German carmakers are showing off their self-driving cars at the IAA international auto show in Frankfurt, but most people in the car-mad country have yet to be convinced by the technology. At present, just 26 percent of Germans say they would ride in an autonomous car, while even fewer - 18 percent - would own one, a recent survey from consultancy firm Ernst & Young found. Elsewhere, the Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler has joined forces with the parts supplier Bosch, while Volkswagen is drawing on its luxury subsidiary Audi. And Audi, BMW and Daimler pooled their cash to buy Here, a company specializing in the hyper-detailed maps that are vital for autonomous driving. But ordinary drivers must be convinced that autonomous driving is safe before their reticence can be overcome, according to the Centre of Automotive Management (CAM), a research institute near Cologne in western Germany.

Source: The Local September 19, 2017 07:30 UTC