A new report provides a stark reminder of the stakes for businesses (setting aside the public right of way of other public interests) in the race to be the first to go self-driving.
"The race to field the first autonomous car will be a Darwinian exercise, with more than 50 major competitors reduced to a handful of winners over the next decade," according to Keith Naughton's description of the findings of a new report from AlixPartners LLP.
"Traditional automakers face a daunting task taking on tech giants such as Alphabet Inc. and Apple Inc., who have deeper pockets and generate much more cash to fund the development of driverless cars," adds Naughton. "The companies are all racing to be first so they can set the standard for autonomous automobiles much like Tesla Inc. has established itself as the premier name in electric cars."
Losing the race won't necessarily be a death knell for companies, according to the report, but many companies will quickly be playing a game of catch up. Also, according to the headline and the kicker of the article, companies are going to burn upwards and tens and hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in the attempt of being the first to deliver self-driving cars.
FULL STORY: Billions Will Be Blown in Race to Field First Self-Driving Cars
Handicapping the Self-Driving Horse Race
There are a lot of players in the autonomous vehicle game. It can be hard to keep track of which company is fighting for which share of the market, and which companies are out in front in the race to dominate the emerging industry.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
Federal Regulators Ask Tesla for Robotaxi Details Ahead of Planned Launch
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the company will launch self-driving taxis in Austin in June and other U.S. cities by the end of the year.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)