Rinspeed Budii autonomous city car to debut in Geneva

Rinspeed, the eccentric Swiss car designer and manufacturer, has a history of debuting interesting concept cars at motor shows, and here's the latest - the Rinspeed Budii.

Set to draw crowds at the Geneva Motor Show in March, this new concept is an electric city car that happens to be both driverless and have full manual control. 

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Bearing more than a little resemblance to BMW's electric i3, the Rinspeed Budii is dubbed by the firm as a "robotic friend on wheels". The car has an 'autopilot' mode adapting to the preferences of the individual driver, and gives them the choice to relax while the car tackles a city commute itself.

But at the flick of a switch, a steering wheel mounted on a swivelling robotic arm is revealed from the middle of the dash, allowing either of the front seat passengers to take control and drive manually. Unlike a number of autonomous concepts we've seen, such as Google's driverless car, the choice remains for those who still enjoy driving themselves.

Other details remain scarce, but we know the Budii will be powered purely by an electric motor. The concept is unlikely to see production for a number of years, but more details will be available at the Geneva show in March 2015.

Do you think the ability to also drive manually is important for autonomous vehicles? Let us know in the comments below...