Driverless Cars in the UAE
Driverless cars in the UAE have gained significant popularity considering the country’s drive to lead the world into the era of autonomous vehicles. The concept of driverless cars is not too far from reality as we already have semi-autonomous vehicles like Tesla on the roads.
As the idea gains momentum, various tech giants and auto companies are en route to developing and testing the autonomous system in vehicles. Since driverless cars come with various added benefits like reduced pollution, accidents and traffic, the UAE is already backing the support for a driverless experience.
Dubai Metro is a fine example of a self-driving public transportation service. The success of working autonomous systems is the driving force behind overhauling the Dubai’s public transport system.
Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy
In the light of such developments, Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy in 2016. The goal of the plan is to make 25% of all trips driverless in Dubai by 2030.
Where other countries are focused on the automation of private vehicles, Dubai plans to integrate autonomous technology in public transportation as well as other modes of transport including trams, cable cars, busses, water, shuttles, metro and taxis. Currently, the self-driving Metro already accounts for an estimated 9% of all trips.
The strategy will take government policies and legislation into consideration, so they can be implemented to promote driverless vehicles. In order to achieve such ambitions, Dubai also plans to host SDT (self-driving transport).
Although details of such competition are unknown, the purpose is to drive manufacturers, researchers and academic institutes to flex off their capabilities in expediting the SDT.
UAE Autonomous Vehicle Readiness Ranking
The KPMG’s Autonomous Vehicles Readiness Index (AVRI) keeps a global track on 30 countries in the race for enabling autonomous vehicles. The 2020 report ranks the UAE at 8th position, which is above the United Kingdom and Denmark.
In comparison to 2018, the UAE was at the 9th position in 2019. Such a climb shows a promising trend and maintains the possibility of timely achievement of ambitious goals.
Autonomous Vehicle Projects in the UAE
Apart from Dubai Metro, various companies have a number of upcoming transportation projects in the UAE and working prototypes of driverless vehicles with some showing promising results in the trial phase.
The smart transportation company ION was able to complete its trial run for its promising Navya Autonom autonomous shuttles. The trial was conducted in Sharjah University City to test the operational efficiency of the vehicle.
The 15 seater shuttles are estimated to cost around AED 1.5 million each, equipped with various safety features like a 360-degree monitoring system, environmental sensors and automatic navigation. The future plan is to introduce fixed-route autonomous shuttles in academic zones of Abu Dhabi and popular tourist areas of Dubai.
Mobileye is another developer of driverless technology under the management of tech giant Intel. In collaboration with Al Habtoor Group (AHG), the company plans to introduce its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) by 2023 in four stages.
Stage one will test the collision avoidance system in one thousand vehicles while collecting valuable data for safer driving. The second stage will begin public road testing in Dubai, which is not yet approved. The third will probably involve an early rider programme or beta testing to prepare for commercial service. The fourth stage will launch the service commercially in the UAE by 2023.
In 2020, Al Zahia deployed a driverless car by collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Prevention to distribute sanitizing products for free on a programmed route. The vehicle would play its soundtrack to announce its arrival to the community and can be stopped by simply waving a hand.
The vehicle utilizes artificial intelligence by Huawei and Neolix to safely navigate the route through a combination of sensors and cameras.
Debate on Liability for Autonomous Cars
With everything set in motion for self-driving cars in the UAE, there are some questions when it comes to liability. Although such questions will be answered in time as the world comes up with some universal rules, we are still left to decide whether to put the liability on the owner or the manufacturer.
If the accident occurred due to the failure of the autonomous system, the criteria for holding the owner or manufacturer responsible will be complex as none of the parties is directly involved.
Making headway in autonomous technology is one thing but its implementation on a commercial level requires public access and government support. The UAE has removed many obstacles by defining its interest in technology. This can attract the attention of future tech firms as the UAE prepares to win the race.
Tesla is one of the brands that are close to offering an electric driverless experience. However, as of yet the autopilot function may not be available in the UAE.
Check out listings for used Tesla for sale in the UAE to get a taste of cutting edge technology and safety features. Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blogs for more information on car parts, market trends, repairing and more.