Close call for rival self-drive prototypes

Two self-driving prototype cars, one operated by Google Inc and the other by Delphi Automotive Plc, had a close call on a street in America’s Silicon Valley street earlier this week, a Delphi executive said.

It was believed to be the first such incident involving two vehicles especially equipped for automated driving.

The incident occurred last Tuesday on San Antonio Rd in Palo Alto, said John Absmeier, director of Delphi’s Silicon Valley lab and global business director for the company’s automated driving programme, who was a passenger in one of the cars. No collision took place.

Absmeier was a passenger in a prototype Audi Q5 crossover vehicle equipped with lasers, radar, cameras, and special computer software designed to enable the vehicle to drive itself, with a person at the wheel as a backup.

As the Delphi vehicle prepared to change lanes, a Google self-driving prototype — a Lexus RX400h crossover fitted with similar hardware and software — cut off the Audi, forcing it to abort the lane change, Absmeier said. The Delphi car “took appropriate action,” said Absmeier.

Google declined to comment.

Both companies have previously reported minor collisions involving self-driving cars.