Conti, Magna Drive Autonomous Vehicles Through Detroit-Windsor Tunnel

Continental, Magna International, the Michigan Dept. of Transportation (MDOT) and Ontario Ministry of Transportation (OMT) are demonstrating two self-driving vehicles today in an international trip through parts of Michigan and Ontario.

Starting this morning in southeast Michigan, the vehicles drove through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel under the Detroit River. They will then return to the U.S. over the Blue Water Bridge from Sarnia, Ont., to Port Huron, Mich. The 300-mile-plus journey will conclude at the Center for Automotive Research’s annual Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) in Traverse City, Mich.

The international trek shows how autonomous vehicles handle border crossings and customs, toll plazas and maintaining connectivity and autonomous functions through an underwater tunnel. Canadian and U.S. customs agencies are assisting in the demonstration. 

The two vehicles—a Cadillac ATS (Magna) and a Chrysler 300 (Conti)—are equipped with multiple cameras, radar and lidar sensors. A central in-vehicle computer used data from the sensors to generate a 360° model of its surroundings, allowing the vehicles to operate in autonomous mode an average of 92% of the time during their seven-hour journeys.

Conti and Magna have been developing and testing automated vehicle technologies on their own for several years. In the Chrysler 300, Conti’s Cruising Chauffeur function allowed the vehicle to take over steering, braking and throttle functions. In combination with a high-resolution map, the system recognizes all moving and static objects in the roadway ahead.

MDOT and OMT will sign a memorandum of understanding at the drive’s completion to further cooperate and promote future autonomous vehicle initiatives. The two groups inked a similar agreement at last year’s MBS.