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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: Suppliers gear up for self-driving car revolution Want... Several high-end car brands have announced plans to invest in the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs), or self-driving cars, and begin selling thesm from 2016, Beijing's Economic Observer reports. In China, Xu Heyi, chair of Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC Group), announced recently that the company's first driverless car will debut at the Beijing Auto Show next year. In addition to the current trend towards electric vehicles, autonomous cars are also expected to play a major role in the evolution of the automobile industry, the report said, adding that a major concern is how long it will take for the public to get on board. Citing a report issued by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on the industry, the Economic Observer said the market may take 20 years to mature because its evolution is not only related to the development of autonomous cars themselves but to transportation infrastructure and the operations of vehicle assembly plants. The advent of autonomous vehicles raises urgent technical, social, and regulatory questions for OEMs, suppliers, infrastructure operators, regulators and the public at large that must be addressed before self-driving cars can hit the roads, according to the report. Automobile assembly plants should first define their position in the evolution, either as a pioneer or a follower, said Thomas Dauner, head of BCG's global automotive practice. Dauner also said high-tech companies are expected to be the biggest beneficiary in the market, while manufacturers could face unprecedented challenges. The consulting firm said it expected a 12%-13% global penetration of autonomous features by 2025, representing a market for these features worth around US$42 billion. That market could expand to US$77 billion by 2035, according to the report. The widespread adoption of AVs will be as radical a change the auto industry has seen since the introduction of the assembly line and will confer tremendous benefits on society, according to the report. Poster Comment: AVs open the door to groups of commuters jointly purchasing a self-driving car and programming it to pick them up to commute to work, go camping etc. Would thus save on capital and operating costs. Group could have two vehicles to allow for one being serviced. Be competition to Uber, that is if this car-ride sharing company doesn't glom onto this idea first. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top Page Up Full Thread Page Down Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
Count on amerikans to mfg and snap these up way before they're ready for prime time. My only hope is that somebody invents an AV detector so I can stay out of their way. Guess that means no more walks through town.
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