Self-driving cars are getting more and more sophisticated by the day. Despite recent news about autonomous cars failing, many automakers are in the race to develop a successful, safe autonomous car. Audi has thrown its hat in the mix as well with its fully self-driving car based on the Aicon Concept Car, and it will hit the roads in 2021. Read on to know more.
Is it any different? Oh, it's completely different!
Talking about the car, The Aicon Concept was revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show. Now, the USP of the Aicon is that it's a fully electric self-driving car and has no steering wheel or control pedals whatsoever! Yep, the car is, in a true sense, an autonomous vehicle which requires no human input (you cannot take control even if you want to). This car is right out of a sci-fi movie. Everything here is controlled by voice, gestures, and touch.
The future is almost here
According to Audi, it envisions a future where the vehicle can be hailed for commuting in busy urban environments. Since there is no manual option to override the autonomy, Aicon's initial pilot fleet will be tested in environments with highly detailed maps in 2021. However, we have no news of where the fleet will be tested and at what capacity. If all works well and the test-run is successful, we can expect the car to reach the dealers by the middle of the next decade.
Who else is in the race?
Currently, Waymo is leading the pack, as the company plans to start commercial ride-hailing service later this year. Waymo will serve an area of 100 square miles in Phoenix, Arizona, and the cars will be on their own all the time. To remind you, Arizona suspended Uber's self-driving car testing after a pedestrian fatality. Will Waymo be allowed to start commercial services in the same state? We are not very sure.
Our Take
The Aicon is arguably the most advanced car conceptualized till date and is not some random car with a futuristic design and no practicality. For the self-driving technology, Audi and the entire VAG family is working with Aurora Innovation. Aurora is a company based out of the U.S. and was founded by the engineers who previously worked for Waymo, Uber, and Tesla on the self-driving technology. We don't mean to startle you, but all the three companies mentioned have had their share of 'bad luck' with autonomy at some point in time. With that in mind, can we expect the Aicon to be safer? We can only hope. However, to achieve complete success of products like the Aicon, humans will have to be banned from driving. (We hear you, fellow driving-enthusiasts). What are your thoughts on the Audi Aicon? Let us know in the comments section below.
References
Read our full review on the 2017 Audi Aicon Concept.
Read more Audi news.
Read more autonomous cars news.