 Autonomous Cars You know you want one

 And now you really want one That thing can do 190mph. By itself.

What is an autonomous car?  Well, “autonomous” is actually a misnomer.  An “autonomous” car would be able to make decisions completely independent of any outside input.  Since the “autonomous” cars we think of today receive input from various communications networks (GPS, traffic information, etc.), and sometimes also the driver (like telling it where you want it to go), it would be more correct to call them “automated” or simply “self-driving.”  Not that this really changes anything. I just thought you should know.

What makes a car “self- driving”?  In May of 2013, the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave this definition of “self-driving” vehicles:  “Self-driving vehicles are those in which operation of the vehicle occurs without direct driver input to control the steering, acceleration, and braking and are designed so that the driver is not expected to constantly monitor the roadway while operating in self-driving mode.”  Implicit in that definition is the ability to take cues from the environment and respond to them.

How does a self-driving car work?  Video that I can’t embed (that’s 45 minutes of my life I’ll never get back – thanks Microsoft): 

Are all self-driving cars created equal?  Nope. Some are more “self-driving” than others, and it will likely be that way until the technology is fully developed and adopted.  Therefore, in addition to the “self-driving” definition, the NHTSA established a classification system. The classification system has five levels.

Level 0: No Automation  The driver is in complete and sole control of the primary vehicle controls – brake, steering, throttle, and motive power – at all times.

Level 1: Function-specific Automation  Automation of specific control functions, such as cruise control, lane guidance and automated parallel parking. Drivers are fully engaged and responsible for overall vehicle control (hands on the steering wheel and foot on the pedal at all times).

Level 2: Combined Function Automation  Automation of multiple and integrated control functions, such as adaptive cruise control with lane centering. Drivers are responsible for monitoring the roadway and are expected to be available for control at all times, but under certain conditions can be disengaged from vehicle operation (hands off the steering wheel and foot off pedal simultaneously).

Level 3: Limited Self-driving Automation  Drivers can cede all safety-critical functions under certain conditions and rely on the vehicle to monitor for changes in those conditions that will require transition back to driver control. Drivers are not expected to constantly monitor the roadway.

Level 4: Full Self-driving Automation  Vehicles can perform all driving functions and monitor roadway conditions for an entire trip, and so may operate with occupants who cannot drive or without human occupants.

Ok, why are we talking about this in Energy Law?  Self-driving cars are relevant to Energy Law because they have great potential to promote the goals of both energy conservation and energy efficiency.

Advantages to energy conservation (via reduced fuel consumption)  More self-driving cars on the road would mean safer roads. Safer roads would mean a decreased need for frequent police patrols. Less patrols would equal less fuel consumed.  The same would go for the fuel saved by emergency service vehicles – after all, human error accounts for over 90% of accidents.  In a world where self-driving cars had all but eliminated accidents, cars could be built using fewer and lighter materials, since there would not be a need to protect passengers from potential impact.  As the number of self-driving cars increased, the need for physical signs would decrease. This would mean less materials used on those signs and less fuel spent placing them/maintaining them/etc.  Since they would not be driving the cars themselves, people would be less resistant to self-driving cars using hybrid or similar technology.

Advantages to energy efficiency (via increased fuel efficiency)  A self-driving car’s sensors, which are much more sensitive than human senses and allow it to react more quickly, would allow the car to better manage traffic. As the number of self-driving cars on the road increased, this would lead to less congestion and less time spent idle. Both are more efficient and decrease overall fuel consumption.  Self-driving cars would be programmed with driving patterns/behaviors that would be far more fuel efficient than the way the average person drives.  For example, self-driving cars would have no reason to aggressively accelerate and waste fuel like a person running late for work would.  With more self-driving cars on the road, there would also be less need to waste fuel by quickly accelerating in order to avoid an accident.

More advantages to energy efficiency  As stated previously, self- driving cars would be able to manage traffic better and space themselves more efficiently. The decrease in drag created by this formation would also reduce fuel consumption.

Even more advantages to efficiency (I promise I’ll stop after this)  Self-driving cars would be able to communicate not only with each other, but with nearby traffic systems. This could allow a self- driving car to slow its speed in anticipation of a light change so that it does not have to stop and waste fuel accelerating back to speed.  Self-driving cars would be more efficient in their parking decisions. They wouldn’t wait 10 minutes for a spot or drive around the lot 15 times. In fact, the parking structure may one day be able to communicate to the car exactly which spots are open. This will all lead to less wasted fuel.

Disadvantages with regard to energy  There are some potential disadvantages with respect to energy consumption that could stem from self-driving cars.  First, self-driving cars would allow people to drive who would not otherwise be able to (such as the blind). This might lead to an overall increase in the number of drivers on the road, such that some of the advantages of self-driver cars might be offset.  Second, self-driving cars may decrease the use of public transportation, further increasing the number of cars on the road and the amount of fuel consumed.

Disadvantages cont.  Third, people might be encouraged to live further away from work, since they will be able to be more productive on the way there.  Fourth, it is unknown how much electricity use will increase if the majority of self-driving cars are hybrid or electric – especially considering the amount of electronics that have to be constantly on in order for them to operate correctly.  Fifth, it is also unknown how much electricity will be required to run the communication network that self-driving cars will rely on (the servers in all those data centers use a lot of energy).

Regulations  Given how “new” the issue of self-driving cars is, there are not many regulations or statutes that specifically address them.  As of right now, four states (Nevada, California, Michigan, and Florida) and the District of Columbia have successfully enacted laws addressing self- driving cars.  These laws have generally defined terms like “automated vehicles,” “operator,” “autonomous technology/artificial intelligence,” and have allowed for operation or “testing” of self-driving vehicles.  There are three other states (New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey) that are currently considering legislation addressing self-driving cars.  Fifteen states have considered legislation addressing self-driving cars but have failed to pass such legislation.

Regulations cont.  As mentioned earlier, the NHTSA has addressed the issue, although only in non-binding guidelines intended to help states with their own lawmaking.  It is likely that most, if not all, of the regulations currently applicable to automobiles will be applicable to self-driving cars.  CAFÉ standards - NHTSA  Clean Air Act - EPA

Future Issues in Regulation  States will have to continue to decide how they will handle self-driving cars.  This includes a look at older laws that are applicable to cars currently but might not be applicable to self-driving cars:  Texting while driving and other phone use  DUI  Hands required to be on wheel – NY  The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is expected to set aside a part of the broadband spectrum for self-driving cars.  The US Dept. of Transportation is likely to mandate vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Conclusion  With the amount of public interest in self-driving cars and the number of companies investing in them, self-driving cars are going to happen.  The potential advantages of self-driving cars with respect to energy far outweigh the potential disadvantages.  Most of the disadvantages will either improve or disappear as technology involving fuel efficiency and energy efficiency improve.  Therefore, in looking to the future, the states and federal government should be careful not to over-regulate and deprive us of the benefits of this technology.

Bonus 