Automakers roll out plans for autonomous vehicles in U.S.

DETROIT, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Automakers from around the world shared plans at ongoing North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) to produce autonomous vehicles for the U.S. market within the next five years.

The first autonomous vehicle to the market is expected to come from General Motors (GM), which is ready to mass-produce a self-driving car in 2019. The Cruise AV will have no steering wheel, gas or brake pedals, or manual driving controls of any kind.

A petition GM filed with the Department of Transportation states the Cruise AV "will comply with federal safety laws" and requests a waiver for laws that cannot be met because they are "human-driver-based-requirements."

Although the Cruise AV has no interior driving controls, customers will still be able to end the ride in case of emergency by making a stop request, allowing the vehicle to pull off to the side of the road at the first safe opportunity, GM says.

BMW plans to release a Level 3 self-driving car in 2021 as well as a Level 5 self-driving car.

Level 3 means the vehicle can handle basic driving tasks but will still require driver intervention, while Level 5 means complete vehicle autonomy, with no driver required.

Partnering with BMW to progress driverless technology is Fiat Chrysler (FCA), contributing engineering and expertise to the alliance. "In order to advance autonomous driving technology, it is vital to form partnerships among automakers, technology providers and suppliers," FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a press release.

Also with plans for autonomous vehicles in 2021 is Ford Motor Company, which plans to use autonomous vehicles for ridesharing and delivery. Ford Smart Mobility plans to lead in autonomy, connectivity, mobility, customer experience, and analytics. The vehicle will have no steering wheel and no gas or brake pedals.

Committing to expand research in advanced algorithms, 3D mapping, radar technology, and camera sensors, Ford's vehicle will be a Level 4 capable-vehicle, a high-automation level that can drive without any human intervention.

Ford has an autonomous vehicle created in partnership with Dominoes, a pizza delivery company. The vehicle began testing last summer in the Michigan city of Ann Arbor.

"We've been working on autonomous vehicles since 2005, 2006 for the DARPA challenges," Wayne Williams, an autonomous vehicle engineer at Ford told Xinhua. "That was Ford's first foray into AVs. The testing for delivery is brand new. That started last summer."

Autonomous cars are the latest competition within the automobile industry, with wide commercial and consumer interest. The 2018 NAIAS showcases a variety of self-driving technology from a number of technology companies and automakers. Enditem