Yafeng Yin

Among the many promises of autonomous vehicles is a more energy efficient transportation sector, which would be a major boon in the nation’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is responsible for roughly a third of US carbon dioxide emissions, according to the EPA. Autonomous vehicles could clean up how we move people and goods. They could enable vehicle platooning on highways and advanced traffic management in cities.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to offer extraordinary improvements to both the safety and efficiency of existing roadways and mobility systems. Although in all likelihood it will be several years before a wide-scale adoption of AV technology reaches all aspects of our transportation system, recent developments suggest that new advancements could scale that timeframe down—perhaps significantly.