Transport in transition: the road to an autonomous future

With rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles will combine with electrification and on-demand mobility to transform sustainable urban travel. Policy and regulations are evolving rapidly, and are responding to advances in technology. Indeed, the use of autonomous electric vehicles (AEV) has become a question of when, not if. AEVs will become prevalent in countries that either lead in technology, benefit from regulatory and policy support, or are highly urbanised. The US, Europe, China and Singapore will likely be early adopters and witness the greatest pick-up. The electrification of autonomous vehicles and their high utilisation rates mean that the impact on oil demand is highly depend upon timing.