Goodbye Drivers, Hello AI: The Autonomous EV Revolution

GTesla has pioneered EV design, particularly in computer-controlled autonomous driving. Because of their lead, all EVs can receive software updates anytime, unlike their petrol predecessors, which generally lacked computerisation beyond navigation and radio control.

?AI automation and autonomous driving can be easily retrofitted to most EVs, as many are already equipped with cameras sufficient for future upgrades from current Level 2 automation, which controls lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control, to allow full AI driving automation.

AI technology primarily automates routine tasks, and few are as mundane as driving during rush hour. More importantly, AI-driven systems promise greater safety, monitoring inputs from multiple cameras and radar sensors and making decisions 100 times faster than humans.

President Trump’s upcoming protectionist "trade wars" will secure Tesla’s position in the U.S. market. Tesla head Elon Musk’s $110 million in election donations, despite the risk of Trump’s failure, was a calculated gamble. Musk gained a massively valuable seat as a special government advisor. Musk may be concerned about Trump’s anti-green stance, but tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese or European EV imports more than offset this drawback.

However, the different Geographical landscapes and the threat of lawsuits will undoubtedly lead to a faster roll-out of this technology in China. This will give businesses like BYD the scale of production required to reach price points that will make Tesla’s eyes water.

Once most cars are autonomous, the idea of EV ownership may start to be questioned.

It is the most underutilised asset we own, being parked doing nothing for 95% of its life, and even when it is driven, it’s only one person 76.4% of the time, even though it was built to carry four passengers on average.

?The world quickly migrated to Uber to supply on-demand taxis, so imagine fleets of millions of Robotaxis always on the move and available for hire at the same frequency as London tubes.

?The price metrics are compelling: Robotaxis will cost a fraction of petrol equivalents, where human labour accounts for 41% of the fare—adding a 40% reduction on the remaining cost due to EVs' lower operating expenses results in a remarkable 64% price reduction.

?It is estimated that this would cut the effective cost of transportation by 75% compared with owning the vehicle yourself, with no discernible loss of benefit, assuming these Robotaxis are kept clean and tidy.

?Simultaneously, it would greatly reduce road congestion by eliminating human drivers' “SWOT” (Shear Weight of Traffic) impact. This shift would also benefit urban living by reducing pollution-related deaths and freeing space for green parks to replace the concrete covering 25% of cities for car parking.

?The case for large fleets of Uber-controlled autonomous EVs is so compelling that it’s a matter of when, not if, this transition will happen. Which superpower leads in deploying these fleets remains uncertain, and in the UK, it may hinge on the "special" relationship with the USA.

?However, with our post-Brexit independence, we can only hope our politicians can negotiate a favourable trade deal with America or China to allow us to be at the forefront of this autonomous revolution.