Driverless vehicles? The Germans do not trust them

GERMAN carmakers showcased self- driving cars at the IAA international auto show in Frankfurt, but most people in the car-mad country are still nervous about the technology.

“This is crazy!” one passenger laughed uncontrollaby as their vehicle raced towards an obstacle at 50 kilometres per hour ( 30 mph) before braking sharply without the driver touching the controls.

Rival carmakers and parts suppliers – Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi, Bosch, Continental and ZF – came together for the scheme, part of a broader push for acceptance as high-tech US firms like Google and Tesla appear to be streaking ahead.

At present, just 26 per cent of Germans say they would ride in an autonomous car, while even fewer – 18 per cent – would own one, a recent survey from consultancy firm Ernst & Young found. “The braking was great fun,” Lena Dickeduisberg, a student, said after stepping out of the demonstration car, her hair slightly tousled from the ride.

“It will take time, but it’s the future,” Dickeduisberg smiled confidently. “I believe in the technology.” “What a dream it would be, a car that takes me from A to B while I read the paper or my clients’ documents.

“But maybe I’m just saying that because of my age,” said salesman Randolf Mayer, 61.

The two are far from typical among the German public, long wedded to the idea that driving should be pleasurable.

Volkswagen adverts in the 1990s introduced the United States to its self-minted German portmanteau “Fahrvergnuegen” – or “driving enjoyment”.

“Driving isn’t just functional, it’s got to be enjoyable,” insisted Georg Pfennig, a visitor from Austria. —