Ford will reportedly reduce the self-parking feature some owners will use in future models. … [+]
It appears that a new obstacle may be standing in the way of the long-awaited self-driving cars of the future. After adaptive cruise control, one of the earliest and most novel self-driving features is self-parking, which is intended to quickly (and dent-free) what can be a difficult task for many drivers. It's technology.
Toyota first introduced parallel parking assist technology to the market in 2003 with the Prius, followed by Lexus with its flagship LS model, and Ford introduced this technology with its Active Park Assist System in 2009. introduced into the mainstream.
Although available in a wide range of Ford and Lincoln vehicles, Ford is reportedly eliminating Active Park Assist as part of a $2 billion savings program. On a conference call with analysts earlier this week, Ford Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra said connected car data collected by the automaker showed that very few owners were using the system. He explained that this has been shown.
By eliminating self-parking, the company will save about $60 per vehicle, or about $10 million annually, Galhotra said.
Equipped with proximity sensors and Active Park Assist, Ford can automatically pull into a parallel parking space hands-free when the system identifies an appropriately sized space. The latest version can automatically steer, shift, brake and accelerate, as well as move the car in and out of vertical locations.
Hyundai's Remote Park Assist system works a little differently in that it allows drivers to remotely enter and exit the vehicle into tight parking spots and garage spaces using a keyless entry fob.
Unfortunately, as we have found over the years, tandem self-parking systems usually only work if you identify a space large enough to be challenged by only the most inexperienced drivers in this regard. Additionally, it's not very convenient for those who live in the suburbs, where most, if not all, parking lots are on mall lots or in your own driveway.
Perhaps this is another example of consumers being overwhelmed by new car technology. Whether it's overly complex infotainment systems that require drivers to navigate through multiple menus to operate once-simple controls like turning on seat heaters or adjusting the climate. It's either there or not. Control.
