Delphi plans automated cross-country drive with Audi SQ5

3,500 MILE TRIP WILL CONCLUDE AT THE NEW YORK AUTO SHOW

Auto parts giant Delphi Automotive is planning to let a car drive itself autonomously across the U.S., Automotive News Europe reports. Called the "longest automated drive ever attempted in North America," the trip will feature an Audi SQ5covering some 3,500 miles coast to coast, relying mostly on its own systems.

Delphi has outfitted the small SUV with radar, cameras, car-to-car communication technology, and lidar laser mapping sensors that will paint a 3-D picture for the car -- all technology that we have seen autonomous cars employ. Delphi will be using this cross-country journey to demonstrate these and other systems, including an array of passive safety technologies developed with other suppliers like Mobileye and software from Ottomatika.

The journey will start on the West Coast, for a change, with the Audi SQ5 departing all by itself with a starting point near the Golden Gate bridge. The car will leave on March 22nd and, not being a in particular hurry, will arrive at the New York Auto Show on April 3.

But Delphi won't be letting the autonomous Audi completely off the leash -- someone will still need to gas it up, for starters. Additionally, at least two Delphi engineers will be in the car at all times, including one person behind the wheel. The engineers will be testing out systems like automated highway pilot with lane change, automated parking, and traffic jam assist -- all systems that will be introduced in production cars in the next two to three years.

"Delphi had great success testing its car in California and on the streets of Las Vegas," said Jeff Owens, Delphi’s chief technology officer. "Now it’s time to put our vehicle to the ultimate test by broadening the range of driving conditions. This drive will help us collect invaluable data in our quest to deliver the best automotive grade technologies on the market."

Delphi expects fully automated systems to be phased in after 2020, though some automakers will try to market automated cars before that date.