Self-driving cars are a pretty controversial subject today, even if we don't take into account the news about them crashing or hitting pedestrians that have hit the news in the last couple of months. Some even think of them as something that has the potential to ruin driving for good, literally taking the wheel out of our hands. While this sure has many positive aspects, like finally escaping the tedious and boring task of driving to work each morning, and replacing it with more pleasurable activities like reading the news, drinking coffee, checking out the latest
mobile pokie reviews or whatever else you can think of.
No matter how controversial the idea of a completely autonomous car may be, the manufacturers seem to love it - an ever-increasing number of automakers around the world are working on solutions that would give their cars at least a partial autonomy, allowing it to go without being driven. And Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the company behind the Jeep brand, is apparently one of them - the company has announced the release of a partially self-driving Jeep Grand Cherokee for 2020.
Level 2 self-driving technology
According to the news, the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee will be equipped with Level 2 self-driving technology. This means that the driver will be able to take his or her hands off the wheel, leaving it to the car to accelerate, brake, and steer. This isn't a fully autonomous driving mode, though - the driver has to continuously monitor the vehicle and intervene whenever the autonomous system is not responding properly.
Depending on the applicable regulations in the area where a Level 2 self-driving car is used, the driver may be mandated to keep the hands on the wheel, with sensors monitoring the capability of the driver to intervene whenever needed.
2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The company currently calls its upcoming model a "Level 2+", meaning that it will be able to change lanes without any input from the driver. The upcoming models, released in 2021 and beyond, will have "Level 3" autonomous driving capabilities (often referred to as "eyes-off") - these cars will be able to drive fully autonomously in certain situations but will require a driver to be ready to take over whenever needed.
Before the 2020 Jeep is released, the company will start to include a new telematics service in its cars. This will allow the cars to communicate with the company's service platforms and perhaps even integrate with third-party services like Uber, but its most important role will be to connect all the sensors and technologies needed to build a new generation of self-driving vehicles later.