Self-Driving Cars Could Help Save the Environment--Or Ruin It. It Depends on Us

Self-driving vehicles promised to revolutionize the transportation industry. Automated cars could reshape every industry that relies on the automobile, from car manufacturing, to taxis, limousines and trucking. By taking human beings--who aren't the drivers they think they are--out from behind the wheel, self-driving cars could also save millions of lives. Self-driving cars will also have a profound effect on the environment--but whether it's for better or for worse will depend on technological and policy choices that have yet to be made. Automated vehicles could reduce energy consumption in transportation by as much as 90%, or increase it by more than 200%, according to research from the Department of Energy (DOE).