A self-driving car is gearing up for  a 3,500-mile cross-country road trip from San Francisco to New York that begins next week. A person will always be behind the wheel of the autonomous car, developed by Delphi Automotive, in order to take control if there is a situation the vehicle cannot handle on its own. The car will begin its journey on March 22 so that it can reach New York in time for the International Auto Show. Scroll down for video . A self-driving car developed by Delphi Automotive is preparing for a 3,500-mile cross-country road trip next week that will take it from San Francisco to New York . Delphi, a major Michigan-based auto supplier, is planning for the car to drive eight hours a day for eight days. The autonomous vehicle will mainly stick to the highways, where it will be able to pass slower cars and maintain a safe distance from other automobiles all on its own. Delphi CTO Jeff Owens told WIRED the road trip will be the 'ultimate test' for the vehicle, as it will be exposed to a 'range of driving conditions' as well as various types of weather. It's design is based on a 2014 Audi SQ5. According to Delphi officials, the road trip will be the longest automated drive ever attempted in North America. In 2010 an autonomous van created by Italian company VisLab completed an 8,000-mile journey from Europe to Shanghai for three months. Unlike Google's driverless car (pictured), Dephi's vehicle senors are tucked in the car's front, rear and sides and thus cannot be seen. Although it will be the Delphi car's longest journey, it won't be its first. The Delphi vehicle has driven around the company's Silicon Valley office and has already completed a trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. But the car really earned its stripes when, during a demonstration at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January, it braked by itself as two drunk men stumbled into the street in front of it. Delphi says the vehicle is capable of making complex decisions, like stopping and then proceeding at a four-way stop, merging onto the highway or maneuvering around a bicyclist or a trash can. When the car wants the driver to resume control, it uses a verbal warning and flashes lights on the dashboard. Although most experts say a true driverless vehicle is at least a decade away, Delphi's autonomous automobile is helping the technology look more like a regular car. Unlike other driverless cars developed by Google and Honda, the lidar sensors on Dephi's vehicle are tucked in the car's front, rear and sides and thus cannot be seen. The car also has cameras throughout, including one that watches the driver. Because lidar systems can cost around $70,000 apiece, they drive up the price of the autonomous prototypes. But Delphi engineer Doug Welk said one of the reasons for the road trip is to help decide what combination of sensors is best suited for the car, which will ultimately help lower costs. Delphi estimates it will cost around $5,000 to make a vehicle almost fully autonomous by 2019. Delphi CTO Jeff Owens said the road trip would be the 'ultimate test' for the autonomous vehicle, as it would be exposed to a 'range of driving conditions' as well as various types of weather .
The Delphi Automotive car will drive eight hours a day for eight days . There will be a driver behind the wheel in case there is a situation car cannot handle on its own . Delphi said trip will be 'ultimate test', as car will be exposed to a range of driving conditions and weather changes . Car will mainly stick to highways, where it will be able to pass slower cars and maintain a safe distance behind other automobiles all on its own .