A car manufacturer has proved how close we are to sitting at the wheel of an autonomous vehicle by driving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi without using the steering wheel, brakes or accelerator.
Mercedes-Benz said it had successfully completed an autonomous journey between the two cities despite the challenge of “speeding and aggressive drivers”.
The modified E-Class travelled from Jebel Ali to central Abu Dhabi on Friday. The driver’s only job was to put the indicator on when he wanted the car to change lane.
Mercedes conducted the trip in collaboration with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which is itself currently testing out the electric, driverless EZ10 in Business Bay. The Dubai Government wants 25 per cent of journeys by driverless transport by 2030.
The announcement of the hands-free drive was made at the International Conference on Future Mobility in Dubai yesterday. More info
