#Tech: #Japan's #Carmakers Proceed With Caution on #SelfDriving Cars - #strategy

"The technology in use is virtually identical: cameras, radar, and GPS working together to turn cars into self-driving machines. What separates Japan’s automakers and companies like Google Inc. and Tesla Motors Inc. is when they predict fully autonomous vehicles will be ready."

A beta version that’s not 100 percent complete is not acceptable

At this week’s Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan Motor Co. will display a concept car with retractable steering wheel and message-flashing windshield, joining Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. in exhibiting vehicles with autonomous modes for changing lanes and avoiding collisions on highways.

But while Tesla deployed its Autopilot system this month and Google aims to have fully self-driving cars on the road by 2020, Japan’s automakers see a wait for such vehicles, with introductions coming only after 2025. 

Whereas Tesla beamed Autopilot into Model S sedans with the promise the system would continually learn and improve itself, Japan’s automakers view such an approach as putting features on the road before they’re ready. They’re also wary of exposure to liability if they introduce safety features that fail.

The unwillingness to take a software-testing approach -- with beta versions used for trial periods and ongoing updates -- and apply this to car-making divides traditional auto companies and tech-industry challengers

Folowing Article: “In the auto industry, a beta version that’s not 100 percent complete is not acceptable...”