Occupier-Edge_Ed.5_US

Driverless Vehicles are Coming – and they’re Coming Fast

DISRUPTION

Imagine a world where a driverless vehicle delivers you from your front door to your office every morning. No driving, no parking, and no hassle required. You can work, eat breakfast, read a book, watch television – or even sleep – during your commute. Sound too good to be true? Well, thanks to modern technology, driverless vehicles are coming – and they’re coming fast. Estimates vary as to when they will dominate the landscape, but many experts believe they will be a major presence on U.S. roads by 2025. In fact, several automakers, including Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen/ Audi, Tesla, and BMW, are already well on their way toward making the driver’s role less important. Elon Musk, co- founder and CEO of Tesla, is planning a coast-to-coast demo drive in November or December 2017, from California to New York, with no controls touched at any point during the entire journey. Tesla has also announced that its customers would be able to summon a car across the country by 2018. General Motors is now testing its self-driving Bolt in Arizona, and BMW and Nissan have joined Mercedes-Benz in announcing plans to offer cars with self-driving capabilities by 2020. With so much growth and change on the horizon, this technology is sure to have major implications across the board, including on corporations. Although the technology is still a work in progress, it’s never too early to start thinking about the impacts the new technology will have on the workplace.

It’s no wonder these companies are all jumping on the driverless technology band wagon. Last year, Goldman Sachs projected the market for advanced driver assistance systems and driverless vehicles would grow from about $3 billion in 2015 to $96 billion in 2025 and $290 billion in 2035.

JEFFREY GREEN Managing Director Global Occupier Services Lead - Automotive Sector Group jeff.green@cushwake.com

NEIL GORMAN, MRICS Partner - EMEA Global Occupier Services neil.gorman@cushwake.com

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