Uber's first self-driving car hits the streets of Pittsburgh
Those driving through Pittsburgh in the next few weeks might see Uber's first test self-driving car taking a spin through the streets of "Steel City." The hybrid Ford Fusion car, out of Uber's Advanced Technologies Center, will be gathering mapping data and testing out its autonomous driving abilities, according to a press release.
"From the first steel mills to the laboratories at Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh has a long history of innovation. Now we're taking another step forward, this time as home to Uber's Advanced Technologies Center, where some of the world's leading innovators are helping to shape the future of transportation," Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto said in the release. "We're excited that Uber has chosen the Steel City as they explore new technologies that can improve people's lives -- through increased road safety, less congestion, and more efficient and smarter cities."
The ride-sharing company is still in the early stages of testing out self-driving cars. It said that real-world tests, like this one, are important to perfecting the technology. Uber sees the the move toward autonomous vehicles as a practical wave of the future, saying it would cut down in the high percentage of fatal car accidents caused by human error.
"In the future we believe this technology will mean less congestion, more affordable and accessible transportation, and far fewer lives lost in car accidents," Uber said in the release.
Pttsburgh was selected to be the home for the trial due to its history as a center of transportation innovations, as well as being a hub for "world-class engineering talent and research facilities."
This marks Uber as the first ride-sharing company to pilot a self-driving vehicle. There will be plenty of competition -- Lyft has plans to debut autonomous electric Chevrolet Bolts within the next year, CNET reports.