Aston Martin CEO says autonomous cars are only a matter of time

In addition to bringing the Aston Martin AM-RB 001 to its first auto show this week, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer revealed his thoughts on the future of cars. And it is a future full of autonomy and electricity. According to our TechCrunch friends, Palmer said it's a matter of when - not so - autonomous vehicles will reach the public. TechCrunch also reports that Aston plans to offer a stand-alone Lagonda in the future. For those of us who like to drive ourselves, however, there is some good news: fully autonomous cars are probably good in the future.

Palmer told the Toronto Star that he recognizes autonomous driving is a bit antithetical to a sports car company, saying, "We are a driver car, so we are not in a hurry to go without a driver. He also highlighted a number of issues that personally concern him about autonomous vehicles, and that he hesitated to pursue independent technology on Astons. His main concern, according to TechCrunch and Toronto Star, is the issue of safety, but he also wants to ensure that technology is really ready. TechCrunch reports that it said companies need a full understanding of technology "before we test beta our customers." This statement seems to point to Tesla, who has often said that its semi-autonomous Autopilot feature is in beta.

In addition to discussing stand-alone vehicles, Palmer talked about the future of electric cars, which he finds to be brilliant. He told the Toronto Star that he believes that the future of vehicle propulsion has been decided, and that it will be electricity. He pointed to a shift in focus from German automakers, as well as the Volkswagen diesel scandal as indicators. Palmer suggested that 25 percent of cars will be powered by electricity over the next eight years, but noted that this leaves plenty of room for internal combustion vehicles for a while.