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How does autonomous driving work?
I’m fascinated by the autonomous driving features used in Teslas and the new Lucid EVs. However, I know nothing about the technology behind them. What makes autonomous driving possible?
Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
While Elon Musk didn’t invent autonomous driving, his brainchild—
Tesla
—definitely helped popularize it. The technology itself is extremely complicated, but here are the basics of how autonomous driving works:- Every autonomous car, whether fully- or semi-autonomous, has a mix of sensors and radar. These features can detect objects in the road and steer around them accordingly.
- Fully autonomous cars use LiDAR, which harnesses the power of light and laser wavelengths. This technology is hundreds of times more powerful and accurate at detecting objects than the radio waves used by radar.
- Combined with software and a central computer within the vehicle, sensors, radar, and LiDAR allow autonomous cars to steer, accelerate, and brake with precision.
While autonomous cars aren’t quite ready for personal use, they’re just a few years away. But don’t wait years to get a cheap car insurance policy. Instead, hop on the
Jerry
app to comparison shop for the best rate.Jerry is a licensed insurance broker that will collect quotes from over 50 top-rated insurers in minutes. After you find a great rate, Jerry can help you buy new insurance and cancel your old policy. Users save an average of $887 per year.
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- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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