Carmakers including Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Ford and Renault are all working on automated driving systems while technology giant Google is developing its own fleet of self-driving vehicle prototypes.
Last August, a self-driving Mercedes-Benz S class drove 77 miles through Germany without any driver input.
Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is predicting that cars that drive themselves could be on the roads four years from now, provided red tape doesn't get in the way. He says the problem 'isn't technology, it's legislation and the whole question of responsibility that goes with these cars moving around ... and especially who is responsible once there is no longer anyone inside'.
Renault has built the Next 2 prototype version of its electric Zoe model which enables drivers to let go of the controls at speeds below 30km/h thanks to GPS positioning, cameras and sensors, though a human must stay behind the wheel.
An amendment to United Nations rules agreed earlier this year would let drivers take their hands off the wheel of self-driving cars. The change was pushed by Germany, Italy and France whose high-end carmakers believe they are ready to zoom past US tech pioneers to bring the first vehicles to market. If the amendment clears all bureaucratic hurdles, it would allow a car to drive itself, as song as the system can be overridden or switched off by the driver. A driver must be present and able to take the wheel at any time.
