I had an interesting conversation with a friend this weekend. While we all marvel at the sight of Cruise or Waymo driverless cars driving around San Francisco, not everyone appreciates what we need them for. Here’s a quick list of the benefits autonomous vehicles (AVs) could bring us:
Easing traffic: “Robocars” (love this word) will be much more efficient drivers than humans thanks to their much faster processing power and connectivity to real-time traffic data.
Reducing accidents: 94% of accidents are attributable to human error. AVs could significantly reduce this which would save countless lives and injuries. As a corollary, insurance costs would also fall.
Increase EV adoption: A big barrier for mass EV acquisition is that many people do not have access to a charger at home. AVs will learn their user’s habits and be able to guess when it makes sense to wander off on their own to a charging station. The car will then always have a full charge without the owner having to do anything.
Increase mobility: AVs could improve access and mobility for those physically unable to drive. In areas where public transportation is lacking, AVs could provide an important alternative (see potential social impacts).
Improve landuse in cities: This is more long term but citiscapes could be altered by freeing up parking space. Your AV would drop you at your destination and then drive itself to a parking space outside of the agglomeration. The space currently used for parking on streets could be put to another use (think restaurant terrace or even workspace).
Improve freight traffic: Improved traffic congestion would speed up freight traffic and productivity. AV trucks could overcome the limitations of human-driven trucks by more easily operating at night and not needing to take breaks. This could result in a 30% decrease in cost, a doubling of daily driving range, and near 24/7 trucking operations - a massive benefit for shippers.
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