We’ve all seen the crazy driverless concept cars, but the reality is a little less Tron…
London’s first driverless cars have been revealed, and they’re actually not as exciting as you’d imagine.
The cars, which will be trialled in Greenwich in July this year, are actually adapted passenger shuttles currently in use at Heathrow Airport.
The driverless car trials were announced last year, and will see autonomous vehicles tested on public roads in four locations across the UK.
It’s part of an £8 million project that’s jointly funded by the government and businesses.
Seven of the modified airport pods will be cruising around the Greenwich Peninsula, although routes have yet to be finalised.
The pods are currently used to ferry passengers between Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and the car park – although they’re fixed to a track right now.
The newly adapted versions will be tested for three months, and will be able to carry six passengers.
There are also plans to include a steward aboard every pod, tasked with manning an emergency button in the event of a crisis.
Related: Faraday Future: A True Tesla Rival?
But when will we be riding around in our own self-driving cars? Ford recently told TrustedReviews that it believes fully autonomous, consumer-ready vehicles will be driving on actual road routes as soon as 2020.
Check out the interview with Don Butler, Executive Director for Connected Vehicles and Services at Ford, below:
Would you trust your life in the hands – or wheels, rather – of a self-driving car? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
