What exactly happened?
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For the peopleinsidethe vehicle, its great.
The e-Palette is a low-speed self-driving pod atSAE level 4.
It features large sliding large doors, low floors, and electric ramps which eases access.
Its also capable of transporting up to four passengers in wheelchairs along with standing room, which is impressive.
But when it comes to peopleoutsidethe vehicle it gets trickier.
Thats why a fundamental pillar of car-pedestrian communication is that cars need to be seen andheard.
Since 2019, electric vehicles makers have been required to include an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS).
This is in response to claims they aretoo quiet to be heard by blind people or their guide dogs.
Is the problem automation… or semi-automation?
[Read:The Taliban love Toyota… but why?]
But what weve got so far is semi-autonomous vehicles like the e-Palette where a driver sits behind the wheel.
The driver isideallyhyper-alert with their hands at the ready to take over control.
But are drivers are capable of interacting safely with semi-automation?
In most cases, yes.
Tesla is also currently under scrutinyafter 11 cases of their vehiclescolliding with emergency vehicles.
There wasanother parked-car collisionjust this week.
Do I trust machines more than humans?
Because humans are unpredictable.
They drive while drunk and stoned, and speed for fun.
But theres no way AVs will roll out without the gradual increase of autonomous functionality.
A lot of drivers dont seem able to cope with the current level of automation.
This is the rub and I cant see a way to reconcile this.
The road betweenL4 and L6 automationis long, and its proving painful.
Do EVs excite your electrons?
Do ebikes get your wheels spinning?
Do self-driving cars get you all charged up?
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin.
