September 2025
The road ahead: The future of autonomous vehicles
Innovations are enabling more efficient and scalable autonomous driving systems — bringing the future of mobility closer to reality.
Key takeaways
- Autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is rapidly advancing, supported by falling hardware costs, AI breakthroughs, and growing deployment of robotaxis and autonomous shuttles. These innovations are enabling more efficient, scalable, and commercially viable autonomous driving systems ─ bringing the future of mobility closer to reality.
- While accident frequency has declined over the past century, severity is rising, and human error still accounts for 94% of crashes. And while AVs offer the potential for a major leap in road safety, they also raise questions about shifting liability from drivers to manufacturers and software providers.
- As industries and consumers lean in, the AV opportunity spans far beyond passenger cars, with trucks, public transport, and industrial vehicles driving a potential $1.2 trillion market by 2040. Early gains in sectors like mining and agriculture highlight AVs' potential to boost productivity and ease global driver shortages.
Read our full analysis for a more in-depth look at these trends.
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