Self-drive cars are just around the corner

THERE could be lots of vehicles that drive themselves on highways or take over in traffic jams by 2017, according to Boston Consulting Group.

And the market for such autonomous cars could hit $42billion (about R490-billion) by 2025.

Self-drive cars, using technology available in many luxury vehicles now, would be able to navigate busy city streets by 2022, and may account for a quarter of car sales worldwide by 2035, the firm said this week, citing industry interviews and consumer surveys.

It said Japan and western Europe would probably adopt the technology first.

“Many people don’t realise how far along some of these technologies are,” said Xavier Mosquet, North America leader of the Boston-based firm’s automotive practice, who heads up its Detroit office.

“Even more surprising, consumer interest and the production costs will make autonomous vehicles highly attractive to both car makers and their customers.”

Ford Motor Co CEO Fields said this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that a manufacturer would probably introduce a self- driving vehicle within half a decade, but it wouldn’t be his company, which was focusing on less expensive features that assisted in driving.

General Motors said in September it would introduce hands-free driving technology on a Cadillac in two years.

The F 015 Mercedes-Benz self-driving concept car, shown in Las Vegas this week, has four seats, including the driver’s, that can face each other, rather than the road. Six screens enable passengers to monitor information using technology that responds to eye movements and gestures.

Mercedes already sells a system that can pilot a car on the freeway as long as the driver keeps a hand on the steering wheel. Tesla Motors plans to offer hands-free highway driving in Model S electric cars this year.

In a September survey of 1 500 US drivers, more than half said they were likely or very likely to buy a partially selfdriving car within about five years, with 44% saying they probably would buy a fully autonomous car in a decade, Boston Consulting said.

The technology may also lead to self-drive taxis that would be cheaper to operate and ease congestion. — Bloomberg