Finding an empty parking space in a packed car park is easily one of the worst things about driving.
British motorists waste 44 hours a year looking for a parking space on average. However, this frustration may soon become a thing of the past after trials of an autonomous parking system kicked off in Germany.
The pilot project, conducted by the Volkswagen Group at Hamburg Airport, shows how one day motorists could simply leave their vehicle at the car park entrance and the vehicle would go on and park itself – no stress, no scratches and no time wasted scoping for empty spaces like a hawk.
Experts from the VW Group are currently testing autonomous parking in a multi-storey car park near the terminal of Hamburg Airport.
The project is part of a desire to make Hamburg a model city for urban mobility. It is hoped motorists will be able to test the new autonomous parking service at the beginning of the next decade.
A spokesperson from the VW Group commented: “We want to give people more time and quality of life by reducing the time spent and stress in road traffic.
“Autonomous parking – like we are testing here at Hamburg Airport – is an important step on the way to autonomous driving. We are putting a consistent focus on people and their needs.”