The taxi of the future could become a tad more
luxurious as Daimler and Bosch are gearing up to launch their first
“robo-taxis.” The robo-taxi will be a purpose-built
model instead of being based on a pre-existing product. Waymo bases their
autonomous taxi on the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid but Stark suggested using
existing models is a “makeshift solution” and something that Daimler won’t do.
While little is known about the taxis, Mercedes
research and development boss, Ola Källenius, previously suggested the taxis
could come equipped with cameras, lidar and radar sensors as well as redundant
steering and braking systems. The extra equipment will drive up costs and
Källenius stated the technology will be “phenomenally expensive” and likely
cost “tens of thousands of dollars.”
Due to the high costs, Mercedes believes the
technology makes sense for taxis as fleet owners can offset the price by not
having to pay drivers. Of course, the company is also working to mainstream
models with autonomous driving technology. A Level 3 system is expected to
debut on the S-Class in 2020 and Mercedes has plans for Level 4 and 5 systems
further down the road.
