The Current State of Self-Driving Cars

The idea of self-driving cars has been a hot topic since the beginning of this decade. Many companies in the automotive industry have their own models either currently on the road or being tested. The current state of self-driving varies among the different models and companies currently in development. There are companies such as Tesla who are currently on the road with their models, then there are companies such as Apple that only recently rented out space for research.

In terms of self-driving car status, I usually think of it on three levels: the Apple level where they are still in the beginning stages of their vehicle, the Google level where they are still finalizing their models, and the Tesla step where we are already seeing them on the road. The current state of Apple’s self-driving car, known under the code name “Project Titan”, appears to be in relative danger. Despite being in the dust compared to Google’s and Tesla’s car, Apple is so early in the process that they are still recruiting engineers for their vehicle. All that can be assumed now is that Apple will follow their normal route and follow the modern look that Apple fans have been enjoying for years.

Google’s self-driving car started developing in 2009. Though it is not as advanced in the process as Tesla, Google isn’t quite as disadvantaged as Apple is with their machine. Google’s car is currently still being tested on roads, all while boasting only one non-fatal accident. Not bad Google.

Tesla motors. Tesla currently runs with a modern but not too noticeable aesthetic. Tesla Motors is widely known for their self-driving vehicles because of their progress in the industry. There are many Tesla vehicles on the road now being driven by customers. Unfortunately, the Tesla Model S found itself in hot water as of late. Last May, a fatal crash involving Tesla’s Model S vehicle was reported in Florida. From this, Tesla has been even more diligent in their software updates and manufacturing.

The current state of self-driving cars is a pretty exciting one. Not quite fully mainstream, but also not just getting off the ground. There is definitely some evidence of the hard work and research done by engineers for years and it’s in the form of a purchasable, driveable car.

Even though there is still much work to be done, I am more than excited for this step into the bright future of driver-less cars.