The Self-Driving Car Could Be Arriving Faster Than You Think

We might not have to wait that long to see self-driving vehicles become a familiar sight on American roads and highways. By some estimates, the so-called autonomous car won't appear in large numbers until sometime between 2020 and 2030. But there are signs that it could be arriving a good deal sooner than that, with limited production beginning as early as 2018. That's the view of Matt DeWolf, director of product innovation at Runzheimer, a provider of programs and technology in support of mobile workforces. On this episode, he lays out five trends that could speed the arrival of the autonomous vehicle. Technology, competition and supply and demand are all factors that could quickly bring it to market, he says. And there are ramifications for commercial vehicles as well. Find out why DeWolf says that, ''step by step, the autonomous car of the future is coming together.''