The first vehicles with some level of self-driving capability are expected to come to market by 2020, with sales volumes for autonomous vehicles likely becoming significant by 2025. Although the legal and regulatory barriers to fully autonomous vehicles are high, the technology has the potential to transform the automobile industry and significantly lower roadway accidents.

“Autonomous vehicles have been a goal of automotive engineers for many years, and the competition among automakers to bring autonomous features to market is accelerating,” says David Alexander, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. “In the long term, vehicles with self-driving technology may provide the optimum solution for personal mobility on demand.”

Among the most attractive markets for autonomous vehicles in the coming years, according to the report, will be point-to-point long-distance delivery trucks, which travel over motorways and freeways. Much like airline pilots, truck drivers could drive the vehicle through local roads to the highway, and the “auto-pilot” could then take control for the long-distance part of the journey, while the driver rests or conducts other business activities.

The report, “Autonomous Vehicles”, analyzes the emerging global market for advanced driver assistance systems leading to semi-autonomous and autonomous driving. It provides a discussion of the benefits of self-driving vehicles and barriers to implementation. Global market forecasts for autonomous-capable vehicle sales and volumes of key autonomous driving features and associated revenue, segmented by region and feature, extend through 2035. The report also provides a review of the core driver assistance technologies that make self-driving vehicles possible, as well as in-depth profiles of the leading industry players. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.

Source: Navigant Research