© 2026 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

You Can Take Free Ride In Self-Driving Car This Weekend in Detroit

Cobo Center
Cobo Center in Detroit

Members of the public are getting the chance to take a free ride in a self-driving car as part of an effort to clear up confusion about the technology.

Hundreds are signed up for the 6-minute journey that leads riders through a course set up inside a Detroit convention center.

Mary Van Der Maas hopped into an autonomous Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan on Friday, and off she went.

Afterward, the 73-year-old retiree from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, said: "Once you experience it, it's marvelous."

The event is sponsored in part by Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, a coalition of industry, nonprofit and academic institutions whose goal is to inform and educate the public and policymakers about automated vehicles.

It runs through Sunday at Cobo Center downtown.

Related Content
With federal funding eliminated, WKAR relies more than ever on community support to sustain essential services that remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan. Your support helps shape what comes next for public media in our region. The best way to support WKAR is by becoming a sustaining member today or by upgrading your current gift. Support WKAR TV Here | Support WKAR Radio Here.