Self-Driving Cars Will Rule the Road by 2050

A new study by IHS Automotive predicts that 54 million self-driving cars will be on the road by 2035, and that every car will be autonomous by 2050.

1 minute read

January 3, 2014, 9:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"By 2035, nearly 54 million autonomous vehicles will be in consumers’ driveways worldwide and annual sales of the vehicles will reach almost 12 million, according to the study by IHS Automotive. After 2050, the study predicts that nearly all of the vehicles in use -- both personal and commercial -- will be self-driving," writes David Undercoffler.

Aside from some of the space-related impacts we've looked at, self-driving cars (SDCs) will dramatically improve road safety, traffic, and air pollution, finds the study. "Yet there will be several hurdles autonomous vehicles will need to clear in the coming decades, the study predicts."

Thursday, January 2, 2014 in Los Angeles Times

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