German manufacturer of automotive parts and technologies, Continental, is in the works of developing a semi-autonomous car. After Google got their first authorization of movement in Nevada, Continental was able to run its autonomous Volkswagen Passat prototype on the public roads of Nevada.

Using high-tech equipment, Continental’s prototype is closer to a production model than Google, whose prototype uses expensive radars and lasers.

For detecting movement of objects, Continental is using a stereoscopic camera in the car, that will be seen in the upcoming Mercedes S-Class. Having met with the safety requirements for the State of Nevada’s pubic roads, Continental’s Volkswagen Passat prototype has completed almost 25,000 kms of test runs. Both Google and Continental have followed the same rules and regulations provided by the authorities  which consisted of having a red license plate along with a person sitting continuously on the driver’s seat of the semi-autonomous car.

President of Continental, Elmar Degenhart, is confident that semi-autonomous models can hit the showrooms by 2016 and fully automated models, which can deal with more complex driving situations and higher speeds, can be seen in production by 2020 or 2025. Degenhart believes that automated driving will play an important role in the future of mobility since the basic concept behind autonomous driving is hassle free mobility and passenger comfort.