People have been talking about autonomous cars for a long time now. About a decade ago, as cutting-edge technologies started emerging, the topic quickly became all the rage.
But experts have all been promising we’ll have self-driving cars by 2020. Although there are self-driving technologies and semi-autonomous navigation, there are still no fully-autonomous vehicles.
We’re starting to think another decade or so will pass until we finally see autonomous cars out on the streets.
But is that a bad thing? Will AI-powered cars be safe at all? And when can we expect them? Let’s find out.
2020 Was Supposed to Be the Year of Self-Driving Cars
Five years ago, the Guardian predicted we’d have self-driving cars by 2020. The following year, Business Insider made the same prediction.
And it was all because major companies in the automotive industry had revealed their plans for making autonomous vehicles. Some of them were Toyota, General Motors, Honda, and Tesla.
However, 2020 is here, but we still don’t see a single fully-autonomous vehicle on the road.
Tesla does have a driver-assistance system with autopilot features, but those are only for semi-autonomous navigation.
They can help you stay in your lane, change lanes automatically, detect speed limit signs, and a few other things. Tesla Autopilot can even park on its own and drive itself to your location.
So, you still have to drive the car. You can’t tell it to drive you to a destination while you take a nap in the back seat. So, being permanent backseat drivers by 2020? That dream is still out of reach.
What Happened and Why Is It Taking So Long?
Well, in 2020, the pandemic happened. It definitely played its part, putting a brake on further vehicle testing.
But even without the coronavirus, the cars weren’t ready yet.
The main reason is, of course, safety. Hundreds of tests need to occur before even one vehicle operated by AI algorithms can hit the road.
If you think it’s taking as long as it takes to put people on the moon, you’d probably be right. Both programs require thorough testing because people’s safety is the number one priority.
You wouldn’t launch people into space in a faulty spacecraft, would you? That’s the thing with self-driving cars, except they could potentially hurt millions of people if launched too early.
Remember when an Uber’s self-driving car killed a woman in 2018? It was because it failed to recognize that pedestrians tend to jaywalk. It couldn’t recognize her as a pedestrian, nor could it classify her as a vehicle. Due to the confusion, it had a delayed response when braking, leading to the fatal incident.
Uber’s programming now includes jaywalkers, but what if another similar issue arises? That’s why there’s so much need for more testing.
When that’s finally over, we won’t only have an opportunity to buy our own AI-powered cars. We’ll also be able to enjoy the driverless services of many on-demand economy companies.
When Can We Expect AI-Powered Cars to Hit the Roads?
Well, everyone makes different promises, but it seems we can expect driverless cars relatively soon. If all goes well, Tesla says its robotaxi fleet may be here by 2021.
Cruise recently unveiled its first driverless car – without a wheel. It looks quite futuristic, almost like those brilliant cars on the TV show Westworld. However, the company didn’t say anything about the launch date.
Google’s Waymo is another promising technology that might soon change transportation, but when? No one knows for sure.
So, it’s still too early to say when we’ll see self-driving cars on the streets. But it’s safe to say our driverless future looks bright.
Are Self-Driving Cars Going to Be Safer and Greener?
Self-driving cars are all about convenience. You can sit back and read the newspaper, take a nap, or watch a movie, while the car drives you where you need to be.
But the goal is definitely to make the roads safer. For instance, there are numerous DUI accidents, too many of them with fatal outcomes. Driverless cars should eliminate road accidents of any kind.
Will they be greener? Maybe, maybe not. But they might reduce the number of vehicles on the road. With on-demand economy companies offering self-driving rideshare options, many people won’t need to own a car. They’ll be able to summon a vehicle via an app whenever they need to get from point A to point B. That’ll cut the carbon footprint and help protect the environment.
There are green rideshare options even now, but our driverless future is bringing more.
Drover, for instance, is eco by green culture and even offers rideshare delivery services. There are traditional cars and hybrids, but you can also choose an electric vehicle.
With AI-powered cars at our disposal, we’ll have greater convenience and cost-efficiency, better safety, and a greener environment.
Will You Embrace Our Driverless Future?
What’s your stance on self-driving cars? Are you excited about riding in one? Will you buy one, or will you rely on rideshare services?
Whatever you think of AI on wheels, you have to admit it’s exciting. It might not be as exciting as the flying cars we all thought we’d have by now, but it’s still brilliant.
The driverless future is just around the corner, and it’ll change the world forever. And even if we have to wait another decade for the cars to go mainstream, it’ll be worth it.
In the meantime, you can still enjoy super-convenient rideshare options and rideshare delivery at Drover. Head to Google Play or App Store to download the Drover Rideshare app and become part of our green culture!
