It could be the most hi-tech road trip ever attempted . Delphi Automotive is set to attempt what it bills as the 'longest automated drive ever attempted in North America ' The 3,500-mile coast-to-coast excursion will take place in a specially rigged Audi SQ5 that will mostly drive itself . Scroll down for video . The Delphi drive will kick off March 22 near San Francisco 's Golden Gate Bridge , with plans to wind up in New York City just before the annual auto show opens there on April 3 . The Delphi drive will kick off March 22 near San Francisco 's Golden Gate Bridge , with plans to wind up in New York City just before the annual auto show opens there on April 3 . During the coast-to-coast journey in the Audi , at least two Delphi engineers will be aboard , including one behind the wheel . Delphi , one of the largest suppliers of automotive electronics and safety systems , is using the long journey in the Audi crossover to acquire real-world data from a sophisticated array of cameras , radar and lidar - a laser mapping technology - as well as wireless connected-vehicle technology . The firm also wants to test and demonstrate its active safety systems , which are being developed with such suppliers as Mobileye NV , an Israeli maker of computer vision and collision avoidance systems , and software provider Ottomatika , a spinout from Carnegie Mellon University 's self-driving car program . Delphi 's demonstration underscores growing interest and investments by automakers and suppliers in self-driving cars , some of which could be production-ready by 2020 . The Delphi drive will kick off March 22 near San Francisco 's Golden Gate Bridge , with plans to wind up in New York City just before the annual auto show opens there on April 3 . Jeff Owens , Delphi 's chief technology officer , sees the automated driver assistance systems in the Audi as building blocks on the road to fully self-driving cars in the next decade . During the coast-to-coast journey in the Audi , at least two Delphi engineers will be aboard , including one behind the wheel . Delphi , a former General Motors Co unit domiciled in the UK , will test such functions as traffic jam assist , automated highway pilot with lane change and automated parking and valet . All of those systems are expected to be introduced in production cars over the next two to three years . Although automakers and suppliers will have such capability within the next five years , Owens said , 'our view is that the driver is going to be in the seat for a long time ' in case of emergency situations that self-driving systems may not be equipped or programmed to handle . During the coast-to-coast journey in the Audi , at least two Delphi engineers will be aboard , including one behind the wheel . Delphi , a former General Motors Co unit domiciled in the UK , will test such functions as traffic jam assist , automated highway pilot with lane change and automated parking and valet . All of those systems are expected to be introduced in production cars over the next two to three years . Fully automated systems that may be phased in after 2020 could add about $ 5,000 to the cost of a car , estimates Glen De Vos , vice president of advanced and product engineering for Delphi 's electronics and safety division . Delphi is providing some of the components and technology , including vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity , for GM 's Super Cruise automated driving system , which will debut in 2016 on the new Cadillac CT6 sedan . During the cross-country trek , the vehicle will be challenged under a variety of driving conditions from changing weather and terrain to potential road hazards -- things that could never truly be tested in a lab . 'Delphi had great success testing its car in California and on the streets of Las Vegas , ' said Owens . 'Now it 's time to put our vehicle to the ultimate test by broadening the range of driving conditions . 'This drive will help us collect invaluable data in our quest to deliver the best automotive grade technologies on the market . '
Drive will start April 3 near San Francisco 's Golden Gate Bridge . Plans to wind up in New York City before the auto show opens on March 22 . Drive will use a specially adapted Audi SQ5 .