In 2025 some vehicles can drive and park with minimal human interaction. What happens when a car begins to drive on its own without a driver requesting that function?
Several automakers are implementing new semi-autonomous, advanced cruise control, and automatic braking features in popular vehicles. One expert vehicle reviewer learned first-hand that these features could lead to startling driving experiences.
Automotive journalists often test vehicles to share expert insights with consumers. Some of these driving experiences are overwhelming positive while others can be downright frightening due to advancements in technology.
Senior Manager of Written Content at Edmunds, Brent Romans has road-tested hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career, according to his bio. Romans' recent experience with the first fully-electric Dodge Charger muscle car is novel in many ways.
During a typical road test, Romans noticed that his 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV loaner was accelerating on its own. The electric muscle car was gaining as much as a mile-per-hour a second, as depicted in the video above. Brent was able to safely bring the Charger Daytona EV to a stop, but he observed that his braking ability was impeded. Stellantis asserts that it "implemented a drive-by-brake safety feature, which allows the driver to control speed through the brake pedal" which worked as intended in this instance, as reported by Edmunds.
