Oct. 22, 2019—A new study by PTOLEMUS Consulting Group comparing 16 OEMs worldwide has found that most automakers are struggling to keep up with tech companies in the development of autonomous vehicles.
The OEM Readiness for Autonomous Vehicles Global Study highlights which automakers are overcoming complexities of commercial-grade level 4 automation and which are not.
For example, Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has eschewed its own AV program; it supplies Waymo the Chrysler Pacifica and risks turning into a de facto tier-1 supplier for tech companies developing autonomous cars. Similarly, PSA has stepped away from L4 automation, instead focussing on L1 to L3 and ADAS, citing that the cost to achieve L4 would be too great and eradicate its profit margin.
The study finds that automakers must extend current areas of operational testing to more challenging "real-world" environments, rather than the constrained "safe zones" currently in use, in order to make them a global commercial success.
