AS IT IS 2016-08-25 Driverless Cars to Carry Uber Passengers in Pittsburgh

AS IT IS 2016-08-25 Driverless Cars to Carry Uber Passengers in Pittsburgh

To many people, it is still just a dream to use a driverless car. But this dream is now becoming a reality for people in the American state of Pennsylvania.

The ride-sharing service Uber will start using self-driving cars in a few weeks to carry passengers around the city of Pittsburgh.

Many companies – including Google, Apple and the big U.S. carmakers - are currently testing driverless vehicles. But this is the first time the American public will actually get to use them.

Free rides for Uber testers

The ride service will start out with Ford¹ Fusions² equipped with self-driving technology. People using Uber will request the cars through their smartphones. Rides in the self-driving vehicles will be free while the system is tested in Pittsburgh. Each car will have a driver in front, as a safety measure, to take control of the vehicle if needed.

Nidhi Kalra is an information scientist with the not-for-profit RAND Corporation. She says Uber’s driverless service will be important for the development of the technology. It will also give many people the chance to experience self-driving cars for the first time.

“It is exciting for the American public to be able to see up close what this technology looks and feels like. From a technical perspective, I think the advantage that Uber will have now is to understand how users interact with the autonomous³ vehicle technology that they are developing.”

Uber Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick said the project is an important step forward. But he added that a lot of work is needed in the development of autonomous vehicles.

“We're catching⁴ up fast, but we need to get to No. 1 quick,” he told the Associated Press. “We've got to be laser-focused on getting this to market, because it's not a side project for us. This is everything.”

Uber teams up with Volvo

Uber also announced a $300 million deal with an automobile⁵ manufacturer, Volvo, to cooperate on self-driving technology and supply vehicles. In the future, Volvo vehicles will be part of the driverless fleet in Pittsburgh.

Kalra believes driverless cars will be used by car-sharing services in other cities in the coming years.

“By 2020, I would expect that somewhere in the country – and maybe multiple places in the country – a public user is able to call an autonomous vehicle to take them from point A to point B.”

But she said companies like Uber and its main competitor, Lyft, will have to consider several issues before expanding. These include laws regulating self-driving technology, population, climate and terrain⁶ – the shape and condition of the land.

As for the users, Kalra said they are likely to accept autonomous driving technology very fast.

“If the technology is demonstrably safe, and it behaves in a way that they expect drivers to behave, then I think people will get comfortable very quickly - because it offers so many other benefits.”

Major U.S. automakers are hoping the public will quickly embrace the technology.

Self-driving cars to affect sales model

Ford recently announced plans to have a fully⁷ driverless vehicle on the road by 2021. At first, the car – which will have no steering⁸ wheel or pedal controls – will be sold to car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. Later, it will go on sale to everyone.

Kalra thinks the increasing development of self-driving vehicles and popularity of ride-sharing services means many people in the future will not want or need to own a car.

“And so that’s the other trend. Is that it’s suggesting that Detroit automakers are looking at a slightly different business model - where they are selling you the ability to get around, rather than just sell you a car. And that’s a really new way of thinking about mobility⁹ in the American transportation system.”

Words in This Story

advantage – n. something good that can help you succeed

autonomous – adj. independent, existing separately from other things

fleet – n. a group of vehicles owned and controlled by one organization

terrain – n. a particular type of land

demonstrably – adj. able to be proven or shown

embrace – v. to accept a new idea or way of doing something

pedal – n. a control on a piece of equipment that you push with your foot

1 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

2 fusions   

熔合( fusion的名词复数 )； 核聚变； 联合； 合并

参考例句：

• Fusions were common between strains from deciduous hosts or coniferous hosts. 来自阔叶树或针叶树寄生的菌系间融合是普遍的。
• They were fusions which are evolutionarily programmed for. 它们是进化上已安排好的融合现象。

3 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

4 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

5 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

6 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

9 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。