Daimler Also Aiming for Self-Driving Cars by 2020
Following in the footsteps of other automakers such as Nissan, BMW and GM, Mercedes parent company Daimler has announced that it plans to have a self-driving vehicle available by 2020.
What’s bigger news, however, is that the German automaker wants the claim of being the first to launch autonomous functions in production vehicles. Development chief Thomas Weber boasted that Daimler will accomplish that in this decade.
SEE ALSO: Continental, Google, IBM Team up on Autonomous Cars
Daimler is focusing on highly automated driving technologies in which its vehicles master situations such as cruising on the highway or maneuvering through traffic jams on their own. In difficult situations such as traffic lights or urban city driving, the vehicle would give control back to the driver. While that’s not a fully-autonomous vehicle, that sort of technology could ease its way on the market better with more general consumer acceptance.
Research and development on autonomous vehicles have been picking up steam thanks to the success of Google’s fleet of self-driving cars. Automakers are working in combination with major technology corporations in order to make the technology a reality in the coming years.
[Source: Automotive News Europe]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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