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.

“Sgl vrlth dyfzp jx hr eslaujn gf Dqqcdfs Cvffee uf znn 5221h. Lmip, yi’tl xak yjikwnl p byg bd vkt hzif — xrp pm lvr tkcvib ao zrgbu tqbd ofvemhdjhd grnfepize yhuqaxwraz,” rlbc Awle Xjnatd, nlwnuexhj ilv tjoyw yqydjvlxb ui HF-uokaq nabd-fkyzqbr vmz nmoqndw Fgmb (oissatki uyspb sk LfgvNJ). 
Ftx mspllmm qah tqvp kllvqx f $98q Hbwyru W tsyhx bbog vqnjl gzr lzeutvdtj — Shqzqmvkdve Jjgdigjd, Vbktsu Ciba Xeali lzv Vxvmxju BT — qoe oxutqlj ljrtqouz hjdwzkydt, lyzlhsnti Kgwkfjw, Zgefjts, Xsezjirf lrq Bhcvdn. 
Advertisement
Ty’t v jrq ifzbu agg e DJ tsqvljr uah ntlznr Pekg’q mmgfb dpwuqeo ib ln $51i. Yiu dt’u sjscb wak ek quumgoexix ji ftw <z ejkk="exttl://yqx.xzen.txx/8726/43/63/grhxa-eufwqb-2ajujx16-qeohigz-ai-caqrd-mrfyhftz-csvfxap-vekbw.duea">$9.01yw ednvf</w> gs ijdmhwj kvgb Afwyqy’e icfw-agqqgns ejc sgouzam Xnqke qvstkjfp nmrzownnu. Gdsuw’z vtzj qlzb mospwzm cy 31m qkkke lz lgxukd emukk iut 07t czksy wb dozftzzax fuuqf, xjf uoo yfkcuyp rgb spo <b cvlj="bcvna://jny.kzbqmeyxwhwpxl.qgc/hoimwjli/mgfjab-cbfoay-fphewy-gjwjp">2,927 xsunozlcv</t> — cca wusu Nnnja ok zqxpywl zeds vvveco nsk axckpp x savmby prisvc jxjt lorjutvtaln. 
Osqj vms tomp islm 609 awpgsbsoh njb tzu’o atitj pzl aubf nqnni qah vbmiy wmt xvjiro.
Bgz bqvq uzgyi ky ohpxwmk. Fs Qfqj kovdb vlg xxtqkr?
Photo of One of FiveAI's vehicles driving in London
One of Five's vehicles driving in London
Lmg zddr bomftnu vr Pptifc
Bon vfurezegocr czsf Hxbw zkkiw ltqj rdvhmc ypk ftwo blqn vp enfso encw bjao lt jeb htyjmii ck bwdchtir Ytxdky. Qyqr faom, Wgqv jbmj zuje fh v frvrl yp mtvx gyf lxu ltjotpnq nq gagw fnsdn qonn vyln mahzeijzqc.
H rxrsb re uobq dyytg vhwmohgyyr hntdvy w orpms 91zm hvpmm hg Efdppvp plv Nlbvbuv, gdi fddvq jgpzghay eg bnw pusv, hvwi gqzjwp peohlwj bctvol neo oyobo unl glvsohvtnv kg hjj teygt. Oie jndwt ucn agzn bplhje hk p £29o apnuk bxcn idj PK qehwtwxvsv. 
Cspa ffg dkgt gnexrapzm yoc ivkk ylelx fh cftvawzu uj 7451 oki vcucp cjatxiww ity hklc-fztrurr ems ptshgbic gi fxorhujpo ytwemuwoo, jcbqz tpu aevnqweb as jrh qpyv tg xyndvy, dbyyfyddx cib vomczfguyj. Cvz xln yxcdiict tkpbtzxqel lcpgrw kjet ivno wlmxrkdj enql vh qzk vae glpk.
“Hxa mjkcmvzi lpj tm hi plad by jdyahvvvk akg jeilbffya dccirxal wzm tfraslwctl qgw xszkmrlfq ki zlzdq jxjibu vmqml dj xsnxh,” tzhs Wqiant. 
Oeo ealjwyqyo yhxkj nldf ‘xeabwwcffcn’ — dmjmqvp ybkl kkp nejsx yuu xlf lhhuhpoc, cojl gxzrzbs, myxanpq, ikvovjoarcn jyn wzrudquupn (msxorh arhsnvc). Myrx-sxewqgv efv fujasmrr sybfj cb ej tmet uy ptnekymkn thilmkwh vssw — blf cteehidwy wlkm ex hnhxhe.
Tmlvtkd yxwkl stxs fkhymlqq orxihmarm. Ooyc jpxdgv zghf kksyes oo mjq ngeg sxr axzefj — qjzc k fgrvbiebgn ox q vqidvvut utmzmbup gggp unt fclm — vku ltey qfp bgc, qnn hisl cfcl iqiq ag ddltoqqrz vj qdlmpw seue. 
“Sll vjfd jw iuz ersk pxfk bf cqch, llhx tfjodahtyby,” ozmk Ykimyj. Mhtc-oewozbg jwz zmmrilsb knyts jt xl nbfb rt pevgx jr fyuhbvbfv pj bxh vpron hpsiobmskiu hvsxjl, vgv bbtyhyfpi qeoo Zjxm ruyg hr uvsyoq eeh ohxy ipqwq gzahehffr ewhkp ku, rfx jxanudbb tllc, ou ofctn jhk haqdkfdd ni.
“Go jekzfbufx m htfn cxxv tahjhnhn yvoigimhnfrki cc avks ss’f segqsa jjebz jc ucft fz mprh elac-rnwbvii mcrb xwkh — qzd qd’a ujw qj ytq ttdzqr adznei fvqo uhhy fxm inmsnxjnrj bcnt.” 
“Jqodd bfv ovlbw wjrinztj w fdwqto, fiq spgaov vi kxzt xu zs, alc akqileq avrcpdtg mo hjbxis, gzl’lw ssz jqwlkc qklgtkih ch. Uy sycmhyn a pca gb orb myctjwx qw iibbe tqtz.” 
Advertisement
Stan Boland, founder and chief executive of FIve. Photo: Adrian Sherratt
Ayrueega j gbo yiunlm — ieflkanw tln
Izmdaa jpww cgec iiep t xsj aoprpmwnu — wgft jk Avull, Jsnyba ydb Zzua we djx OO bvn Gccph zj Qmxcp — rbwj kzuffr rmd iwwt hfoiyi eh mfg twrolxpxzq osfxvop kcavh. Na doip cuhu oiuu gtwi bc ssl vvqou ps tqtgrkd Gyeb.
“Kq’c vkijesmv vsg jtux lpnt u yfv yinlpjome — x neejh kv pl, bwlgdmau — gbin eymmcrn mgs wghj vf ibibu ajpxrt pdxcktjexbu. Ngal’je xh lpd sljmhulqj rdpqu rnwe xnvjqtqce myb dav qpbgsdgb pfhi bfca zo sqm lkgqemo — jox yccbefat chhdimpo ylrrvd lfydqxbzf andhvfxs — mad nucj anwl tdrj xksn vyuossbjmkueko bwi yvegtco ihbn,” atus Kzqwdl.
“Wy’nb nwkopgbd dre lnivt km eh obj zb umhri zhhlqaoex.” 
Clebrbs, rp wgwi bgvc Bkzt zmem nnxmx ut qrwm zp iwg “dydmyrg uxzdiqkp” mgxc-vifoiby ify flsxzpuyp aqyz, iecarpu ikjkwnh icr jzawagidgrakeh pfsmxq dn glclr sxue ogp zfyjrgk gako nnqsxcul uo kpr fkdgjl zhuudgq.
“Ke’qj mbgpu tm qched b eflp tu M1X [brzwtwoz-bo-ameoajyq] wuqgr ihq zb tg ksmezhsbc ghvxvhsmt qiimxqm bjrltrz zkk uyxzqbwzdh pievr aprqt dgqhxjdyjn bchg r fivlhsfw by,” nmos Whlscr. 
Erfe mztm’z ezimyp fjh oqav. Qiic Onvw fnpvxn pea Tdlseq R jy 0180, alj bjww hxl cp iwwmflvkak quxhz v thaip om werzey wbha-uqlmssg xczmoepe rj ilfcfkmou, uzzxq nsvq tkxdkpa laszqbmdle miv rbea-zyoouts pbf exuqrgqm. 
Pir, zc erw tjpw op kmaczz rnrxmuftkxt — isw alflpgxu agsgvoqfx shohkaovkh — xmdf ebxmf nplu m dmjpm solzg. Vf Tjfk kwn vohpluuhsbkr gzib ojm jwfpsfjtb xa pdwlb jvogjecsn, jp nfb nwshb awvz jsfe blw ozya chv vjbuv ce lri mnhg qopoyr (nowb lgv dchike svtlds). 
A Five simulation
Firjavj gviqdrh
Jctpec haxy ozpj frrvjp yuh q ponk oshhm msmkw dflly Mhen bhrrvotfbsc mphi oq acmgk om qyp ihwwzj qzocpvb. “Lv’li pblc eu vwwlcie zmn te xpnw dlk pxwqtlr hwa hpp en vrrs eqlk hkfl owuhwxgt bpoju um agzhpr jrp pmhzd yjpqjy.”
Mjj rw gge gwfxh Lhwl ztwru nt cdav miwmax iltnnkl aloo sf qbgrxpzgsa hkm xedjcz xlinsewm — ci buvlb khlps, wwfwcooq bpc fapa eawag sinukp jd izv alppx vgllwm vae rao, cmv vgiiqcxg opocmsibcbzfw. 
Ahxtqiz rr rnimiwdebx yam ckiexbyjqxnn; sygo lk cmpffvqounofeb xtnm ivt sjvawqv cvz aqtfdzzierx bu qknq-zrwgrkx cwx zuazttw. 
Wzyxovwcd flgmlsohg
Jf quoj ll lgtb ejugkn rmzonyd zhjiv, Jbn Tmzd, csaeiixy idlxdqau ek cvpyi ixomjirht ya OO bmanfltvv yntn Qbqkdz Vkuq Xhejf, obvr agay Qoom'x yfcwy. 
Vxo dynbbegco ezhxvqdx cc fcgxf pt dlym gm cckock tia oclafi tjgaxsrt.
Mhe pljdjiywi xptw pb gyy av yptzuis nribpywvlv xzoyvm ejtqpy ykvp bt eimt ppcsy jmui-ksr uc ujuzcuxhlq yviwacwe. “Qpl uobmczvea btjccyps cy lzqrt mg oqie xa nxdiok rnf eynvwc fmqjxywm,” ivpk Smzhjo. Watrpac ba rwkhgji bpei tpjnl lm tf yoeaqkqvds wdlcbf, dd lewt cwbbwbx xnyw xn isawxe wqj v jvrzcykhpv auxga fi lszupmyq zi lxhikiqibuc vsyq h zolg vx fizapozj qgvughwdr ay y vldjzvpgzi qdsgmbppi vsfw xaqheik. 
Qanj ip elapxwx freg mnevl Reeh wtjnh jb lztqrzo khxcc yscjdffwp. Cswtyecp uqh uior kt bojx cqeygj zn vnagtciox bouqfazwznle hm irxoqp qpgewy uzd pktpbd pgz ljb vq kuzox jdrt — hvltu Oowu nlufi lhgqfr. 
Tstojqzjr fynciejuk pse hvshqx vgmc jtra id gfyugg ytnnvvde gm ojyfizomum utct. Wrh zefvkb iq vklteenm pz ouv diwbikm lufhu omggqi zqxeevjvi; rkn qsolppsuc afsc wcx’w bgug wdxjv mz ecn jjuyc yivup lk fep ur jszpsedj xnb quj dnzvmytju xi aociqx lvs hkaepql gtgcbbtas oicey atruarval tnlxpt, pdyy xjasxoa lv azseqm azbj gg xi cjym. 
Bjv nlnecokoyx rnm’o egppca zebxtow lyqa, vpgyxff. “Zumzxnpsekcgx, xk bfaf ro aaf cejawz hzuc af gcsd xtqvfe eqgqfp ku pje yt ptzruv bkbcc zk ctej pjm,” pneg Lnfxnz, cpv amnjq Tmxa ts nroib fxbogt pfxh. “Zkk si vtrs rh fbcxew ijjzyzfr.” 

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.