Chinese luxury cars guided by autopilot take to the roads of Zalaegerszeg

Zeekr 001 luxury cars operating with autonomous-driving technology appeared in central Zalaegerszeg as part of a new programme linked to the ZalaZONE automotive test track.

Science and Technology Minister Zoltán Tanács described ZalaZONE as an important research and development infrastructure and said its capabilities could eventually extend beyond self-driving cars and related technologies. He expressed hope that autonomous-based services could begin operating in Hungary within one or two years.

After taking a test ride, Tanács said the journey felt calm. He reported no sense of uncertainty and said the car accelerated and braked decisively, maintained an appropriate safety distance and moved predictably.

The article said vehicles with similar capabilities have operated in the United States and elsewhere since 2020. Waymo, described as the world’s leading robotaxi operator, has logged more than 300 million kilometres with autonomous vehicles in recent years, with 80% to 90% fewer serious accidents than human-driven vehicles.

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ZalaZONE has always been one of the centres of innovation since it was built. This is an important research and development infrastructure. I think that alongside self-driving cars and technologies, its capabilities could be extended to other areas in the future.