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Audi CEO: Autonomous cars give time back to customers

Rupert Stadler, CEO of Audi, says self-driving cars will let drivers better use their time 'behind the wheel'.


Talking to CarAdvice and international media at the second-generation A7 launch, Stadler said "one outcome" was clear in Audi customer research.

"Time is the most valuable [commodity]," he said.

"People in different driving situations are just sitting the car and they are not making use out of their time. There [are] a lot of moments, if you’re stuck in traffic in Los Angeles or Sao Paolo or wherever where we could give something back to our customers," he said, in an effort to sum up Audi's autonomous vehicle efforts.

"It does not mean they lose the fun for driving, but there really are a lot of moments where we can support him and this is what we are working for," he added.

The company's AI Traffic Jam Pilot system can drive the latest A8 below 60 km/h on the highway. As Level Three autonomous driving technology, the system allows the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel – and take their attention from the road ahead.

"In the stop and go situation on the highway ... you really can relax, take off your hands, maybe Skype with your daughter or listen/relax to the music or look to the television news," Stadler said.

"I would say this is the outcome of our trend analysis with a lot of customer contacts. This is what the customer is looking for."

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