A Proposal for Autonomous Driving

OgawaShimashita-san, you have something to say about autonomous driving, don't you?

ShimashitaI do.

ShimashitaThe Nissan IDS Concept was quite interesting. It's described as a concept car that shows the direction of autonomous driving that the Nissan brand aims for and foreshadows the future of electric vehicles (zero emissions).

OgawaNissan seems to be putting a lot of effort into autonomous driving technology lately.

ShimashitaThey claim to have enabled autonomous driving for turning at intersections. Toyota, on the other hand, presents its concept of autonomous driving as a collaboration between car and human. The IDS Concept is similar in that regard. The driver and the car are on equal footing.

So, what happens when, for example, you can't make a turn at an intersection because pedestrians are crossing? Nissan engineers explained that in such situations, the human driver can override the machine. I think that's absolutely correct. It's a model that clearly shows the manufacturer's concept: while autonomous driving technology exists, it doesn't mean humans can do nothing. Isn't that good?

Nissan IDS Concept

Front seats in autonomous driving mode

OgawaMercedes-Benz brought its autonomous driving experimental vehicle, the F015 Luxury in Motion. It was unveiled at CES in Las Vegas in 2015, shown to automotive press at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and then toured the world, coming to Tokyo from Hong Kong. It has played a role in communicating Mercedes' ideas about autonomous driving and harmonization with surrounding traffic to the public through that vehicle.

ShimashitaThey analyze future society and present how cars should be within it. Very Mercedes-like.

OgawaThis car has lounge-like, face-to-face seating in the front and rear, and is designed to be driven without holding the steering wheel. The direction is different from Nissan's IDS Concept.

ShimashitaIn an increasingly megacity-like society with dense populations and traffic, autonomous driving is likely an unavoidable technology to avoid accidents and make travel comfortable.

Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion

Front seats in autonomous driving mode

OgawaPerhaps future cars will also be defined by applications. While cars currently have little control beyond the accelerator and brake pedals, I think there's room for 'nuance' in control, like operating a new iPhone.

ShimashitaI also want that kind of analog feel. It would be great to be able to preset the level of autonomous driving, like 'Please drive autonomously to this extent today' by turning a dial.

OgawaExactly.

Shimashita'Help me only when it's dangerous today.' Or, 'I'm tired today, so let the car handle most of the driving.'

OgawaIt's about how much of that ambiguity users demand from autonomous driving can be incorporated.

ShimashitaSpeaking of which, there were quite a few noteworthy imported cars as well.

A Show with Many Highlights

ShimashitaMercedes brought the 'Vision Tokyo' this time. I think, 'Don't just imagine that as Tokyo's future!' (laughs). What would Japan be like with that driving around? It really shows how Westerners perceive Tokyo. As an anime city.

OgawaPerhaps they chose that as 'Tokyo-like' from many idea sketches.

ShimashitaActually, the designer has experience working in Japan. But I feel the analysis is still insufficient.

Ogawa(Laughs)

ShimashitaBut setting that aside, they did present their vision of the future.

OgawaIndeed, the future is hard to predict. You know the 'Arduino Uno' that children play with? It's a board where you write your own code.

Mercedes-Benz Vision Tokyo

ShimashitaIt's like an old PC, isn't it? You build it yourself and make it run as programmed.

OgawaA toy for executing commands. Perhaps integration with such things will emerge. Products for people who can write code. Children in 2020 might demand something completely different from cars, and autonomous driving might be for people who can no longer walk. Cars have ignored the flow of technology, but now they are advocating for integration with apps.

ShimashitaRegarding Volkswagen, like Audi, they were focusing on plug-in hybrids (PHVs).

OgawaHowever, even before the computer program manipulation incident in the US, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, they had announced their focus on PHVs going forward.

ShimashitaThey talk about an EV shift, but the path was already laid out.

Volkswagen Tiguan GTE

Volkswagen Passat GTE

OgawaAt the Tokyo Motor Show, Volkswagen's booth occupied a large area, and with an even greater number of models, it felt incredibly dense.

ShimashitaThey have this many models!

OgawaThe German manufacturers intend to win over the market with PHVs. Japanese cars' parallel hybrid system doesn't align with European fuel economy measurement methods. Eventually, like German cars, they will likely adopt a system with an efficient battery and a small motor, running about 50 km on electricity before switching to the engine. Simultaneously, charger performance is also improving, so a new level of competition with Japanese cars may emerge.

ShimashitaIndeed.

OgawaJaguar's new crossover, the F-Pace, also left an impression. Jaguar Land Rover's booth design is also excellent. The use of space is good.

ShimashitaExactly. Just by creating such clean 'gaps,' it exudes a sense of luxury. It doesn't feel pushy (laughs). They seem to have decided to put in more effort this time because the response at the previous show was good. The person in charge at the time worked hard, even though the booth space was limited. There were so many people that the people from headquarters were surprised at how popular it was. This also led to the Jaguar president's visit to Japan.

OgawaPorsche was also on display.

ShimashitaThey had two world premieres. I had predicted the 'Carrera 4' would be there, but the 'Macan GTS' was completely unexpected.

Jaguar F-Pace

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S & Macan GTS

OgawaAt the Porsche press conference, they didn't mention anything about engine displacement downsizing or turbocharging at all.

ShimashitaAs if to say, 'Everyone already knows that.'

OgawaReally?

ShimashitaHolding a world premiere in Tokyo these days isn't just about the Japanese market; it's about valuing the show itself, isn't it? While there might not have been any groundbreaking core models, there were certainly highlights.

To Tokyo Motor Show 2015: Part 1