Innovators Leading Autonomous Automotive Revolution: Top 4 Brands to Watch

The basic concept of autonomous cars has existed for a long time. Google’s Waymo and General Motors Cruise have pushed forward so fast that legislation covering the legality of driverless cars can barely keep up.

The self-driving car industry has been struggling for several years, with more and more bowing out as they face technical difficulties. We once had eight companies make this list, but we’re down to four in 2024.

The Society of Automotive Engineers developed ascale from zero to five to describe the level of autonomy exhibited by any driverless car . Most of the companies in this list are testing level four and level five self-driving cars that require no driver interaction. However, most near-term plans involve level three autonomy that requires the driver to always remain vigilant.

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Waymo

Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images

What We Like

• More testing miles in more cities than the competition.
• Operates fully autonomous vehicles.
• Fewer accidents than competitors.

What We Don’t Like

• Still has obstacles to overcome — some cars have ignored traffic lights or drove on the wrong side of the road.

Waymo started as a project at Google and operated in relative obscurity and secrecy for a surprising amount of time. By the time Google went public with its self-driving car program and later spun Waymo off as a separate Alphabet Inc. subsidiary, they were already off to the races.

The main disadvantage working against Waymo is that it’s essentially a tech startup with massiveartificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning expertise, but it isn’t part of, or even backed by, an automotive manufacturer.

Waymo self-driving cars have notched more miles and had fewer accidents than any other driverless car initiative, and the company even operates a ride-sharing service. In 2023, Waymo completed over 700,000 trips without a human driver.

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GM Cruise

Cruise LLC

What We Like

• Acquiring Cruise Automation jump started GM’s driverless car program.
• Has demonstrated driverless functionality with the Super Cruise system.

What We Don’t Like

• Prior to acquiring Cruise Automation, GM had fallen behind the competition.
• More accidents than other competitors that also test in California.
• Super Cruise is geofenced to only work on approved highways.

General Motors fell behind self-driving technology competitors like Waymo, but the strategic purchase of Cruise Automation allowed them to jump right back to the front of the pack.

Cruise Automation started making self-driving conversion kits for Audi vehicles, but the GM subsidiary quickly shifted focus to adapting their technology to control cars like the Chevy Bolt.

In addition to its efforts to bring true driverless cars to the market, GM also offers a self-driving system called Super Cruise. This system only works on highways and relies on extensive mapping work done by GM.

Super Cruise can operate a vehicle autonomously on any supported highway, but it returns complete control to the driver if the car enters an area that GM hasn’t mapped.

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Tesla

Tesla

What We Like

• Frequently software updates enhance Autopilot capabilities.

What We Don’t Like

• Several high-profile accidents raises safety questions.
• Full Self-Driving isn’t standard, it’s an optional upgrade that costs.

Tesla, founded in 2003, is more than just an electric car company. They’ve been at the forefront of developing technology that could revolutionize how we drive. Beyond focusing on sustainable energy, Tesla has invested heavily in advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving.

Tesla’s Autopilot system is a prime example of its commitment to self-driving tech. Using a combination of cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors, Autopilot can help drivers with tasks like lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking.

While Autopilot is designed as a driver-assistance tool, Tesla’s ultimate goal is to achieve full self-driving capability, where a car can navigate without human input. Models like the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y are equipped with the hardware needed for this ambitious project.

Tesla Robotaxi: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors

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Mercedes-Benz

Daimler

What We Like

• Mercedes vehicles with the Intelligent Drive system are almost self-driving.
• Test vehicles have reached level 5 autonomy.

What We Don’t Like

• Most testing has taken place in Europe, not the US.
• Self-driving vehicle plans for the near future only include level 3 autonomy.

The Mercedes-Benz Group (formerly Daimler) is a front-runner in self-driving cars, but its efforts fall short of Waymo and GM Cruise. Its initiatives are also more relevant to European drivers than American drivers because most of the company’s advanced autonomous systems testing has occurred on European streets.

Intelligent Drive, available in some Mercedes vehicles, offers a close approximation of a self-driving experience. It’s more of an advanced form of adaptive cruise control with the ability to recognize and avoid pedestrians and obstructions in the road. However, it still requires constant supervision from a human driver.

The Mercedes-Benz Group has stated that its fully self-driving cars, which meet the stringent requirements for a level 5 autonomous vehicle, will be limited to use in ride-share services.

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