SELF-DRIVING CARS 2025
Self-driving cars have a massive impact on the car industry by 2025.
Key figures
My prediction: November 2017, Exact Live in the Netherlands, on stage with Max Verstappen, F1 driver at Red Bull Racing: self-driving cars have a massive impact on the car industry
Result: Waymo One, the first paid robotaxi service, Phoenix, December 2018; 250,000 paid rides a week with nobody behind the wheel by April 2025
Result 2: Tesla Robotaxi on the road in Austin, June 2025; Germany is the first country with a self-driving law, May 2021
My next prediction: laws can make or break technology; if laws forbid autonomous cars and trucks, that saves 50+ million jobs worldwide
My 2035 forecast: machines you own earn $1 trillion, not your hours
November 2017. Exact Live in the Netherlands. Exact invited me to headline its tech and business event.
In my Tech Talks I interviewed Max Verstappen, F1 driver at Red Bull Racing.
We talked about self-driving cars. My words on stage: "Self-driving cars will have a massive impact on the future of the car industry."
"But also less traffic jams, because tech drives much smarter than we people."
Max Verstappen was not sold yet. For now he wanted to be in control, and he loves to drive in the rain. Watch the Tech Talk: youtube.com/watch?v=ZaOMptvnUUg
2025. Result: self-driving cars are on the road. Laws follow.
Robotaxis. December 2018, Waymo One opens the first paid robotaxi service in Phoenix, Arizona.
April 2025: 250,000 paid rides a week with nobody behind the wheel.
Tesla. June 2025, the Tesla Robotaxi hits the road in Austin.
Laws and regulations. May 2021, Germany becomes the first country with a self-driving car law.
As I wrote in 2021: governments can make or break technology with new laws.
My next prediction: would laws forbid autonomous cars and trucks? That would save 50+ million jobs worldwide.
My 2035 forecast: machines you own earn $1 trillion, not your hours.
Read TESLA CYBERCAB 2035.
In hindsight, we are all futurists.
