Something is changing in the World of car manufacturers! Many innovations and strategical moves are occurring. A multitude of them is aiming to attain one target: a fully-efficient, preferably electric, connected autonomous car.
Self-driving cars are becoming a global market. Autonomy, regarding the car’s ability to move without the driver’s support, is at hand. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk it will be a reality by 2018 in the US as long as legislation follows.
KITT drivers by 2020
More than a simple technological progress self-driving cars represent a lot more. From a rational and philosophic point of view it means to give cars the ability to self-rule. “Autonomy” signifies from its Green roots the ability to be independent or to self-rule. Auto means "self" and nomos means "law." Autonomous cars are another step related to the development of society’s robotization.
The wheel will become just an accessory and we can all become KITT drivers, like in the famous television serie of the 80’s Knight Rider where the Knight Industries Two Thousand drove on its own and even could make rational decisions with its ultra-developed computer “brain”. Except in the future the range of KITT cars won’t be limited to a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 1982, but extended to all brands and all car types (small, medium, SUVs or LCVs).
The day when machines gain more independency, are able to make decisions and execute them, is approaching fast in the car industry sector. Cars in the near future are going to decide for us what road to choose to optimize our trips by avoiding traffic or make more pleasant our family holidays by watching a movie instead of the highway. As car manufacturers’ technology investments show, autonomous cars are undeniably on their way and will be part of our reality from 2020 already.
Apple Car Store
Soon you might buy a car and a phone in just one shop!
Another important “detail” explaining why the car industry is investing in technology is fear. Not any fear, but the one to stay behind in a world where Silicon Valley companies aim to propose connected and autonomous vehicles also. Indeed, not only car-sharing leaders like Uber, but also Electronic and Internet giants like Apple and Google develop new concepts of cars. Apple’s “Titan” autonomous electric car concept is in development since 2014 and might be available, who knows, in an Apple store by 2020. An Apple team of 600 people are constantly working on project “Titan”.
Uber invests constantly in developing its worldwide network and add more drivers or users to it. This big World network will prove very useful to Uber once he wishes to make concrete its self-driving car plan.
Google developed and tests various autonomous vehicles projects for the last years in the roads of California.
Tesla sold 50,000 EVs worldwide in 2015 and bets on self-driving “green” vehicles by 2018 in the US. Mercedes-Benz is making considerable advances in intelligent driving. BMW, Audi, Ford and Volvo have also self-driving projects in development.
Company Drone fleets
During the CES 2016 was presented the first passenger drone by the Chinese company Ehang Inc. The drone is called Ehang “184”, can carry 100 kg for 23 minutes at a maximum speed of 100 Km/h and has air conditioning. This might be another indication of tomorrow’s fleet evolution. Perhaps we are going soon to see drones used instead of cars among companies’ fleet for small-distance trips. Once of course the appropriate legal contest is settled for drone-use.
Cars and Mobility are evolving fast towards self-ruling.