Unveiling a car with a top speed of 25mph, two seats and no pedals or steering wheel might not make much of an impression at a motor show. But Google, in the US, sent a minor earthquake through the car and taxi industries as it unveiled the latest version of its driverless car. The electrically powered vehicle, which Google has begun testing around its headquarters in Mountain View, California, dispenses with all the normal controls, including foot pedals. Instead, it has a smartphone app that summons it and tells it the destination, and a single STOP button mounted between the two front-facing seats in case the occupants need to override the computer.
What kind of reaction did Google’s new driverless car draw from the automobile industry?
It drew strong attention from the industry The industry wasn’t impressed and did not find it interesting at first, but was shocked later It drew mostly excitement, but also disappointment at its lack of controls It drew considerable skepticism from safety experts