By Brett Berk

A Porsche programmed with aggressive, sporty moves; a Volvo tuned to a more cautious pace; an autonomous Rivian that takes the scenic route, on-road or off.

In the future, cars won't only drive autonomously: Using software and artificial intelligence, their makers will give them distinct driving styles.

Already, chip maker Nvidia is developing AI-based tech to help automakers create personalized driving systems that reflect their brands, says Ali Kani, Nvidia vice president and general manager of automotive.

To function most effectively and distinctively, these self-driving cars will need to take in not just the behavior of vehicles around them, but elements such as geolocation, weather, traffic, and road type and condition. These new self-driving systems must also operate with utmost certainty. "When ChatGPT gets things wrong, we laugh," Kani says. "If this is done wrong, someone could die."

Unlike today's advanced driver-assistance systems, which generally disengage when a driver intervenes, the cars of tomorrow will ideally be collaborative, working alongside occupants. "So far, car companies have given us systems that make us safer," says Alex Roy, an autonomous-vehicle expert and partner at New Industry Venture Capital, a venture-capital and private-equity firm . "But none has given us the systems that help make us better drivers, to amplify the driver's will behind the wheel."

Here's how three automakers are reimagining self-driving vehicles:

Porsche

Porsche wants owners of its future self-driving cars to feel the thrill of the racetrack -- without the risk. To make this possible, the German sports-car manufacturer says it first must perfect how these vehicles react on the road.

The brand is testing a fleet of prototypes -- aided by virtual models that simulate millions of hours of driving on tracks -- to figure out how sharply fully autonomous vehicles could accelerate, brake, turn and shift lanes in the years to come. This could allow Porsche's future hardware and software to make on-road transitions more aggressively, more precisely and closer to its vehicle's limits, than other carmakers' autonomous vehicles.

If the programming is too restrictive and won't let the car approach its limits -- squealing its tires or flirting with the edge of the road -- that "eliminates the point of owning that car," says Roy of New Industry Venture Capital. For a Porsche owner, "what's primary is fun," he says.

Still, such driver-assistance systems would include functions that automatically brake to prevent collisions, warn of objects in blind spots, and keep even sporty cars in their lane to ensure safety for all on the road, according to Porsche. Vehicles that can steer and brake better are intrinsically superior at avoiding obstacles.

The automaker has a long way to go to reach full autonomy, but it is already piloting driver-assistance systems that safely enhance performance with its adaptive cruise control known as InnoDrive. The system allows vehicles to automatically accelerate or decelerate to a set speed -- all while maintaining a fixed distance from the car ahead, remaining in its lane, and even coming to a complete stop if needed.

Depending on what drive mode it is set in -- Normal, Sport or Sport Plus -- InnoDrive can change how aggressively it changes speed to match the car in front of you, or how much gravitational force it will allow occupants to feel going into a turn, such as a freeway on-ramp, according to Porsche spokesman Calvin Kim.

Porsche can even adapt InnoDrive to be model-specific, allowing distinct vehicle lines to behave differently from each other. For example, the 911 sports coupe could be tuned to behave more aggressively than the Macan compact SUV.

"What's a dream sports car?" Roy asks. "It is a car that you can drive as fast as you want, that won't let you crash."

Volvo

The nearly century-old Swedish automaker pioneered the use of three-point seat belts, rear-facing child seats and side-impact protection systems, among other lifesaving innovations.

As it hones its self-driving cars, it says safety will remain top priority.

Volvo will use data collected by its Accident Research Team, which has visited tens of thousands of crash sites in the past six decades, to train its autonomous vehicles. Data on road type and condition, driver behavior and response of vehicle safety systems would help its vehicles prepare for and avoid accidents.

"We see data as a new safety belt," says Alwin Bakkenes, head of software engineering at the company.

In the lead-up to full autonomy, Volvo's systems will work in conjunction with drivers, inviting them to steer and make adjustments on their own, says Bakkenes. "This provides a better customer experience and enhances safety because we keep our drivers in the loop."

Additionally, Volvo's AI will be able to decipher natural language commands. "An owner could say, 'Could you please overtake this car?' Or, 'Could you hold back a bit more because I feel uncomfortable with how that car in front is driving,' " Bakkenes says.

Volvo is also developing means for its autonomous cars to communicate clearly with other road users, to ensure their safety. This includes signaling -- with lights, sounds, text or other means -- to people at a crosswalk that they have been detected and when it is safe to cross.

Rivian

Electric, all-wheel-drive startup Rivian Automotive wants to inject more adventure into its future autonomous vehicles by inspiring people to go places.

That means "automating the boring stuff" such as highway driving or commutes, and making exciting experiences "more fun or accessible," says Wassym Bensaid, chief software officer at Rivian.

When off-roading, this could include using cameras, radar and online mapping data to detect the type and passibility of terrain. The systems could then automatically select the proper drive modes and display -- on the vehicle's screens or windshield-projected displays -- instructions on how to traverse the trail, according to Bensaid. It could even help explore trails or roadways that are inadequately or incorrectly mapped, and update existing cartography, he says.

When hauling a mountain bike or kayak, instead of passengers needing to find a loop route, or a ride back to the vehicle, the Rivian could drop passengers off at one end, then drive autonomously to the other end and wait to pick them up.

The vehicle could also suggest scenic, off-the-beaten-path routes, and then use its suite of exterior cameras, onboard Wi-Fi signal and augmented-reality displays to project "a rich in-cabin experience that blends with the environment," Bensaid says. This could include showing occupants layers of historical imagery, geological data or pathway options as they traverse the landscape.

"It could even record scenes and landmarks around the car, edit them into a video, and post them to your social," he says.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 23, 2025 08:00 ET (13:00 GMT)

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