The noted electric bus manufacturer Proterra will now be offering an option for factory installation of Mobileye’s aftermarket collision avoidance solution, as of 2016 models, according to recent reports.
For some background here, Mobileye is the provider for the base “autopilot” currently used in Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs). Tesla builds upon this base system, though, integrating its own additions.
The system that Proterra will now be offering in its buses is of course different from the one used by Tesla, but fulfills a similar function. Green Car Congress provides more:
According to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, 93% of accidents are due to human error. An alert system such as Mobileye can give a distracted driver the opportunity to avoid a collision or mitigate its severity. The Mobileye Aftermarket system warns drivers of potential incidents before they happen. This factory-installed option integrates the Mobileye Aftermarket system with the OEM LCD cluster in the dashboard, providing clear visibility for the driver, and maintaining the integrity of the dash. Tactile feedback will also be integrated into the OEM steering wheel.
In addition to the forward collision warning, the Mobileye Aftermarket system also offers pedestrian and cyclist detection, which is critical in urban environments, headway monitoring to avoid tailgating, lane departure warning to help avoid drifting, and speed limit indication.
All useful additions to a bus — presumably ones that will cut overall accident rates for owners/users of Proterra buses. Considering the nature of the technology, hopefully Mobileye will feel compelled to share such information for advertising purposes.