A world where cars drive themselves feels like a fairly better world. Roads become safer, and life generally becomes easier. That’s the goal of autonomous cars: to change how we move around and travel.
This revolutionary technology, with its many benefits, also has drawbacks. This article will explore the future of autonomous vehicles, including their potential benefits and drawbacks.
Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles
Self-driving cars or driverless cars come with a lot of benefits to society and even the economy. Some of these benefits are:
Increased Safety
Among the top benefits of autonomous vehicles is increased safety. Self-driven cars, Self-driving vehicles or simply AVs will take our roads to another level by eradicating the human factor in our current increased accident rates.
Using sensors, cameras, and computers, AVs are capable of identifying the environment and respond adequately to each of the situations. They do not lose focus, get tired or have their ability to function impaired thus they are less likely to cause an accident.
Convenience
Transportation is definitely going to change with autonomous vehicles in the picture. Just think of reading your most preferred book and going to work without focusing on the traffic ahead or even working using a personal computer right in the car.. This significantly improves productivity in any field.
Even better, autonomous ride-sharing services and on-demand transportation provide convenient alternatives to car ownership and remove the need to maintain their vehicles or pay for parking.
Improved Mobility
Another benefit to consider is improved mobility. Autonomous vehicles help move individuals who cannot drive themselves due to age, disabilities, and other factors. With self-driving vehicles in the picture, they can move around as much as necessary without any limitations.
Economic Opportunities
Let us not forget the economic benefits autonomous vehicles provide. These vehicles can create jobs in research and development, manufacturing, and even maintenance. They also help reduce traffic accidents, healthcare expenses, property damage, and more.
Current State of Autonomous Vehicles
Let’s now understand the current state of autonomous vehicles before we look at what the future holds for these vehicles.
Basic Autonomous Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS)
Autonomous driving assistance systems and technologies are already being used in many modern vehicles today. Features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic emergency braking. These systems provide a foundation for more advanced autonomous features.
Levels of Automation
Autonomous vehicles are categorized by levels of automation defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), ranging from Level 0 (no automation) to Level 5 (full automation).
Currently, most vehicles on the market operate at Level 2 (partial automation), where advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) assist with tasks like steering and acceleration but require human oversight at all times.
Level 3 (conditional automation) is available but limited, allowing for some autonomous operation under specific conditions, while Level 4 (high automation) is being tested in controlled environments, such as urban areas with driverless taxis.
Future Scenarios for Autonomous Vehicles
Given the level of uncertainty in the auto industry regarding autonomous vehicles, McKinsey developed three future scenarios for them: delayed, base, and accelerated.
Delayed Scenario
In this scenario, automakers further push out AV launch timelines, and consumer adoption remains low. By 2030, only 4% of new passenger cars sold will be installed with Level 3+ automotive driving functions, increasing to 17% in 2035.
Base Scenario
This scenario assumes that OEMs can meet their announced timelines for automotive vehicle launches and achieve a medium level of customer adoption despite the high costs of autonomous systems.
By 2030, 12% of new passenger cars will be sold with Level 3+ autonomous technologies, and 37% will have advanced automotive driving technologies in 2035.
Accelerated Scenario
In this optimistic scenario, OEMs debut new AVs quickly, with sizable revenues coming in through new business models.
Most premium automakers preinstall hardware that makes fully autonomous driving possible when the software is ready to upgrade. In this scenario, 20% of passenger cars sold in 2030 include advanced AD technologies, and 57% have them by 2035.
Preparing for the Autonomous Future
Although it will take some time for advanced infrastructure, legislation, and even customer trust to evolve, self-driving vehicles will be a big part of the future. So, what can we do to prepare for the autonomous future?
R&D Strategies
Learly, our current infrastructure is inadequate to support the needs of an autonomous future. This is why manufacturers and suppliers must invest heavily in research and development going forward. They need to focus on software-driven development processes.
OEMS need to start investing in the connected vehicle ecosystem and ensure that their vehicles are up to date with the latest technologies. With connected vehicle technology, vehicles can improve in safety, productivity, and efficiency across several operations.
These advancements would pave the way for autonomous vehicles in the future.
Market Strategies
To get more customers, auto companies also need to develop a customer-centered market strategy. They can explore different ownership models and sales methosa with the end-to-end (E2E) business case in mind.
Vehicle History Verification
Consumers also have their own role to play in this. As autonomous vehicles become more prevalent, it’s essential to verify a vehicle’s history and safety before adoption.
If consumers are interested in buying used autonomous vehicle at ay point, they need to be sure of the vehicles history – accident records, theft records, title brand records, using tools like US VIN number checks, chassis number check in the UAE, and more.
With this in mind, they can be sure of a vehicle’s reliability and safety through a VIN or chassis number check.
Conclusion
The future of transportation is autonomous. While challenges remain, the potential benefits of self-driving cars are too significant to ignore. As we move towards a more automated future, it’s crucial to stay informed, invest in more research and development, and prioritize safety.