Auto Pilot

Self-driving cars are on the way

Did you know autonomous minivans are already on the road in Japan? Get a sneak peek at electric cars capable of driving completely by themselves, coming soon to a road near you.

Congrats to Kathy K. — she won an energy-saving TaoTronics LED desk lamp for her great comment about the story! Stay tuned for more chances to win!

 

 

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COMMENTS

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  1. Jill said:

    Can’t wait

    at 2:04 pm on June 1, 2017
  2. Cara Lee Mahany Braithwait said:

    The energy industry was initially built around transportation–electric rail etc–think about WE’s headquarters. So maybe, while a 100 years later, transportation will once again serve as the platform to accelerate market demand and use for renewables and a more efficient grid and distribution system–all leading to a cleaner economy–use more, but emit less!

    at 2:07 pm on June 1, 2017
  3. Katie said:

    Crazy how technology is always changing and updating!

    at 2:07 pm on June 1, 2017
  4. Shel said:

    Super Cool, bring it on!!

    at 2:13 pm on June 1, 2017
  5. Chris Z said:

    thank you tesla

    at 2:22 pm on June 1, 2017
  6. Ria said:

    pretty amazing!

    at 2:23 pm on June 1, 2017
  7. John Lombardo said:

    I look forward to being on the road with autonomous drivers that won’t be compromised by road rage, impairment, inexperience, distractions or poor judgement.

    The advantage of convenience is secondary to safety.

    at 2:23 pm on June 1, 2017
  8. Bart Schley said:

    It is unbelievable how the pace of technology is moving in regards to autonomous vehicles. What a concept?! Your car will drive while you relax or while you work. Truly allows a driver to multitask!

    at 2:26 pm on June 1, 2017
  9. Debbie Blackburn said:

    That is so awesome!

    at 2:38 pm on June 1, 2017
  10. Sheila said:

    cool i would love to have one

    at 2:47 pm on June 1, 2017
  11. Jay said:

    This is both further off, and closer, than some people think. First off, there is some pre-requisite infrastructure that needs to happen, like decently visible lane markings – that is already an issue with the limited automation available in my 2017 vehicle. Add to that issues of visibility during bad weather (particularly snow) when lane markings aren’t visible at all (and in a moving vehicle, GPS is not sufficiently accurate to do the job). Yet another problem would be construction zones. So, what works fine in a well marked city with a warm, dry climate will not always work elsewhere. The list goes on – and never mind the added cost in the vehicle for the sensors, and associated maintenance and upkeep. So, I see autonomous *assist* in increasingly widespread use, but I think it will be more than 10 years before we see a significant percentage of ordinary vehicles being used in a fully autonomous way.

    at 2:48 pm on June 1, 2017
  12. John Otterson said:

    Really cool concept! That Nissan model with the fold away steering wheel and dash folds away so much it looks like you are in a lounge room or something.

    at 2:57 pm on June 1, 2017
  13. Cheri Salmon said:

    My aging parents hope this happens sooner rather than later.. what a sense of freedom for drivers!

    at 2:57 pm on June 1, 2017
  14. Maggie Becker said:

    This is going to be so great!

    at 3:23 pm on June 1, 2017
  15. Patricia A Prime said:

    So wild that electric goes so well with auto pilot!

    at 3:30 pm on June 1, 2017
  16. Tara Jenkins said:

    Pretty neat! Thinking how safe people would feel knowing that a drunk driver could get home safely without hurting others.

    at 3:45 pm on June 1, 2017
  17. Val S. said:

    I like the concept, but don’t trust the human drivers that are also on the roads!

    at 3:46 pm on June 1, 2017
  18. Larry Sperling said:

    It’s one thing to hear about electric cars but to see all of these potential autonomous features is a real eye-opener. I do wonder how such vehicles can make road judgments based on bad weather like snow, ice, heavy rains, wind and fog. Nevertheless, this is fascinating technology.

    at 3:56 pm on June 1, 2017
  19. Tom Yager said:

    Very exciting & hopefully much safer!
    Big implications for society…

    at 4:10 pm on June 1, 2017
  20. Jill R. said:

    I’m looking forward to a car that can do an autonomous kayak shuttle!

    at 4:40 pm on June 1, 2017
  21. Cathleen S. said:

    I really like the idea of autonomy, but it would be hard to imagine relaxing in a car with the steering wheel folded up and the electronics making all the necessary decisions based on road conditions, weather, etc. It has to work perfectly.

    at 6:02 pm on June 1, 2017
  22. Jane Greischar said:

    Autonomous cars would certainly lessen for me the lack of rail travel in the US. I have often dreamed of cars jumping on to a conveyance system so no driving would be needed. Theses new cars seem to offer that knd of freedom from driving while using the current roadways. Definitely cool!

    at 6:38 pm on June 1, 2017
  23. Eunice Peterson said:

    The phone nuts will love it because they can
    spend even more time on their phones. Does this mean no more
    tailgating.

    at 6:58 pm on June 1, 2017
  24. Sarah said:

    I would love to not have to drive.

    at 8:59 pm on June 1, 2017
  25. Norris said:

    Having just purchased a plug-in hybrid with many of the features mentioned in the video, I am 100% in favor of the driverless trend. Go electric! Go driverless!

    at 9:34 pm on June 1, 2017
  26. Jesse said:

    This is awesome! I can’t wait for autonomous cars to go mainstream. I was surprised not to see Tesla mentioned in this video as they are closest to bringing autonomous vehicles to the public.

    at 9:36 pm on June 1, 2017
  27. Robert A. Bean said:

    As I am 85 now I will be happy to have all the assisted computer help I can get. My wife is a good co-Pilot to help me drive safely, but she also takes naps while I drive so I need the computer assists. There are so many distractions also while driving that I am surprised that there are not many more accidents. I look forward to the future when we all use a fewer number of cars because we will just have to order from the “pool” of vehicles our needs …type of vehicle, time, destination, etc. The way things change so fast these days, maybe some of this will happen even in my lifetime remaining. If we all have “Active Hope” for a safer transportation system we can leave a better world for the next generation!

    at 4:04 am on June 2, 2017
  28. Nicole Miller said:

    We bought a Subaru Impreza this year and it came with EyeSight driver assist technology. I was surprised by how intuitive it feels–to have this extra “help” on the road. In particular, the adaptive cruise control is great.

    at 6:36 am on June 2, 2017
  29. Joseph said:

    Thanks for keeping us up to date on the latest technology.

    at 6:50 am on June 2, 2017
  30. Renee Meiller said:

    I loved the peek inside the autonomous vehicle of the future! Do you know that Wisconsin is one of several “proving grounds” around the country for self-driving vehicles? The effort has several partners; you can learn more here: http://wiscav.org/ Thank you!

    at 7:06 am on June 2, 2017
  31. Harry Harrison said:

    This has the additional benefit of making bike accidents less frequent. So many car/bike accidents result from the driver not seeing the bike and adjusting for it’s slower speed. Go green technology!

    at 9:16 am on June 2, 2017
  32. Jeanne Gomoll said:

    I am so excited about this technology. As a person of a certain age, I am hopeful that when I need to stop driving, self-driving cars will make mobility possible and extend the years of my independance.

    at 9:46 am on June 2, 2017
  33. Barb said:

    I’d like this idea compared to a completely useable public transportation system.

    at 12:30 pm on June 2, 2017
  34. Kathy K said:

    It’s amazing how quickly this technology is coming into the market – and terrific to know that it works better with electric vehicles (which can then accelerate our transition away from oil). Self-driving vehicles give you the autonomy of a personal vehicle without all the driver risks…I can see how this will gain market share quickly!

    at 1:15 pm on June 2, 2017
  35. RIchard said:

    Everyone knows that being able to drive is a kind of freedom, and that for most folks as they get on into their later years, there is the increased chance that they may lose that freedom sooner or later. As a middle-aged adult with the back third of my life ahead of me, I’m thrilled that I will be able to maintain that freedom of movement well into my senior years!

    at 3:52 pm on June 2, 2017
  36. Jan said:

    Wow! It seems a safer way to travel. I’d feel safer if all the cars around me on the road were autonomous.

    at 7:03 pm on June 2, 2017
  37. Laura said:

    It looks equal parts promising and alarming.

    at 7:03 pm on June 2, 2017
  38. Becky Kordahl said:

    This is a big win for safety on the roads. Hope it is an affordable option.

    at 6:09 am on June 3, 2017
  39. Cody Kastorff said:

    I’m happy to see this progressing as this will make our world that much safer!

    at 10:22 pm on June 4, 2017
  40. Florence Lederman said:

    I’m really impressed. Watching this video, learning of the safety of self-driving cars, has made me a believer in them.

    at 2:47 pm on June 6, 2017
  41. Michael Bryant said:

    I love the fact that more and more auto makers are turning out EV. I’m hoping the power companies keep pace by turning out more charging stations to support them. Thanks for sharing the video. The future is bright.

    at 4:19 pm on June 6, 2017
  42. Joe Monfr said:

    Go Green.

    at 10:35 am on June 8, 2017

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