Self-driving cars are poised to forever change how we “drive” a car, but up until now, forward-thinking carmakers have told us we’ll have to wait until the year 2020. However, Hyundai seems to think the future is already here. Later this year, owners of the Hyundai Equus will get a host of self-driving features that will transform the large luxury sedan into a semi-autonomous vehicle.
Although the technology won’t completely allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel, the Equus will get new driving assistance features that will give it the ability to stay in a lane on the highway and adjust the car’s speed in response to traffic conditions. “It is time for us to take a leap in quality and to lead in the global race for environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient and high-tech cars,” said Choong-ho Kim, president and CEO of Hyundai.
Related: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid has a 22-mile electric driving range
Rather than build a fully autonomous car, like Google plans to do, Hyundai has decided for now to focus on semi-autonomous technologies that allow drivers to take control of the wheel when they want. To help improve the technology, Hyundai has announced plans to invest $1.8 billion in autonomous vehicle technology by 2018.
“The goal is not to make a car like Google’s,” the Hyundai CEO said. “The goal is to implement autonomous driving technologies into our cars to keep customers safe,” said Dae Sung Kim, director of Hyundai’s Automotive Control Systems Development Group. “Safety is the biggest issue.”
+ Hyundai
Via IT World
Images via Hyundai
