By Joann Muller | Axios
Few changes in modern life will hit in more radical ways than how we get around.
Already, people are abandoning cars for ride-hailing and tooling around on electric scooters. Computer-assisted driving is giving way to prototype autonomous vehicles that share the road in some cities with pedestrians, bicyclists and traditional vehicles.
Related: Urban Planning Guru Says Driverless Cars Won’t Fix Congestion
The big picture: The vision is that driverless cars will chauffeur you anywhere while you relax, work or socialize. The reality is that while 99% of routine driving skills have been relatively easy for robots to achieve, the last 1% haven’t — and those are crucial for safety and consumer trust.
The allure of autonomous vehicles is that they’re expected to cost less per mile, result in fewer traffic deaths and provide greater freedom to the elderly and disabled. When will they arrive? 10, 20, 50 years — experts debate the timing.
Execs are trying to lower expectations:
