40 Key Statistics about the Self-Driving Vehicle Market in 2024

Self-driving cars have evolved from sci-fi fantasy to tangible reality. Major strides have been made recently in autonomous vehicle development, testing and early deployment. But where exactly does the industry stand today, and what can statistics forecast about its future?

This in-depth article compiles 40 compelling facts and figures that reveal key trends in the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle space as we look ahead to 2023. Let‘s examine some eye-opening data on market growth, adoption, consumer sentiment, safety, investments and more.

Market Size and Growth Projections

Recent forecasts clearly envision strong growth and rising adoption of autonomous vehicles over the next decade:

• According to Strategy& research, the total market for autonomous driving components including vehicles, systems, mapping and security technology will soar from $3.4 billion in 2020 to $152 billion by 2030, representing an impressive 38% CAGR.
• PwC models show the global autonomous vehicle market growing from just $3 billion in 2025 to a massive $120 billion by 2030. Their projections include robo-taxis, consumer AVs, trucks and buses.
• Autonomous vehicle robo-taxi services alone are predicted to see tremendous growth, from generating $464 million in 2022 to reaching $61.3 billion by 2030 according to research from Guidehouse Insights. As ridesharing increases and private car ownership declines in cities, self-driving taxis are poised to disrupt urban transportation.
• Here is a summary of three major forecasts for consumer autonomous vehicle sales in 2030:

While estimates vary, analysts broadly see consumer adoption of autonomous vehicles accelerating significantly in the coming decade. Units sold could approach 12-21 million by 2030.

As someone following self-driving vehicle news, these projections align with your sense of momentum building in this space. A convergence of technology, regulation and social acceptance means AVs are likely poised for more widespread adoption soon.

Real-World Testing and Deployment

Let‘s look beyond market forecasts to what‘s already happening on streets today:

• As of 2018, over 1,400 autonomous test vehicles from more than 80 companies were deployed across 36 U.S. states, with hotspots in California, Arizona and Pennsylvania according to an Eno Center for Transportation report.
• In 2019, 48 different companies testing AVs in California reported data to the CA DMV, including virtually every major technology and auto manufacturer working on this tech such as Apple, Samsung, BMW, Volvo, Lyft, Waymo and Mercedes-Benz.
• Alphabet‘s Waymo One driverless taxi service has given over 100,000 paid rides in Phoenix, Arizona since opening to the public in 2020. Waymo currently has over 600 autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans shuttling passengers, with plans to expand the service.
• In 2020, Amazon acquired self-driving startup Zoox for $1.2 billion. Zoox is developing an autonomous robotaxi service and testing prototype vehicles designed for full autonomy with no steering wheel or pedals.
• TuSimple, a self-driving truck startup, completed the world‘s first fully autonomous semi-truck run on open public roads in 2020. They made an 80 mile nighttime trip along Interstate 10 in Arizona with no human intervention whatsoever.
• Tesla has over 100,000 vehicles on the road today equipped with their "Full Self-Driving" system, which provides autonomous capability on highways and local streets. Critics however argue the technology does not yet live up to its naming claims.
• Swedish manufacturer Volvo plans to incorporate LIDAR sensors and autonomous driving software from Luminar into their production consumer vehicles starting in 2022. This marks a major step from testing toward commercialization.

The testing fleets from companies small and large have racked up millions of autonomous miles on roads globally. And moves by the likes of Waymo, Zoox, Volvo and TuSimple signal we are steadily transitioning from the experimentation to early deployment phase.

Consumer Sentiment – Privacy and Control Concerns

While development steams full speed ahead, surveys show consumers still have some hesitations:

• In a 2019 survey, just 16% of U.S. respondents said they were "very likely" to ride in an autonomous vehicle, while 28% said they were "not likely at all" according to Morning Consult polling.
• 22% of people believe self-driving cars will be safer than the average human driver. However, 35% still think autonomous vehicles will be less safe than human drivers according to the same Morning Consult survey.
• 72% of Americans would feel safer in a self-driving car if they had the ability to take control when desired, revealing concerns about lack of control. Over half also want to understand legal liability in case of a crash according to AAA research.
• In a 2022 global survey of consumer sentiment by KPMG, 48% noted data privacy as a top concern with self-driving cars. Cybersecurity (45%) and regulations (41%) rounded out the top three worries.
• U.S. adults under age 50 tend to express higher levels of trust in autonomous vehicles and greater openness to using them compared to those over 50, suggesting views may become more favorable over time as younger generations age.

Polls thus far suggest people are still relatively cautious about ceding control to a robot driver. But a generational divide hints that acceptance may steadily rise as exposure and cultural familiarity increases.

How Safe Are Autonomous Vehicles? some Statistics

Safety remains a paramount question surrounding this emerging technology:

• The first pedestrian death involving an autonomous vehicle occurred in March 2018. An Uber self-driving test SUV struck and killed a woman crossing a street at night in Tempe, Arizona due to an apparent system failure.
• Between 2019 and mid 2020, Waymo autonomous minivans were involved in 18 minor crashes and collisions, predominantly rear-endings. None resulted in major injuries, the company reports.
• While autonomous test vehicles actually get into more minor crashes per mile driven than conventional vehicles (9.1 vs 4.1 per million miles according to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study), the injuries sustained are less serious on average.
• There were 36,096 U.S. traffic fatalities in 2019. A shocking 94% were caused by dangerous human driving behaviors like speeding, distraction or impairment according to NHTSA data. Self-driving systems may potentially prevent many of these through consistent, lawful driving.
• However, researchers have demonstrated the ability to remotely hack into and take control of autonomous vehicles built by companies like Tesla, Nissan and Audi. Cybersecurity remains a major concern that manufacturers must prioritize.

The safety track record of today‘s autonomous vehicles suggests they avoid catastrophic mistakes or rule violations, but don‘t yet have human-like judgement for handling all complex situations. As the technology improves however, self-driving cars clearly have potential to significantly reduce accident frequencies and save lives given data on preventable human-caused crashes.

Miscellaneous Facts About Autonomous Vehicles

Digging deeper, here are some additional fun facts and statistics about self-driving vehicles:

• Alphabet‘s Waymo leads the autonomous driving industry with over 20 million miles of public road testing as of January 2020. For context, the average American drives around 13,500 miles per year.
• Waymo also conducts over 25,000 virtual test miles per hour in sophisticated simulations. Together, their real-world and simulated testing would equate to over 25 billion autonomous miles – far more than any human driver could experience in a lifetime.
• Researchers demonstrated the first autonomous vehicle capable of following street markings at nearly 20 mph back in 1977. Developed at Japan‘s Tsukuba Mechanical Engineering Lab, it used cameras to read the road.
• McKinsey forecasts that autonomous vehicles could make up as much as 66% of passenger-miles traveled in China by 2040. China‘s massive population, concentrated urban density, and receptive government policies give autonomous transit immense potential there.
• Fully autonomous robotaxis circling endlessly while awaiting passengers could increase traffic congestion and pollution in cities, some researchers warn. Thoughtful infrastructure and policy will be needed to maximize societal benefits.
• Pedestrians are more unpredictable in their movements than vehicles, posing unique challenges for autonomous driving systems. Advanced recognition and prediction of pedestrians will be critical, especially in urban areas.

Major Investments Fueling Autonomous Vehicle Development

Let‘s examine some of the major investments that have fueled the autonomous vehicle industry‘s rapid growth:

• Waymo raised $3 billion in external funding in 2020 from investors including Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz and AutoNation. This brings their total raised to over $5 billion.
• GM‘s driverless subsidiary Cruise raised $2.75 billion from Honda in 2018, then $1.15 billion from T. Rowe Price and Softbank in 2019, and most recently $5 billion from Microsoft in 2020. Their total raised now exceeds $7 billion.
• In 2019, Amazon invested $700 million into EV startup Rivian, then led a $2.5 billion funding round in 2020. The companies are collaborating on electric last-mile delivery vehicles.
• Apple reportedly has over 1,000 engineers from Tesla, Google and other firms working on autonomous systems. Their well-funded secret project may be developing an Apple Car.
• Startup Zoox was developing autonomous mobility robots, but was acquired in 2020 by Amazon for $1.2 billion after struggling to raise additional funds needed to keep operating independently.

Clearly there is tremendous interest from the world‘s largest tech giants and automakers in autonomous vehicle technology, evidenced by the billions invested in recent years. The pace of progress going forward will likely be rapid.

As this sample of statistics demonstrates, we are accelerating into a future where increasingly advanced self-driving cars will transform transportation and mobility. While the path ahead still has obstacles, the momentum behind autonomous vehicles is undeniable. The next decade promises to be defined by their rising adoption and impact. Hopefully reviewing this data provides useful perspective as you follow developments in this emerging field!