Tesla is no longer the only company to launch self-driving cars

 


Electric cars took center stage at this week's virtual CES floor in Las Vegas. In her keynote speech Wednesday, General Motors Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said her teams are aiming to create a consumer-centric self-driving car "in the middle of this decade."

Chinese automaker Geely hopes to offer it even earlier. Intel Mobileye said Tuesday that it is working with a new electric vehicle brand, Geely Zeekr, to launch a vehicle with "Level 4" autonomous capabilities in 2024, which means it won't require human input, writes WSJ.

Mercedes-Benz and Honda are pushing the boundaries by allowing drivers of their most sophisticated vehicles to disconnect from motorway traffic at low speeds in their home countries of Germany and Japan. This technically qualifies as Level 3 Automation. The use case is not broad, but is a demonstration of both technological and, crucially, regulatory leadership.

Self-driving cars - getting closer to becoming a reality. The danger for Tesla investors is that this race cannot be won by any particular car brand.


Joseph Marc Blumenthal

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