Self-Driving cars take another huge step to reality as Addison Lee announces self-driving taxis in London by 2021.
By 2021, driverless taxis may be quite normal.
The London based Taxi company, Addision Lee thinks London is ready for driverless taxis within three years and over the weekend showed a mock up of the planned taxi.
The joint venture with Oxbotica, is said to be ready to go but they still plan on further testing. Oxbotica was developed by two professors from Oxford University who formerly worked in the Department of Engineering and Science
The taxi firm are working with Oxbotica to created digital maps of the whole of London, something which is also being done by both Google and Uber in order to launch their own alternatives. In addition to digital maps, the systems will also include the use of technology that reads road signs and traffic lights.
Once completed, the system is hoping to reduce congestion, free up car parking space and improve air quality through the use of electric cars whose routes will be planned taking into account charge points.
Some say the tech behind driverless cars still needs a lot of work…
The taxi industry in London is already big business and the first driverless and therefore cheapest to the market will be hoping to get a large slice of what is believed to be a £30bn industry
Addison Lee say that they expect their system to reduce road traffic accidents and to eventually simplify insurance as ever more vehicles speak to each other.
Read more about driverless cars below or check out some of our other car industry news in our blog.
