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CEO Rupert Stadler says that piloted driving will be a reality on Audis within the end of the decade. Piloted driving is the is the new technical term for autonomous driving because the automakers do not want to give drivers the impression that they do not have to pay attention to the road. 

In a major move toward improving automotive technology, Audi has separated developing automotive technology from developing the actual cars themselves. Potentially, that means that Audi will be able to install cutting edge technology in its cars between new cars and major refreshes. It should be able to keep up better with technological progress. 

“We are assuming that a series-built vehicle with a piloted driving function will be technically feasible this decade,” stated Audi CEO Rupert Stadler at the 19th Handelsblatt Annual Conference in Munich.

Audi showed an experimental version of the tech at the Consumer Electronics Show that can drive itself with little human intervention in realworld traffic. At least in the US, Nevada is the only state that has legalized piloted cars. 

“For a progressive brand like Audi, the driver will always be able to decide himself when he wants assistance.” said Stadler.

The ability for the car to drive itself mechanically is already available, and the sensors are good enough to also make the system work. The next stop is to improve the car's ability to network with the Internet and infastructure to make piloted driving even safer. Audi already has online traffic updates, Google Earth with Street View, weather information and more through its Audi Connect service.