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Self-driving into the future

At first glance, it doesn’t seem possible, but who knows?

By 2030, electric self-driving cars will dominate our roads.

That’s according to a report from RethinkX, an independent research group that analyzes and forecasts the speed and scale of technology-driven disruption and its implications across society.

Tony Seba, co-author of the study, says once self-driving cars catch on, there will be no looking back.

There are, or course, some caveats. Will the technology be safe? Will people embrace the concept? Will it be cost-effective?

The RethinkX study envisions a world where most people won’t own cars. When you need a lift, you’ll catch a ride in an autonomous vehicle.

Skeptical of that?

“When the iPhone came out in 2007, many wondered who would spend hundreds on something called a smartphone, and now we can’t imagine our lives without them,” says Seba. “It’s going to be the same with electric AVs. The adoption curve will be super exponential.”

By 2030, the study predicts, 60 percent of the vehicles on the road will be autonomous electric vehicles owned by companies providing transportation services.

It’s an intriguing perspective.

Still, we wouldn’t suggest throwing away your driver’s license just yet.

— The Daily News, Iron Mountain

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