A study by a leading energy-security think tank says the economic benefits of autonomous vehicles will far outweigh predicted drawbacks such as job displacement.
“Rather than delaying the benefits, policymakers could ensure that the interests of the people who may lose jobs are well-protected through effective mitigation programs,” the authors at Securing America’s Future Energy said.
The report forecasts annual benefits of autonomous vehicle deployment reaching nearly $800 billion by 2050, broken down as follows:
| Public benefits | |
| Congestion mitigation | $71 billion |
| Accident reduction | |
| Economic impact | $118 billion |
| Quality-of-life improvements | $385 billion |
| Reduced oil consumption | $58 billion |
| Consumer benefits | |
| Value of time | $153 billion |
| Reduced taxi service cost | $10 billion |
| Total | $796 billion |
| Source: Securing America’s Future Energy | |
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