Self-Driving Cars Is Not Impossible

Self-Driving Cars Is Not Impossible - CEO Tesla Motors Elon Musk, in publishing an update to authorize his company's electric cars to creep in and out of parking spaces without a driver, He said in a conference call with reporters over the weekend that he thinks the technology for full self-driving cars will be available in 24 to 36 months. And others, like Toyota North American CEO Jim Lentz, say they aren't worried about bustling the capability until they know for sure it's tested and ready. If there's one message to come out of big auto show here, it's that automakers are putting the pedal to the metal when it comes to self-driving cars. And they may come even sooner than earlier predictions, at least the early ones that will require drivers to stay alert, not zone out.

The march toward a car that frees drivers from the controls is coming in baby steps. Automakers developed systems that automatically steer straying cars back into their lanes, keep pace with the car in front of them, make emergency stops for hazards like other cars, people or animals, and lately, make their own lane changes. Self-driving cars will come as those technologies are tied together. It will happen, but not overnight.

The global chairman of Volkswagen Group’s Audi, Rupert Stadler, said the luxury brand has already taken steps to integrate driver-assistance systems in vehicles such as the Q7 sport-utility vehicle and A4 sedan.

To that end, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says he is impressed at the progression of quality in cameras and sensors in self-driving cars in just the past year. "I saw a lot of improvement," he said about his rides in the cars. He adds that Nissan is still on track to offer an autonomous car by 2020, the deadline he set for the company.

For most people, their first ride in a driverless car probably won't come in one that's their own. General Motors President Dan Ammann told the Automotive News World Congress on Tuesday that early customers  will “naturally” be ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft. That prediction prompted GM’s recent $500 million investment in Lyft, which will coordinate with GM on a play to roll out self-driving vehicles. At this point, nothing is standing in the way of the self-driving car.