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Tech enthusiasts have been anticipating autonomous vehicles for years, but the forecast is mixed. Some experts say we’ll be able to ride in them by the end of 2021. Others say 2024. Of course, safety is the top concern as automakers work out the kinks. But where are self-driving cars being tested?You can already see them on these city streets.
Shenzhen, China
Up till now, human monitors have overseen autonomous cars just in case the vehicle gets off-track. Self-driving technology has proven that cars can rely on special sensors, algorithms, machine learning systems, and powerful processors to drive more precisely than drivers on the roads. Autonomous cars can:
- Accelerate, brake, and steer
- Follow traffic signs and lights
- Park themselves
- Navigate obstacles
With these capabilities, more than 100 “robotaxis” are being tested across China with human oversight. But Chinese car technology firm AutoX has announced that it’s launched a 25-car fleet of fully autonomous cars in Shenzhen, a city north of Hong Kong. They’re not available to the public, though. Only employees, investors, and other “private guests” can get rides.
Phoenix, Arizona
Google’s self-driving car arm, Waymo, appears to lead in its race to market. For the past year, it’s been testing its autonomous minivans in Phoenix. Why Phoenix? Well, the cars don’t have to deal with dramatically fluctuating weather conditions. Its streets are flat, generously wide, and well maintained. In short: the difficulty level is low.
But things are moving forward. A few weeks ago, Waymo opened its autonomous cars to the public. You can hail a ride from an app and ride in a fully driverless car. And you can feel fairly confident: its robotaxis took 100,000 trips last year.
Cupertino, California
Why Cupertino? Because of Apple, obviously. The company doesn’t settle for anything less than game-changing technology and it’s been working on its first car for years. It’ll be both completely electric and automated, with record-breaking battery life and what’s sure to be a distinctive exterior.
Tech detectives know that Cupertino is where their self-driving cars are being tested thanks to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The vehicles of “Project Titan” (the car’s not-so-secret name) drove almost 20,000 miles last year. By all accounts, Apple is still a few years away from unleashing Titan on the public. But since the company has poached several engineers from Tesla, its outlook is promising.
