Originally published on Gas2.
The world’s largest auto manufacturers and parts suppliers are banding together to bring self-driving cars to market as quickly as possible. The scope and complexity of the undertaking means it is more economical to combine forces rather that continue to work toward the goal separately. Bosch and Daimler have recently agreed to work together, and the heads of Porsche and Audi have announced their companies will work more closely together.
Bosch & Daimler
Bosch and Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes Benz, will work together to develop fully automated self-driving vehicles. They have formed a partnership to bring fully automated (Level 4) and driverless (Level 5) driving to urban roads by the beginning of the next decade. The objective is to develop the software and algorithms needed for autonomous driving systems.
The project combines the expertise of the world’s leading premium vehicle manufacturer with the system and hardware expertise of the world’s biggest automotive supplier to bring the benefits of self-driving vehicles to drivers as soon as possible. By introducing fully automated and driverless driving to the urban environment, Bosch and Daimler aim to improve the flow of traffic in cities, enhance safety on the road, and provide an important building block for the way traffic will work in the future.
Self-driving technology will make carsharing more attractive and allow people to make the best possible use of the time spent in their vehicles. It will also create new mobility opportunities for people without a driver’s licence or who are physically unable to drive a car. The primary objective of the project is to achieve the production-ready development of a driving system that will allow cars to drive fully autonomously in the city.
Self-driving systems will permit a vehicle to come to the driver rather than the other way round. Within a specified area of town, customers will be able to order an automated shared car via their smartphone. The vehicle will find its way to the customer autonomously so the journey to the desired destination can begin.
Porsche & Audi
Rupert Stadler, the head of Audi, and Oliver Blume, who heads up Porsche, say their companies will now work together more closely than ever before in order to shape mobility of the future together. They will cooperate in such areas as electrification, digitization, and autonomous driving. The payoff? Making the cars produced by both companies more competitive in the marketplace.
“The best brains of both companies will together set the technical course for the future,” stated Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi’s Board of Management. “We are united by many shared values, above all, by our pursuit of the best solutions and the best offerings for our customers.”
“Together, we will make faster progress in the race for the mobility of the future. We will utilize the expertise of both companies and take advantage of synergies,” said Oliver Blume, chairman of Porsche’s Board of Management of Porsche AG. “We will cooperate wherever it makes sense. But we will also be very careful to maintain the differentiation between our brands. A Porsche is always a Porsche, and that will remain so in the future.”
Both companies are part of Volkswagen Group and have worked closely together in many areas in the past. The focus going forward will be on the joint development of shared vehicle architectures, modules, and components.
Source: Electric Cars Report
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