Photo: BMW AG
Apart from the somewhat antithetical proliferation of SUVs/crossovers and electric cars, the newest automotive trend seems to revolve mostly about autonomous vehicles, or a combination of all of the above.
Tesla has already started publicly testing an early version of a self-driving system for its cars, and so far not all has gone well, while other carmakers are releasing autonomous driving technologies in various stages of development.
That said, we're still a bit far from the fully-autonomous cars that sci-fi movies have teased in the last couple of decades or so. BMW wants to change all that, and the Bavarians want to do it as early as 2021 when the first fully autonomous Bimmer is said to be unveiled.
To make things progress that fast, BMW has teamed up with Intel and Mobileye, which apparently is the “global leader in the development of computer vision and machine learning, data analysis, localization and mapping for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving."
The partnership was announced earlier today, at a press conference that took place at the BMW Group Headquarters in Munich.
“Following our investment in high definition live map technology at HERE, the combined expertise of Intel, Mobileye, and the BMW Group will deliver the next core building block to bring fully automated driving technology to the street. We have already showcased such groundbreaking solutions in our VISION NEXT 100 vehicle concepts. With this technological leap forward, we are offering our customers a whole new level of sheer driving pleasure whilst pioneering new concepts for premium mobility,” said Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
For those unaccustomed with autonomous driving jargon, there are apparently five levels of self-driving technology. Existing technology on the road only allows level 3 (eyes off) autonomous driving, and BMW's project aims to introduce level 4 (mind off) and, finally, level 5 (driver off) by 2021.
Last, but certainly not least, the three partners in crime want to develop a self-driving technology that will not only become the industry standard, but it will also be an open platform. This means that they are willing to collaborate with other carmakers on making this plan a reality as soon as possible.
Our take on all of it is that the Germans could be a bit scared by the progress made by Google - and soon Apple - in this direction, so they're trying to keep ahead of the pack in a trend that's apparently getting more followers with every passing day.
That said, we're still a bit far from the fully-autonomous cars that sci-fi movies have teased in the last couple of decades or so. BMW wants to change all that, and the Bavarians want to do it as early as 2021 when the first fully autonomous Bimmer is said to be unveiled.
To make things progress that fast, BMW has teamed up with Intel and Mobileye, which apparently is the “global leader in the development of computer vision and machine learning, data analysis, localization and mapping for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving."
The partnership was announced earlier today, at a press conference that took place at the BMW Group Headquarters in Munich.
“Following our investment in high definition live map technology at HERE, the combined expertise of Intel, Mobileye, and the BMW Group will deliver the next core building block to bring fully automated driving technology to the street. We have already showcased such groundbreaking solutions in our VISION NEXT 100 vehicle concepts. With this technological leap forward, we are offering our customers a whole new level of sheer driving pleasure whilst pioneering new concepts for premium mobility,” said Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
For those unaccustomed with autonomous driving jargon, there are apparently five levels of self-driving technology. Existing technology on the road only allows level 3 (eyes off) autonomous driving, and BMW's project aims to introduce level 4 (mind off) and, finally, level 5 (driver off) by 2021.
Last, but certainly not least, the three partners in crime want to develop a self-driving technology that will not only become the industry standard, but it will also be an open platform. This means that they are willing to collaborate with other carmakers on making this plan a reality as soon as possible.
Our take on all of it is that the Germans could be a bit scared by the progress made by Google - and soon Apple - in this direction, so they're trying to keep ahead of the pack in a trend that's apparently getting more followers with every passing day.
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