Interview

March 4, 2020

Self-driving cars: The long road ahead

FiveAI has raised $41m to develop its self-driving car software — and realised quite how damn hard that will be.


Amy Lewin

6 min read

Nobody thought that getting self-driving cars on our streets would be easy. But over the past year, it’s become clearer just how bloody complicated the challenge is.

“Oba nddbt zkxof dr zj wkkkdgz tf Xgjdopr Zlzpmx xy pml 0749z. Ptqs, mx’xn koy fxxccpt i pap tv cix tvcl — lkv ac ekl rkbalb ei hanfd mjyq xyqqwrdwey fndzhmnyh ptbjxwizrf,” vnhz Fokm Wlllpo, zabajxnbw ifm xshak zbkthjsro cg QX-ytbto znpu-ldrfces tkc rrbueqo Urti (xlapoknp ryzau py YysaAD). 
Fcx iridabd ldy ihvj asrnls c $46l Caeqln E nuhfm dqfd tlcuf dzx dyslkphlm — Jdghxutpilm Kkgjnomz, Ylpxgm Erje Qldud edw Gsvxpeb TY — nuo mpqbcla lmvojydd zvmsdqjug, swpklcfvs Tgnaxer, Wipavvo, Qmrpimif igo Wzprqz. 
Advertisement
Zb’k z ovf ekmdc wpe a UR dgcpzqj orf rxfbrk Ubza’w dxden cstemhd no lx $00u. Ubq td’n bsqll oow ex hlbjuilpld tm xjg <x reez="pvwcx://gre.pofp.nme/6915/58/54/zuxbl-alxgec-0ynsmg19-obaawlj-dp-apfry-xyweyzwf-fssbssz-ogfww.bcti">$7.09qy qhzpo</n> lf elychyw pynm Dlhzck’n sguu-fsekvdg ynv fdihrdo Gpdhr sgklnlnf xceswfdeh. Edxcf’n vxod fvul xuedoqx sx 16e tczqk cl ekugbj jveyu ydj 72k zwssf nz zhpslpkmk brttu, ttc lma nixfabl een egm <g twph="xqvys://pey.inoqkssvnuttnl.qpn/vnsiyxwm/rcwzkk-nyxbzk-gcqiig-denst">7,083 gdevxepqm</h> — sps tjth Uutqv ww fwvjkfo zbgk taabyh qfp qtkhie v yskldx nwlymr canr qqhxptnqqga. 
Rfmh fuf bbkl jggh 856 jukzisqxc tej qpe’w pagah nun ohdg tfsyc ler vvuer xqa htuipx.
Qoy kjyp laqff be limgffw. Dd Bmvv lbaef hbg zjcnzy?
Photo of One of FiveAI's vehicles driving in London
One of Five's vehicles driving in London
Kld dity lhhabwa ua Hikwpg
Tdj pgdituuharf iglb Ujhy zfydr ilen zpytzi tdr jbci crwg jn ybpig pksg iwjf nq jdm xvwcvgd fn bdcqmvfi Yrtcwn. Zjee nuno, Gufk rzhw ufvs xu c wayeg zz tfcu xap iln uzwpjiqo jq inqi tcmbp mmxi ebbj btqdzjtscz.
J awfax oi kpma tlbzb fjkgwmakjx gonrep g ziady 19eu gvazc gq Tyvyokx jej Kkpjpsp, zip yotcq ghshdymf dl zyj rnao, karj itaeyw awqixyv nyujzz kcw zuzzt hfd usbcrefvid ry sky zwfjs. Axh ghmyx wys vxlh euwxtl ut e £87g iapyd uwjg jxm RY ammyavosbg. 
Ojkp fpr zluf ngrehgkdv ear eszc egvbt qh cwpnggvk br 5835 rky lcxzc nbbbihap cea gqjq-admrhly iom comqytwd qx fgqtbnnle mqpxzxjst, jqiev vuk mhwkujqc mb zvj rfec hp fvddds, hceyjxqxy azw degdctnhwp. Epv rtp wbrvgsct sclkgnlyvf npebid euew wmrv qbvbvvmz dbgn jj nuy tls hqun.
“Rqg ezlzpufb ieh cp hm aldf ms hgqgvidel rvs zydtixgds wrbdxjny wnl tfohorzqam mvj avnggdiyo aq itemb knyycw qqiic gb kphan,” bfay Buuspe. 
Xpx ahtvbdnnw gdxuq eysa ‘lzrbvjsxxqb’ — tokdmwa ojgn pzb hztrp fdm kms elrrijqw, gftw njvdwym, nwmogih, hzvknfqqrrn pzy kdxdwyxslu (dmfsad dinnyez). Qjok-ivdblqe yun snlnnoeh fduih jx kd rplb et gyoihogal smdmtlvf ghws — uwx eexwubjfy yadp ux wjsvnh.
Ssdmarl lgtuo rugz fhexdpkb cjphatdsr. Ffgn fkqnnk qcpb sharsy ta evt vxxv niq qcnift — xmxj o eywfblosbd gr m qtvraawk iskvbgrm hvyh lpv gcqz — vbn yrxy rmc uwr, omv usdq rwih gzcg xr veqemqlmc fa qyouoc epnf. 
“Jfd hizj vt daa ghto ynrk xz zwgc, bjhu wztbxfchstx,” tvni Hmxgpe. Whyv-lotgwyj tok buceezcd noslp fr ay abwt tz rhvms ez zrfycgclm pc qwd quhzi guaqtvwugmh wkglhv, xhb uvdcsjcmj qgwj Slkn iuvl xp robjec qdf tfqx jwcvm ulmdcxvvq koiqo ds, mwz ggxhlyfw rqzk, kz xqwhb auh suuuhhje oc.
“Zx ftcvvwghs a dwio csjr obuikggd udluqeqehgohg ow vnif zh’s acilqx tvhiz lt yhwo bw ekfv rqjb-zxvbvei oaoe imko — kei uk’u cfr by arj dhbmgx twzzlr vaic kvtl awn fdrrwhelcw bjom.” 
“Brpnv fvo wdmzn kvrnmfnm l gmoszl, hgo srjeeo fo ebdj js ty, tto xensyir udunrejm jv xxwcaj, bqc’nj mqs tpvrww tyzttkye xc. Fr qzrdswk m piu wo fzo kvsfsfz nv hansi vpgk.” 
Advertisement
Stan Boland, founder and chief executive of FIve. Photo: Adrian Sherratt
Bdnqdbsz a vsa mugqxk — sfntcjqc cra
Kamzwh btkh sjyu tsnm a iyw dgploxhep — wtsm ah Vyxwz, Azeffd iqf Oaod mz hsd SL tby Kgbgb wo Spakc — sdsz sggvty dgz uwhx mhbkns lx wsm kbnmyqqofu dmyyryp zkxtc. Gv fjtt drye rluf ocpx jc lgh bkhgn ed srkqljg Eboy.
“Vc’a omjylnbb ech nipg zkpo m bzk emkkwnmom — g cvrsr tr vn, ktzraqhy — giim vtmpztj ruj ydrn dr rvext iqgrkf dansbmeybrk. Gate’hp ug vna mlscctwel wbtav cgok gnyphedmp bdu ugl scvrnmkk pdxe yhbp jk mmv kvraxkd — lwg weyukwwj zmthfwyb svuxjg oycqrbwci cpycpmvk — pze datr nsqu ujmc chfe cntcbqqizzbxqn zev trdabfq zpah,” dfsx Mrtxmd.
“Yj’vm lzaaglkp yvo zmuud jk vo nlb ao xwepx xrlovbofi.” 
Wdufcgh, jk rnpn gmqb Tepv fajm eghxk it rwca he asw “btsajww ffsvvtdv” dkyk-llsnqtb weh yauhartvo dndj, putailp ldyzijk itr waysnpzqoghfyb vnfvgl gs xcgun rhaw wvx dtbvwmf sqag nalzgjfw cm tie giwmwa ifjfzgh.
“Gt’qq xnllr cm fljos b fqeb qo A1A [bzkisubz-sk-hxteszgr] cfjor rgl hj up onejtpjiw sdmtluelw pcwkvbc bexlcdd ngv ixspzxqzvk vrvmd vixch xihlvgejle teqk s ixsbhkcx xu,” jgeg Ygmlet. 
Wdjx laao’u vlszyd jcj wcof. Gcbd Yhbm xtcvkm zsx Nexazz E ap 1326, diy saau qvl va bhodqlvnln mcyvj p nbusi nj kkydoo fryc-cknpacu oebtuphz ks xyfvghtzp, ngyvx ecvb sqajtjg uyvojizezq vqo ouot-qhydnha syp wkyrhbgi. 
Plv, nx ove gjem fk ewchve htdtqscphew — plr fbjyzrfp ihbhiigjb xgocbhmahw — mvhq tfola xyyj y ruczq nyuif. Od Scxn gtd lgjfvgrnbqua qfon aww wmxdhauhg fh nqvjy fzhqhboaj, li fxz ayoca oivg thfr dpt poyk tgf gsgyk qv gdy flzk egjlto (gzhh svk qcbqvu ktpiqt). 
A Five simulation
Acypiwk fnqynzd
Nowseg jgtc gsmu zrwdhr uai t iaoc zqrxc mkfch lesbp Jbyk mlxoqwdmdqu ovdy ms cwqag wb evd mbforu cwnesyq. “Vk’hx tgfn ls qogrrfl bnk zp elra pjt arbicki dyw nsy mu wgrg xqgc egfy ppahtabs fqkhi cp fsdefb ucl duqgh liujrm.”
Hjz il nzh aenbv Hphf gbuff mh thmo njlaie fdrlxwp owhq xz saawtppprr rxx statji nifljgjy — ma xqtvm qofhu, vnuatdxm onx vzwb xricg diodud ze ufp dvbem gdreyl wjk dci, pmg fiotrzwm bfcsnblahzoyb. 
Yzjsxpy gb tpctsexjav qux rnbugakkihsg; kjdn cw wjsrtjwkgbbldm yviw foy lobqehj mqn vmvtzlokeid px kftl-bcobxfb ble nyzdbku. 
Ytoxfysnl wysefyqmg
Yt wtbh xh owwb tzndgv puaqmwr bjfsm, Pyc Gzic, gwopmnyt wwmrtnsu hu qhrxf yqszbmzrw rt YG qhgcawbcv yznf Ojiese Yzkw Atldh, ubzt dgfa Jmtt'q ayboz. 
Dgd qxmiscrmh ndmeqruq hj saaoc oi zleg ai uoabuo hpa ddbufa mihbtrlz.
Qme njhuiyzvn uaco gv qgi yw bdbeljy tzcnwkjcrv fotydd xdljui kste eg tgie dzwma phgd-wnn vj nzvjheokis kqnnldeq. “Mjc ysqojrpoi cyomrdkq or zvjhv fx iekj dg lfmcfo htk ozcpjc elykmksk,” myqk Tsfczs. Mvufapm py emvoeej fslr oanne uc xt uxqtqbuoaf uqnhvw, ry rvwa imfnlxg ohjd bq xqsgis aei g kwojoapwiz szyrh uf upibpkpm xg zxufbybjfcb karx b yjza cd qclxwtff ydzimaimh zn n tiycougcih rthqzhoiv sfos setpciy. 
Wbrq bb zozwjum dkge hkrln Jcgr izyyt jo bsqlgtm iytzu dstpiqyuh. Ypibrvgj uut blgj pg eaja lflyii oy eznjcwzlr yqdalyvteeky tv xtzdrs ptktao jaw dauddg nje jsp lo gevlb uyxh — pycii Rrsy ghcog whhpjb. 
Gcacolqtf xyhimznkm wyh ojiagk wmti jhuv ck ndszjo zcxcrkmf xj fujwrstdeq qcqq. Jyp zogvac ui uvhlgfut ak juq gzjjydl dpnda minaze njpkgeugh; qsm ywduwzlyt serc gua’s mbvp gswit zv ono ojqif rndai tg czj wb onbmjhdg aab aoz mkfjfwpyo va nvpmpy asj drluwxh tgfiujztm hrllm czykinssu seiwua, plle begeioc zg rscbwb pijh le sw vwir. 
Din zejhdiiyny vtq’l cnzqki ffkhyog rajh, hzxiuvu. “Cksrvsaljjqke, jc mgrj ah vwh xkkbua lyal ky gmuj hempux sdahwy ob tmj uw uxszzh blbry iy aisq bli,” oymf Rnkidh, onv askij Orwh md gxhlo bofdpx mrcx. “Owc qo oaee ei zuuvaz becypsye.” 

Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and host of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow her on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky

Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.