In this article we will analyze the future of autonomous driving in detail, to understand the future development steps.

The Automotive world is really growing a lot, in every single aspect. Technology is becoming increasingly important, and we can also see it these days at CES in Las Vegas.

It is the largest consumer electronics fair in the world, where many car manufacturers present the latest ultra-connected models and concepts.

Once upon a time, a car was a perfect marriage of style and engine power. Currently however, the car also includes a huge engineering aspect in terms of autonomous driving.

In other words, we are witnessing a progressive massive introduction of sensors, cameras, radars and so on, inside our cars. The aim is to make the journey of motorists and all those who are on our roads every day, such as pedestrians and cyclists, as safe as possible.

Autonomous driving has currently reached level 2, but in the coming years there will be a development towards the fifth level. The latter is equivalent to complete and total management of the car in any situation by the computer system.

The driver could even sleep, while the car would continue to move towards its destination, avoiding any obstacles, inconveniences and unexpected events.

The dream of seeing self-driving cars, transporting people in a truly efficient way, is something magnificent in terms of usability and economic investment.

Initially it was thought that this epochal turning point could take place in a few years, but lately some problematic situations have prompted car manufacturers to lengthen the timescales for the launch of autonomous vehicles.

All in all though, autonomous driving is really well accepted by society at large.

Furthermore, autonomous driving could create enormous economic value for the automotive industry, generating hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of this decade.

New commercial and sales strategies will in fact be developed in order to position commercial vehicles or cars on the market, suitable for autonomous driving.

In fact, people could be encouraged to buy a self-driving vehicle, to increase their productivity during a journey, or to relax during the journey.

Even the working day would be decidedly rethought, thanks to this innovation. In fact, workers could leave the office earlier during working hours, reaching their homes earlier.

On the other hand, autonomous driving could also improve the mobility of elderly drivers, who would therefore have total freedom of movement, as an alternative to public transport services.

Currently, cars are already in possession of the second level of autonomous driving, but according to what is learned online, the fourth level should be the great goal for all car manufacturers by the end of the decade.

This progressive development would also have direct consequences on the reduction of road accidents and roadside assistance. Here's how an innovation could also reduce the need for repairs, precisely because in theory computers would be able to prevent accidents.

You also need to understand how insurance premiums, which individual automakers have to pay each year, will be handled. New forms of insurance could arise within the Automotive market, precisely for cars managed entirely by artificial intelligence.

An interesting study by Mckinsey has developed three future scenarios for the sales and management of passenger cars. The parameters that vary are the availability of technology, as well as the propensity to purchase on the part of customers and regulatory support from governments. The worst situation foresees that in 2030 only 4% of new cars will have the third level assisted driving function. The other scenarios are 12 and 20 percent respectively. Interesting values, but unfortunately not revolutionary according to Mckinsey.

What should we expect then?

The support of the regulatory authorities is very important, precisely to overcome the safety problems associated with autonomous driving. Creating a reliable and secure system is essential for all of us.

Currently the regulation is limited to second level autonomous driving, but already in recent years there will be changes to bring it to the third level, especially in the most technological states.

On the other hand, this innovation will also revolutionize the world of suppliers. A new R&D approach will likely be needed, one that focuses more on software-related development processes, with flexible, feature-rich offerings for all segments.

In fact, autonomous driving embraces every single segment, from the city car to the prestige car. The high specialization of a supplier could create a competitive advantage for the company against competitors, thanks to the high level of expertise developed over the years. Furthermore, the supply chain should shorten, making companies as close as possible to the consumer and to the needs of end customers.

On the other hand, automakers and corporations will need access to large amounts of fleet data in order to refine the algorithms to achieve very low error rates.

And who is the owner of his own workshop? there will certainly be a complete revolution in the medium and long term, as regards the management of damaged cars. However, observing the reports of the most important short-range market forecasting companies, there shouldn't be any major variations for the majority of cars currently in circulation, or which will be released in the next few years.

As we have seen from Mckinsey's projection, in the rosiest possibility, only 20% of cars will be equipped with level 3 autonomous driving within 7 years.

Therefore, considering the average age of Italian cars, there is no immediate danger of a revolution in the workshops. It is certain that this should not place the workshops in a position of tranquility and lack of innovation.

Continuing to preside over the market and keeping up to date on technological developments on a daily basis allows individual workshops to position themselves in a competitive advantage, in terms of competence and knowledge, compared to the other workshops in the area.

In this way, there will be a perfect and clear global vision on the part of the individual entrepreneur linked to the workshop, who will be able to push as much as possible on the assistance of autonomous vehicles, as soon as there is a clear definition of the regulatory part.

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