text: It was the most hi-tech road trip ever attempted. Delphi Automotive  has completed the longest automated drive in the US,  travelling from San Francisco to New York in the first coast-to-coast trip ever attempted by an automated vehicle. Nearly 3,400 miles were covered with 99 percent of the drive in fully automated mode. Scroll down for video . Nearly 3,400 miles were covered with 90 percent of the drive in fully automated mode. The nine-day trip crossed 15 states and the District of Columbia. Along the way, the vehicle encountered complex driving situations such as traffic circles, construction zones, bridges, tunnels, aggressive drivers and a variety of weather conditions. The team collected nearly three terabytes of data—about 30 percent of all of the printed material in the Library of Congress. The drive was used by Delphi engineers to research and collect information that will help further advance active safety technology – the most rapidly growing technology sector of the auto industry. The team collected nearly three terabytes of data—about 30 percent of all of the printed material in the Library of Congress. 'Our vehicle performed remarkably well during this drive, exceeding our expectations,' said Jeff Owens, Delphi chief technology officer. 'The knowledge obtained from this trip will help optimize our existing active safety products and accelerate our future product development, which will allow us to deliver unsurpassed automotive grade technologies to our customers.' The nine-day trip crossed 15 states and the District of Columbia. Along the way, the vehicle encountered complex driving situations such as traffic circles, construction zones, bridges, tunnels, aggressive drivers and a variety of weather conditions. 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. 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. The Delphi drivebegan  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, 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.'
target: Drive began on  March 22 near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge .
  Car arrived in New York City today - before auto show opens on April 3 .
  Drive used a specially adapted Audi SQ5 and drove itself 90% of the time .