BOSTON — A level five — or fully autonomous — vehicle is probably years away from making a debut. But until that day, autonomous capabilities can be found in a variety of advanced safety features from different manufacturers.
Here are some of those features we found at the 2017 New England International Automotive Show in Boston.
Autonomous cruise control
Or “adaptive cruise control,” as Ford calls it. Using radars to maintain a safe distance between vehicles while in cruise control, this vehicle is becoming more common throughout the industry, and is available in all of Ford’s 2017 models.
“That’s the direction (fully autonomous) that we’re going,” Marc Rogowski, regional sales manager for Ford New England, told NESN Fuel. “We gotta do all this stuff to be competitive.”
Lane departure systems
This feature was everywhere at the NEIAS. Basically, if your vehicle begins exiting its lane without using a blinker, the driver is warned in ways that vary by brand and manufacturer. The technology is common throughout the 2017 market, available in just about every make and model, including Toyota’s entire 2017 lineup.
Self-Parking
Once a feature available almost solely on the premier market, vehicles that can park themselves are becoming more prevalent. For example, Toyota and Ford’s entire 2017 lineups, and the 2017 Chevrolet Impala and Tahoe support the technology.
“Fully autonomous isn’t there yet,” a Chevrolet product spokesperson told NESN Fuel.” So You gotta hint it to them.”
Collision prevention / Pedestrian warning
Fully developed versions of this technology will be core pierces of future level five autonomous vehicles. But right now, adjusting speed and brake to prevent collision and avoiding pedestrians are features that can be found throughout the automotive industry.
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Thumbnail photo via Ford