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Could the Tesla factor push the market for self driving cars faster than most anticipate.? Self-driving features may give them the edge on the increasing competition in the emerging electric vehicle market.
“Tech” is an attribute that is authentically a part of the Tesla brand. Self-driving features are essentially tech and in this area Tesla has been pushing out in front; most recently with an announcement that this summer an over-the-air update will enable their “Autopilot” feature on all Model Ss. (Autopilot will allow, as Tesla puts it, on-ramp to off-ramp self-driving.)
This new feature could be Tesla's saving grace, as well as a market force to more quickly push other automakers to use the new technology.
The convenience and safety of self-driving technologies offers Tesla a lifeline; “reasons to buy” for consumers who lack the environmental fervor of their early customers. And these reasons are compelling to a large number of car buyers; enough for many to overlook the limitations on an electric power-train–opening up a vastly larger market for Tesla.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 06 2015, @02:44AM
Trucking employs a sizable fraction of the population. And what're they supposed to do for a living once their jobs get automated out of existence?
3.5 million* / 318.9 million (2014) = 0.011 -- around 1% of total USA pop. are truck_drivers. Considerably larger fraction if the number of people of employment_age is used, and even larger if divided by number actually_working.
From http://www.truckinfo.net/trucking/stats.htm [truckinfo.net] --
* How big is the trucking industry?
The trucking companies, warehouses and private sector in the U.S. employs an estimated 8.9 million people employed in trucking-related jobs; nearly 3.5 million were truck drivers. Of this figure UPS employs 60,000 workers and 9% are owner operators. LTL shippers account for around 13.6 percent of America's trucking sector.
How many trucks operate in the U.S.?
Estimates of 15.5 million trucks operate in the U.S.. Of this figure 2 million are tractor trailers.
How many truckers are there?
It is an estimated over 3.5 million truck drivers in the U.S. Of that one in nine are independent, a majority of which are owner operators. Canada has in excess of 250,000 truck drivers.
How many trucking companies are there in the U.S.?
Estimates of 1.2 million companies in the U.S. Of that figure 97% operate 20 or fewer while 90% operate 6 or fewer trucks.
How many miles does the transportation industry transports good in a year?
In 2006 the transportation industry logged 432.9 billion miles. Class 8 trucks accounted for 139.3 billion of those miles, up from 130.5 billion in 2005
What is the volume of goods transported by the trucking industry?
The United States economy depends on trucks to deliver nearly 70 percent of all freight transported annually in the U.S., accounting for $671 billion worth of manufactured and retail goods transported by truck in the U.S. alone. Add $295 billion in truck trade with Canada and $195.6 billion in truck trade with Mexico .