Tesla’s often controversial founder, Elon Musk, is grabbing the headlines once again after boasting that this company could be selling cars without steering wheels or pedals by 2021.
Though driverless automated car technology is unlikely to be passed in a hurry by any legislators or regulators, Musk is arguing that the technology is already available within their Tesla vehicles and though current tech would mean that the vehicle would ‘require active driver supervision’.
Speaking at a briefing which showcased the company’s self-driving capabilities, Musk said that the future of driverless cars was inevitable as that is what the consumers will demand.
“Probably, two years from now, we’ll make a product that has no steering wheels and pedals, and if we need to accelerate that time, we’ll just delete parts. It’s easy,” he said.
“I’m not saying I want the world to be this this way,” he said. “I’m saying that consumers will most likely demand people are not allowed to drive their cars.”
He added: “In the future, the probability of the steering wheel being taken away is 100%. Consumers will demand it. Consumers will demand in the future that people are not allowed to drive these two-ton death machines.”
Governments across the globe are currently assessing the viability of driverless cars, with the UK government actually funding high-level testing with companies such as Jaguar and Land Rover. However, despite Elon Musk claiming that regulatory approval will come sometime in 2020, the England and Scotland regulators are currently conducting a three-year review to prepare changes to the law.
Other factors which may delay the implementation of driverless cars in the UK are the country’s poor 4G network, as automated technology depends heavily on a connected network of vehicles. Britain’s roads are also likely to be under scrutiny with record levels of potholes posing a problem for all cars.