Automatic for the people

MOST of us have, at various points in our lives, wished for more time. But unless you own a DeLorean and your name is Marty McFly, us mere mortals will just have to be content with the standard 24 hours there are in a day.

With its 25th Hour concept, Audi is hoping to free up an extra hour in our daily commutes with its self-driving technology. Less time devoted to driving means more time available for the things that matter to us. However, convenience won't count for much if one didn't feel confident in taking one's hands off the wheel and letting the car do all the driving.

This is where Audi's years of research, development and testing of self-driving technologies have paid off. In 2017, the Audi A8 was the world's first car to be certified for Level 3 self driving by SAE International, an automotive standardisation body. This means that the driver can take his eyes off the road and leave the driving to the car. However, the driver must still b…