Driverless Car Essay

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It was confirmed in May, that a Tesla Model S crashed into a passing truck, killing the Model S passenger. Tesla’s Model S was operating completely on autopilot. This incident was the first fatal crash involving autonomous driving technology. This incident enlightened policymakers around the world of the downside of autonomous driving. With driver-less cars at the doorstep of mainstream society, how does autonomy affect the sustainability of the transportation industry? Do consumers still feel safe putting their lives in the hands of car technology? There are indeed multiple ways driverless cars likely will shave energy use. The possibility of route optimization and more fuel-efficient acceleration and braking are just a few of the potential …show more content…

Autonomous cars also offer the possibility of radical new ownership models. For example, someone who needs a hatchback for family trips simply could order one when needed and use a one-person mini-car for the daily operation. On the cost side, the price of taxis also could drop substantially as the driver wage is taken out of the equation, while self-driving trucks could offer attractive cost savings for freight-reliant businesses. However, as well as the obvious employment issues these new models would have on those who drive for a living, some argue that there could also be an environmental downside to the increased flexibility of fully self-driving cars. Also, there is no guarantee that all future self-driving cars will be electric, nor that all electricity will be decarbonized in the future, nor even that the production of cars and overseas delivery of vehicles will be zero discharge. This driving technology which are optimized to priorities road capacity could mean a rougher, less comfortable experience for the rider. That is not a market that's going to happen on its own without continued government support." Policies could be developed to strengthen the link between autonomous and electric or hydrogen fuel cells

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