The no. 1 global vehicle manufacturers involved in the autonomous vehicle market, is Daimler, according to a leaderboard report by Navigant Research.
Other OEMs classified as “leaders” in the grid are Audi, BMW and General Motors, respectively. Volvo, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen and Nissan round out the top 10, and all receive “contenders” designation by Navigant Research.
The report comes as Apple is reportedly in talks to GoMentum Station, a former military base in northern California, to start testing self-driving vehicles.
Autonomous driving has been a long-term goal for the automotive industry for decades. Yet, only recently have self-driving vehicles started to become a realistic objective that can be achieved in practice.
While fully automated vehicles that operate themselves with no driver present are still a decade away, the incremental systems necessary as a foundation for the related technology are expected to make their way into production during the next five to 10 years, the report says.
By 2020, Navigant expects manufacturers to offer enhanced self-driving capability that includes the ability to change lanes and follow simple directions from a navigation system. Drivers will still be needed to monitor progress and be prepared to take over when the traffic situation gets too complex. Truly driverless cars are expected by 2025, but this date will depend on legislative changes as well as steady improvements in technology.
