FWIW, I am comfortable that Electric vehicles will be accepted relatively quickly, particularly once the range issues have been resolved.
The Governments generally want them, and the manufacturers are developing them quickly and are pretty much ready to go.
However, I am far less confident that autonomous cars will be anything other than a talking point for quite some time.
Firstly, the Lawmakers and Insurance companies will debate the various safety issues for ages, as liability will be a serious concern, and I won't be surprised if the taxpayer will end up holding most of (probably all) the risk, particularly when the initial transition begins (and risk is highest), as it is governments who will be driving this implementation (in a misguided effort to reduce the road toll to zero).
And secondly, and perhaps more importantly, during the transition period when there are both cars with drivers, and autonomous cars are on the road together, I can see some problems.
So if I am driving along and want to change lanes (for instance), and there is an autonomous car alongside, if I just squeeze the driverless car a bit, and appear as though I am going to change lanes while it is in the way, it will brake and pull back (because it will be programmed to avoid an accident at all costs) . And I will then be able to change lanes with no chance of being challenged whatsoever (although the passengers in the driverless car will be frustrated no doubt, especially as once this weakness is well known, everyone will take advantage of the uncompetitive nature of the driverless car).
And taking that point a step further, what about a pedestrian who sees a driverless car approaching. If that pedestrian steps off the footpath and just takes one step onto the road, the driverless car will slow down and potentially stop....allowing the pedestrian to casually cross the road. So through the city, if a lot of pedestrians take this initiative, the driverless car could potentially become stationary for long periods, as pedestrians just keep crossing the road in front of it.
If nothing else this will frustrate the hell out of the passengers in the driverless car, who will still have some sort of competitive spirit from recently driving themselves, but are left impotent in their autonomous car.
Now I don't recommend that drivers and pedestrians actually do this, but knowing how many people are around who 'just don't care', or at least don't appear to care very much, I expect these people will abuse the system no doubt......if not others as well......
cheers
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