Audi's Autonomous Taxi Service is Coming Sooner than you Think

Autonomous Future

The most significant trend in the automotive industry, as of late, has been the effort to advance autonomous driving technology with an aim towards a future that is full of cars that drive themselves. Even tech companies like Google and Uber have started investing in this field. But Audi is the brand that is set to lead the industry in autonomy.

The Present

Many companies have set their sights on an autonomous future. But the brand that has already implemented the most successful semi-autonomous (assisted driving) system is Audi. The current Audi A8's self-driving capabilities are the most advanced in the industry at the moment. 

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Investing in the Future

And with a great base of technology to build upon, Audi is investing heavily in developing the most successful fully autonomous automobile. Unlike manufacturers like GM and Ford who have acquired other companies for the purposes of research and development in the field, Audi has begun taking part by creating its own dedicated department called AID (Autonomous Intelligent Driving).

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The VW Platform

With Audi being part of the industry giant VW, the advantages in developing a successful autonomous driving platform will be tenfold for the parent company. AID's technology can be made available for multiple brands across the Volkswagen portfolio and benefit the German manufacturer as a whole.

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Level 4 Autonomy

The immediate goal is to develop a vehicle with a bullet-proof level 4 autonomous driving system. That allows for the vehicle to be capable of driving itself with complete independence of a driver's command, but only within certain areas, which means the presence of a drive may still be required for some portions of any given trip.

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The Taxi Service

When Audi's level 4 autonomous technology is ready for production, the brand's first order of business is reported to be launching a taxi service. The autonomous driving service is said to be planned for 2021. But Audi's long-term plans span even further. According to AID chief technology officer Alexandre Haag, Audi, and VW as a whole are going to be involved in all aspects of autonomous vehicles including commercial services in addition to personal automobiles.

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