There’s no doubt that one of the latest trends in the automotive industry is autonomous cars, as more and more manufacturers are presenting very interesting projects. Now, that CES 2016 is on, we’re looking forward to seeing a lot of concepts and companies aren’t disappointing from this point of view. After brands like Google, Tesla or Ford announced to join the game, it’s time for Kia to show what they can do .
During a press conference held this Tuesday, its first ever at CES, the South Korean manufacturer claimed that they’re planning to release partially autonomous driving technologies by 2020. Also, until 2030, they will have a fully autonomous car, says PC Mag.
A new brand, to manage the project
The same source mentions that in order to achieve this goal, Kia has launched a new brand, called “Drive Wise”. Under it, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems will be developed, including Highway Autonomous Driving, a system similar to Tesla’s autopilot.
Basically, it will be able to detect lane markings, allowing the car to maintain the lane. Besides this, “Urban Autonomous Driving” will enable drivers to control the car through congested environments, while finally, the “Preceding Vehicle Following” helps the car maintain a safe distance from those ahead of it.
In the future, Kia is also planning to develop even more technologies for their autonomous cars, including an “Emergency Stop System”, “Traffic Jam Assist” and “Autonomous Valet Parking”, the latter enabling drivers to control the car directly from their smartphones.
The testing will begin soon
The total investment in the project will reach $2 billion by 2018. Recently, Kia obtained a special license, required to test the new vehicles on public roads from Nevada.
During the conference at CES 2016, a video of a few people testing the car was shown, some of them claiming that the experience was “like a roller coaster ride”.
