All-new Nissan MICRA now fully-electric, on sale late 2025

More

All-new Toyota RAV4 makes worldwide debut

More

Toyota bZ Woodland is adventure-ready AWD electric SUV

More

Toyota C-HR Returns To America, Battery-Electric This Time

More

Truemag

  • Electric Car News
  • Electric Car Reviews
  • Plug-in Hybrids
  • Technology
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Charging Map

Volkswagen testing highly-automated driving in Hamburg

Volkswagen Group Research is testing automated vehicles in urban traffic in Hamburg. This is the first time Volkswagen has begun to test automated driving to Level 4 at real driving conditions in a major German city.

From now, a fleet of five e-Golf, equipped with laser scanners, cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radars, will drive on a three-kilometer section of the digital test bed for automated and connected driving in the Hanseatic city. The results of the test drives, which will be continuously evaluated taking full account of all data protection rules, will be incorporated in the Group’s numerous research projects on automated driving, and will test customer-centric services and optimize individual transport.

A 9-kilometer digital test bed for automated and connected driving is currently being constructed in the city of Hamburg, with completion scheduled for 2020. To that end, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is successively upgrading traffic lights with components for infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. Volkswagen and the city of Hamburg are thus taking a decisive step to further optimizing traffic flows through digitalization and to full-size implementation of automated driving in the city area.

The e-Golf configured by Volkswagen Group Research have eleven laser scanners, seven radars and 14 cameras. Up to 5 gigabytes of data are communicated per minute during the regular test drives, each of which lasts several hours. Computing power equivalent to some 15 laptops is tucked away in the trunk of the e-Golf. This enormous computing capacity, combined with state-of-the-art sensor technology, ensures that data on pedestrians, cyclists, other cars, intersections, rights of way, parked vehicles and lane changes in moving traffic are captured over the shortest distances and in milliseconds. Despite the diversity and complexity of the information, the artificial intelligence used in the vehicle software must register all relevant objects and respond to them without triggering any false alarms. Several different artificial intelligence approaches are used: these include deep learning, neural networks and pattern recognition.

For safety reasons, specially trained test drivers will be seated behind the steering wheel during all test drives in Hamburg to constantly monitor all driving functions and intervene in an emergency. Furthermore, all data protection rules will be fully taken into account.

Volkswagen Group Research is collaborating with all brands and relevant Group departments to enable the functionality of automated driving on public roads – right through to Level 5. The findings of this project will be successively incorporated in further research and development initiatives. The goal is to be in a position to offer customers concrete products for the automated transport of goods and passengers on public roads a few years from now. This will contribute to lasting improvements in traffic flows and road safety. However, automated driving without a safety driver in public traffic requires changes in the legislative framework and the availability of the necessary infrastructure.

The different levels of automated driving:

Level 1: Assisted driving
Example: ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)

Level 2: Partial automation
Example: Travel Assist (combination of adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist)

Level 3: Conditional automation
Example: Traffic Jam Assist

Level 4: High automation
Example: Park Pilot

Level 5: Full automation
Example: Fully self-driving transport

Apr 4, 2019Blagojce Krivevski
The eco-balance of the Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CELLToyota to share nearly 24,000 electrification-related patents for free
You Might Also Like
 
Volkswagen Group creates European company for its battery business
 
Ford creates its own standalone autonomous drive division
Blagojce Krivevski

Blagojce Krivevski is physicist and green technology lover. Keep in touch with Blagojce through his email, web site, Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and Google+.

April 4, 2019 Electric Car NewsAutonomous Drive, e-golf, Volkswagen, volkswagen e-golf, VW, VW e-Golf
Follow Us
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-news
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • rss
Recent News
Aston Martin Valhalla makes global dynamic debut ahead of Monaco Grand Prix
May 23, 2025
FIAT Professional introduces TRIS all-electric 3-wheeler
May 23, 2025
New MGS5 EV achieves highest Euro NCAP safety rating
May 23, 2025
BYD outsells Tesla in Europe for the first time in April
May 23, 2025
Dodge debuts all-electric 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan
May 22, 2025
About
ElectricCarsReport.com ElectricCarsReport.com is a website dedicated to pure electric vehicles and the full range of consumer information and tools about electric cars, green technology energy, and the environment.
Latest News
Aston Martin Valhalla makes global dynamic debut ahead of Monaco Grand Prix
May 23, 2025
FIAT Professional introduces TRIS all-electric 3-wheeler
May 23, 2025
New MGS5 EV achieves highest Euro NCAP safety rating
May 23, 2025
Get in touch

Email: [email protected]

Get new stories by email:
Archives
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-news
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • rss
DMCA.com
© ElectricCarsReport.com | All Rights Reserved.