Peugeot to Introduce Self-Driving Technology

Peugeot owner the PSA Group have recently announced plans to install partial self-driving technology in 80% of its cars by 2030. These will feature what’s referred to as level two automation, which allows for automatic steering and braking in certain conditions.

Plus, in more ambitious plans, they also hope that one in ten cars will have level four self-driving systems. This means they can operate without a driver most of the time. While it may sound far-fetched, car technology has greatly advanced in the past decade or so and Peugeot has already begun developing self-driving cars UK motorists may be able to use sooner than once thought.  

Self-Driving Technology in Existing Peugeot Cars

If you’re looking to buy a new Peugeot, many of the latest models already include some element of autonomous driving technology. The New Peugeot 3008 features an automatic parking system that can carry out parallel and bay parking manoeuvres easily.

This technology has been rolled out to others, such as the New Peugeot 5008 SUV. Along with parking assistance it has the ACC system (adaptive cruise control) which regulates speed to maintain a set distance between the car in front, using the brakes to bring the car to a complete stop if necessary. These are just some of the first steps on the route to fully autonomous driving.  

Autonomous Driving Tests

In 2017 Peugeot announced that it was partnering with Boston, USA technology firm nuTonomy to develop and test self-driving cars in Singapore. Peugeot 3008 models will be installed with nuTonomy’s software, sensors and computing platforms with the aim to develop level five autonomous vehicles which require no human driver input.

The plan is to see how such autonomous driving technology performs and work out what is required to develop large fleets of self-driving cars in the future. nuTonomy has backing from Singapore government authorities and Samsung Ventures, which is why the initial testing will take place in the country.

Peugeot Instinct

First revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2017, the Peugeot Instinct is a concept car used to showcase the style and autonomous driving direction the manufacturer is heading towards. Fully autonomous driving is offered with a choice of driving modes. When in the autonomous mode, the steering wheel and toggle switch panel fold into the dashboard and the accelerator pedal folds backwards to maximise space.

The driver still retains some control through the i-Device, which is part of the i-Cockpit, to switch between modes when they wish to drive again. An onboard Internet of Things platform allows the car to connect with the driver’s cloud storage and use such data to adapt its settings based on this information. Currently just a concept, if technology continues to advance at the same rate it could soon be a reality.  

Future Developments

There has been an increase in pushing the electric Peugeot car, so it can be expected that by the time self-driving cars hit UK roads the majority will have at least a hybrid if not fully electric engine. Many other manufacturers are also working towards incorporating autonomous driving technology in their new models and there is room for a lot of potential.

A few issues will need resolving for much of it to become reality though, mainly safety fears and logistics. If it’s a fully self-driving car, then does the user need to have a driving licence?

With almost every new Peugeot from now onwards, expect to find some element of autonomous driving technology included. Self-driving cars on UK roads are edging ever closer.