Self-driving vehicle have become a hot topic in recent years. Also known as autonomous driving, American electrical vehicle company Tesla has been pushing the idea for years, with the technology already being incorporated and being seen on the road in certain Tesla vehicles. However, Chinese company BYD is hot on the heels of Tesla, offering their own competitive version of self-driving technology.
Autonomous driving: The future of automobiles?
Self-driving cars have been conceptualized for years, even long before the technology became viable. Part of the draw to self-driving vehicle is that they offer increased convenience and safety for drivers. Commuting takes up a large part of many working people’s day. If we could get fully, self-driving autonomous vehicles, the time you could save would be gamechanger. Instead of needing to pay attention to the road and remain alert, you could be saving time by doing other things while commuting at the same time.
If all cars were also self-driving, it would greatly reduce the human error associated with car accidents. If all vehicles were programmed exactly the same way to adhere to traffic and driving laws, it stands to reason that accidents would cease to exist on the road. However, it is important to note that this would only work if every single vehicle on the road was fitted with an autonomous driving system, and no human had an influence on the car’s driving.
New autonomous driving system from BYD
BYD, a major Chinese electrical vehicle company, recently announced their new self-driving system which the company plans to integrate into all of their models. Dubbed “God’s Eye”, the new driving assistance program can control a vehicle’s steering and speed under the right circumstances. Unlike Tesla’s autonomous driving system which comes at an additional cost to consumers, BYD plans on making implementing the technology for free, with all their models automatically being manufactured with the system fitted in.
However, the new system will be tiered. More expensive and luxury vehicles will be fitted with the company’s more high-end and advanced version of the autonomous driving system. At the most advanced end of the spectrum, God’s Eye uses three LiDAR sensors to drive the vehicle. The lowest tier, named DiPilot 100, will use a camera and radar system and will only be able to Navigate-on-autopilot (NOA) on freeways as opposed to the more higher tiers which can NOA on freeways and inner-city streets. However, BYD has said that they will eventually incorporate city-navigation into the lowest tier’s features.
A new competitor for Tesla
American electric car company Tesla has been advancing their own self-driving vehicle systems for years. Their standard autonomous self-driving system, dubbed Autopilot, is equipped into all of their vehicles. However, Tesla cautions drivers that Autopilot is still to be used with high alertness from drivers as the system does not make the vehicle fully autonomous. The main functions of Autopilot is their traffic-aware cruise control system and autosteer.
Unlike Autopilot, their more advanced autonomous driving system comes at an additional cost to the consumer. Known as Full Self-Driving, this autonomous driving system includes the following additional features according to Tesla’s website:
- Navigate on Autopilot
- Auto Lane Change
- Autopark
- Dumb Summon
- Actually Smart Summon
- Autosteer on City Streets
- Traffic and Stop Sign Control
However, Tesla has come into constant friction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over crashes involving Tesla while using the autonomous driving systems. Certain law makers have also challenged Tesla in the past over its implementation of autonomous driving, citing the technology is just not ready to be implemented on the roads yet. Currently, the NHTSA is investigating specific Tesla models and their autonomous driving features. Tesla would be wise to improve the safety of their autonomous driving systems as BYD is poised to become a fierce competitor if their self-driving assistance proves to be more reliable and safer for drivers.
