Will 1 in 10 Cars Sold in 2035 be Self-Driving?
A row of Google self-driving cars outside the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. Eric Risberg/AP File Photo
In one survey 44% of US drivers said they would consider buying a fully automated car in the next 10 years.
The future is nigh, and it may come faster than we realized. According to a study, as many as 12 million driverless cars—that’s 10% of annual sales of new vehicles—could hit the world’s roads just twenty years from now.
In fact, 44% of US drivers that the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) surveyed said they would consider buying a fully automated car in the next 10 years. The main draw? Lower fuel and insurance costs, and increased safety.
Drivers also want to be able to take their multi-tasking habits into their cars, it turns out. Being able to hold a latte in one hand and a phone in the other without endangering anyone’s life is even worth some extra money. One in five said they would be willing to pay an additional $5,000 or more to have a car that does some or all the work for them.
Here are the BCG’s predictions for fully driverless and partially automated car sales.
“This will be as radical a change as the auto industry has seen in 100 years,” Thomas Dauner, head of BCG’s global automotive practice told Reuters .
Audi, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors are working on partially automated cars that they will roll out in 2015 and 2016. It will be a while before fully driverless cars are on sale, however—manufacturers expect them to debut in 2025.
Looks like millennials might be the first generation who won’t have to teach their kids how to drive.