Self-driving Market Will Become a Reality in the US by 2026

Self-driving Market Will Become a Reality in the US by 2026
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New findings from Juniper Research reveal that the annual sales of fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the US will reach 5 million by 2026. In comparison, the global market will account for 20 million new AVs sold during the same year.

The new research found that the market adoption of AV technologies is set to ramp up in the future, driven by Competition from the likes of Google, whose focus has been on entirely driverless vehicles, as well as heavy investments from Volvo, Audi, Daimler and GM positioning themselves as mobility services firms. Governments enabling firms will test AVs on their roads and invest in smart city infrastructure and drivers will become accustomed to ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems).

As the 5 most promising players in the driverless car sector, Juniper sees Waymo, Volvo, Tesla, Daimler and Audi. Ranked no 1, Google is further ahead than traditional manufacturers in terms of technology and miles tested. Waymo is set to be integrated into smart city strategies for public transportation and could licence its expertise to other OEMs; threatening the role of the Tier 1 suppliers.

Juniper estimates that 45 million on-road vehicles will have some form of ADAS functionality by the end of 2018, with adoption reaching 100 million by 2020. Additionally, with luxury vehicles incorporating semi-autonomous technologies, such as the new Audi A8, the market will further evolve to full automation, while shifting its focus to delivering a complete driver experience.

Research author Michael Larner explained: “The introduction of fully autonomous technologies, with some vehicles no longer having steering wheels and pedals, will mean that the focus will shift from how drivers get from A-B to how the occupants use the journey time.