First Publicly Sold Autonomous Driving Car: The Race is On

A few days ago, I found myself at what was easily the most boring holiday party that has ever taken place. To be fair, there was an open bar, which is the only thing that kept me from leaving five minutes after my arrival. I settled in at a round wooden table, that seemed to house the least boring people in the room. After listening in on a few minutes of conversation, the drool began to pool unapologetically in the corner of my mouth, as my eyes struggled to stay open. In an effort to save myself from missing out on an entire three hour open bar, I interjected a small piece of wisdom that I believed would get the conversation moving in a more interesting direction. I commanded the attention of my table, and made my declaration: “I don’t know about local politics, but I can tell you one thing – the self-driving car will be here within the next few years –mark my words.” I am not sure why I said it when I did, but rather than the interested response I expected this statement to evoke, I was met with increasing opposition and overwhelming doubt.

Rather than slink back in my creaky maple chair and pretend as if I had not just uttered those words, I defended my remarks. I told my captive audience that within five years, every car lot, including Chevy dealers in Dayton, Ohio, will be selling self-driving cars. The crowd began to increase around me, and a conversation stirred around a topic that I wasn’t even aware could be debated.

Self-Driving Cars Will be Here, Sooner Than Later

I spent the remainder of the evening fervently defending my position on the topic of self-driving cars, and by the time I got home, my head was spinning. The truth of the matter is, whether people are ready for it or not, the autonomous driving car is coming to American roadways. People will be able to purchase self-driving cars within the next decade or so, and it will change the way we go about our daily lives. Just as preposterous as the internet sounded back when the idea was first brought up at a droll dinner party, so does the idea of a self-driving car sound. While the concept may seem foreign to us at the moment, plenty of automakers and technology companies are teaming up to bring autonomous cars to the masses – and soon.

A few days after my dinner party altercation, one of the attendees sent me an article that they perceived as rebuking my initial statement. The title of the article read: “Google has Reportedly Stopped Developing its Own Self-Driving Car.” What the person who shared the article, and the author himself didn’t realize, is that Google’s “reported” end of self-driving car technology could not be further from the truth. Hundreds of online news and blog sites jumped at the chance to prove Google wrong, just as my dinner companion had done in hopes of discrediting my statement. Unfortunately for these nay-sayers, Google’s “reported” self-driving car development is far from being over.

Google Works to Bring Self-Driving Cars to the Masses

While Google may have reported that its initial single autonomous car offering was no longer in the works, the company had much bigger plans in store for the American public. The high-profile program that the tech-giant started more than seven years ago is coming closer to fruition. Rather than continue the self-driving car project alone, Google has teamed up with Waymo in order to deliver the autonomous driving technology to the public sooner than originally forecasted. Waymo CEO John Krafcik says that the partnership with Google means that there is enhanced “confidence that we are close to bringing this (technology) to a lot of people.” Krafcik added that production-ready self-driving cars would be ready, “soon.”

Google’s autonomous driving program has spanned more than seven years, with different concepts created in order to test the technology along the way. Since this time last year, Google has hired more engineers than it has ever had in the past, and has doubled its testing centers into four cities nationwide. In July, the tech-giant snagged Shaun Stewart from Airbnb to lead the project as its director. The goal of Google’s self-driving car project is to “perfect an autonomous vehicle that requires zero human interaction.” While other manufacturers and technology companies are focused on semi-autonomous driving solutions, Google has no intention of stopping short of achieving its goal.

What This Means for U.S. Car Buyers

The autonomous driving car has been on the radar of car manufacturers and technology companies for decades, but it seems that the race to the finish line is finally here. Google and Waymo plan to team up with automotive manufacturers to help bring this technology to established makes and models, which will help drivers make the transition more seamlessly. While there is no set date or time frame that indicates when and where the first fully autonomous car will make its appearance on the market, we can only assume that it will be sooner, and not later.

With challengers like Uber Technologies coming out of the woodwork, you can bet that big name companies will more than double their efforts to be named the grandfather of self-driving vehicles. Commercial and private applications have already been widely discussed, including plans by Uber to deploy self-driving cars for their popular ride-share program. Once the autonomous driving technology is perfected and deemed safe, there is no telling just how far the future of personal transportation will go.

Autonomous driving cars will likely be a point of contention for years following their release to the public, which is expected of any new technology that forces so much change in our everyday lives. There will certainly be a learning curve as more self-driving cars make their way onto public roadways, but the only way to keep improving is to move forward.

Find Your Next Car at McCluskey Chevrolet

While McCluskey Chevrolet may not be selling driverless cars just yet, the Cincinnati-based car dealership has plenty of new and used vehicles available for purchase. Featuring the newest and most impressive in-vehicle technology available, the all new 2017 Chevrolet lineup is worth checking out. Why not discover everything that the bowtie brand has to offer, by heading to the most reputable new car dealership in the tri-state area?