during their daily commute.



The company’s Concept 26 model, unveiled in November at the LA Auto Show, features a huge retractable screen – built into the dashboard and swivelling into place like something out of a James Bond movie – that will allow car users to kick back and stream their favourite media.

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According to the Verge, Volvo is now working with communications company Ericsson to develop software designed around streaming services. The technology will allow its future cars to recognise users’ viewing preferences and download film and TV episodes in order to avoid interruptions in areas with no signal coverage. The onboard computer will even choose its route home to accommodate car owners who would rather spend an extra five minutes on the road if it means catching the end of Django Unchained before pulling into the driveway.

“The car will know how long the journey needs to take and can optimise the route and driving control accordingly,” Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz, head of the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center, told the technology site. “With our future autonomous drive technology, we will provide people with the freedom to choose the way they would like to commute.”

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Volvo is aiming to test 100 of its “autonomous” cars on public roads around Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2017, with the vehicles operated by untrained members of the public. The manufacturer claims its Drive Me system is capable of handling a range of driving conditions including “smooth commuting to heavy traffic and emergency situations”, although its test roads will be without pedestrians, cyclists or oncoming traffic.

The pilot forms part of Volvo’s ambitious plan for a future in which no one is seriously injured or killed in one of its cars from 2020, which the company says is only possible by integrating automated technology.