Autonomous vehicles have been the biggest buzz in the auto industry for several years, but recent crashes have brought sensationalist tabloid headlines, too. Where does the truth lie, and when will self-driving cars become reality? A Ricardo whitepaper takes a deep dive into the whole complex subject and comes up with some surprising answers.
Indeed, it is worth asking why there is such a sense of urgency. Why are these connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) suddenly top of everyone’s priority list? What are the drivers behind this sudden shift in thinking? These are among the questions addressed in a White Paper just published by Ricardo. Entitled “The automation revolution coming to mobility and transport by 2025”, the report warns in no uncertain terms that “CAVs are coming a lot faster than many observers expect.”
DRIVERS FOR AUTOMATION
One of the most frequently cited reasons for the promotion of automated vehicles is that of safety. Vehicles driven by computers don’t get tired, distracted or impatient, it is argued. Another potential benefit, more easily demonstrated, is that vehicles under the control of optimised route planning and powertrain efficiency software will be more environmentally friendly than those piloted by erratic humans.
And while in the short term automated vehicles themselves may not do much to relieve inner-city congestion, they will at least allow their drivers to make more productive use of their time in the car. Longer term, too, widespread automation of the vehicle parc could help speed-up journey times by coordinating traffic flows and preventing overloading of particular routes, much as air traffic control networks already do for commercial aviation.
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