How autonomous cars pose a threat to airlines

Car companies have always given their designers and engineers a great degree of freedom to dream when they aren't working directly on a new production model. Since its major revival under Chinese owner Zhejiang Geely Holding, Volvo's design and engineering teams have had little time to dream. The end result is a vision of marrying advances in autonomous driving and motoring to offer an alternative to short-haul flights. True, it has always been the case that taking the car has been an option for European and US travellers, but not in the way conceived by Volvo's 360c. At the unveiling of the vehicle at the headquarters of Volvo Cars in Gothenburg, senior management explained that the auto industry is still unsure where autonomous driving is heading, but the conversation needed to start.