The plan was simple: experience the autonomous Audi A7 on Volkswagen’s high-speed oval track. However, technology, as it often does, had other plans. A minor glitch in the adaptive cruise control system sidelined the vehicle, leading to a flurry of troubleshooting attempts, including the classic power cycle, but to no avail. Defeated for the evening, we started heading back to the hotel. Just as we were halfway there, the engineers triumphed, pinpointing and resolving the issue. They eagerly caught up with us on the road, and suddenly, my evening took an unexpected turn.
There I was, about to experience Driving Car technology firsthand, but not in the controlled environment of a track. Instead, I found myself behind the wheel of an autonomous vehicle for the very first time on a busy public street, amidst real traffic and pedestrians, and under the cloak of night. The unique challenge here was the presence of traffic signals, a feature the Highway Pilot system wasn’t initially designed to handle, being primarily calibrated for highway driving scenarios like I5 or I10. Initially, I utilized piloted mode for cruising stretches, instinctively switching to manual mode as we approached intersections. It was then that Lipinski suggested an impromptu experiment: letting the car autonomously manage everything. The system was programmed to maintain a safe following distance and prevent collisions, and while Audi’s engineers hadn’t tested it in this specific urban context before, Lipinski’s confidence in the technology was compelling enough to make me the guinea pig.
Approaching the next traffic light, I hesitantly put my trust in the autonomous driving car. To my astonishment, and Lipinski’s evident excitement, it worked flawlessly. The A7 smoothly decelerated and came to a complete stop a safe two car lengths behind the vehicle in front. “We didn’t know it would do that!” Lipinski exclaimed, the surprise palpable in his voice. This moment perfectly encapsulated the current state of autonomous technology: remarkably sophisticated, yet still in its nascent stages. It performs exceptionally well, undoubtedly, but the full extent of its capabilities remains, in many ways, an exciting unknown, full of potential surprises, both positive and perhaps, areas for refinement.
Once the initial novelty subsided – a process that took me all of about four minutes – the most thrilling aspect of the drive became observing a little girl’s bewildered reaction to seeing a car seemingly drive itself. Truthfully, the experience of autonomous driving is, by design, somewhat uneventful. Piloted driving prioritizes safety and comfort above all else.
Every decision made by the autonomous system boils down to a dual evaluation: is the action permissible (safe and legal), and is it beneficial (enhancing ride comfort)? The intricate process of calibrating the system to effectively weigh these factors and execute actions like accelerating, decelerating, changing lanes, and making turns with fluidity has been central to the technology’s development. During my drive, the A7 demonstrated this sophisticated decision-making by seamlessly merging into a relatively small gap in the right lane to accommodate a faster vehicle approaching from behind. The maneuver was executed with such smoothness that it was almost imperceptible. This level of nuanced maneuvering, while impressively advanced, still requires meticulous fine-tuning before it’s ready for mass commercial deployment. Audi’s development team is continuously working to anticipate and program responses for every conceivable driving scenario, as well as striking the optimal balance between maintaining a consistent driving style and making subtle adjustments to react to every minor detail detected by the sensors.
As my initial excitement gave way to a sense of routine – the seemingly endless stretches of I5 and I15 blurring together – the appeal of Highway Pilot as a genuinely desirable driver assistance feature became clear. It underscored that Audi, along with other automakers, is adopting a sensible and consumer-friendly strategy by gradually introducing autonomous features incrementally. The reassuring presence of a conventional steering wheel in my hands and pedals under my feet, coupled with the knowledge that I could instantly regain full control, significantly eased the transition to being ‘chauffeured’ by a robot. It felt like a more evolved iteration of the adaptive cruise control systems we’re already accustomed to. In this context, the A7 transcends being merely a self-driving car; it emerges as a luxury sedan capable of enhancing driving safety, ease, and relaxation, with the driver’s consent. As Schlinkheider aptly put it, “Our experience is that our customer wants to first accept and then understand what they are receiving, including its limitations. They need to embrace the functionality and gradually learn its operation and get comfortable with it.”
