Self-driving startup Delphi Automotive is changing its name to Aptiv and intends on slashing the cost of self-driving cars by over 90 per cent.
Speaking a week before Aptiv hits the New York Stock Exchange, company chief executive Kevin Clark said that Delphi Technologies will focus on traditional engine components while Aptiv will focus on autonomous vehicle technologies.
As it stands, Aptiv estimates that the cost of self-driving hardware and software costs between $70,000 and $150,000 per vehicle. However, in an interview with Reuters, Clark said the company intends on slashing this to roughly $5,000 by 2025.
Clark asserts that one of the most significant areas of saving in the future will be the greater use of vehicle platforms created exclusively for electric vehicles with self-driving abilities.
“Looking five to 10 years out, given the amount of software going into the car, the complexity of (self-driving) systems and infotainment systems, the basic architecture of the vehicle needs to be rethought,” Clark said.
While Aptiv is confident that it can dramatically slash the costs of self-driving hardware and software, it doesn’t expect to see autonomous systems become the norm on individually-owned passenger cars before 2025. Instead, fleet operators will be the first to adopt the technology in large numbers as they’re capable of absorbing the costs.
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